Thanksgiving is upon us. Then comes Christmas and the New Year and an encounter with that dirty lying scoundrel known as the bathroom scale. I will gain weight over the coming weeks. You may well add a few ounces to your frame as well. Thank aviation for that bonus of winter girth. Thank it all […]
Everything changes
It doesn’t take long to realize that everything around us changes through the years. By the time we’re in high school we notice that friends have moved away even as new friends magically arrive in town. The familiar old drug store becomes a realtor’s office, then might be torn down to make way for a […]
Poor little rich Americans
As we slide into the holiday season with the aroma of fresh baked pies and warm, happy families surrounding us, it’s worth reflecting on the world around us and the lives we live. The United States and each of the 50 states that make up this grand assemblage of territories we choose to call home […]
People are talking
Thanks to the benefits of some decent parenting at the hands of my mother, who is a teeny, tiny woman with exemplary manners, I am a reasonably humble man. You will not find me standing on a stump telling the world what an amazing individual I am. There are two reasons for that, really. First, […]
Observations and invitations
Attached to the main administration building at the Santa Monica Airport in Southern California is an observation deck. It’s a wide concrete structure with a curved metal railing that allows excellent views of the area, reaching from the Hollywood sign in the northeast all the way around to the Pacific Ocean on the southwest. A […]
Tag team activism
The main hangar space at San Luis Jet Center in San Luis Obispo, Calif., was packed last weekend. A good 300 aviation enthusiasts came from far and wide to rub shoulders, commiserate, learn, be motivated, and be inspired to be more effective advocates for general aviation. They came to have a good time, too. And […]
Yeah, that’s not there anymore…
Normally I write this column in my office in central Florida. I’ve got one at Gilbert Field in Winter Haven, and another in my home where I do a considerable amount of my writing. It’s just more comfortable there. Let’s face it, there’s no place as inviting or as comfortable as home — except perhaps […]
We remember the bad, forget the good
Although it is not scheduled to be released until January 2014, I have just finished reading “Fireball, Carole Lombard and the Mystery of Flight 3” by Robert Matzen. His research is impressive. Rather than dwell on the superficial or get bogged down on the sensational aspects of the story, Matzen treats the subjects like real […]
Maybe the O stands for opportunity
Next week, Fort Worth, Texas, will fill up with pilots, mechanics, air traffic controllers, writers, reporters, business owners, spouses, friends, and all the assorted characters who travel along with the big aviation enthusiast road show. The draw is the AOPA Summit, an annual gathering of the faithful, the hopeful, and the not-entirely-satisfied who all have […]