While we might like to believe we’re on top of things and fully competent, the truth is well over half of all general aviation accidents are caused by pilot-related issues. Nearly 70%. Which invites the question: Are we really aware of the risks we face?
The devil’s advocate
The devil’s advocate in me thinks the better lesson is: “You want to land and takeoff with a headwind whenever possible. However, there will be times when you find you have no choice but to land or takeoff with a tailwind. This is where your PIC judgment comes into play. It’s up to you to decide if you can make that landing or perform that takeoff safely, or whether you need to land somewhere else, or whether you should put off your trip to another day.”
One more add-on rating
It’s been decades since I took that first flight lesson, but my desire to test myself, to better myself, to experience something new and exciting has not dwindled one bit. There’s a new add-on rating in my future. There’s a new challenge to accept and a standard to meet.
Turnabout is fair play
The unintended consequence of providing sufficient facilities to one group naturally limited the availability of those facilities to another. This is how a woman entering aviation at any level may have found the industry treating her in the past. To some extent, they may find this lack of accommodation happening today, as well.
Women in Aviation touch down in Orlando
For the past 35 years WAI has held an annual conference where pilots, mechanics, administrators, and more gather in the spirit of career advancement and mentorship. They celebrate their own achievements, revel in each other’s successes, and applaud their peers, as well as the industry that inspires them with real enthusiasm and joy.
I’ll never make the front page
I’m not the best pilot in the world. Nobody who flies with me comes away thinking I’ll challenge the memory of Bob Hoover.
It’s not about the cookies
Can you imagine what would happen if every member of every Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) chapter threw a few bucks into a pot to start a scholarship for a local kid who wants to fly but can’t afford it? What if every local pilot’s association member did the same? Imagine if the businesses we worked for did something similar.
In celebration of those who stir the pot
The electrically powered airplane is as poorly regarded by the wider society today as the gasoline powered airplane was in the early 20th Century or the electrically powered motorcycle today. Yet, electric airplanes are flying all over the world with great success.
Reality can be inconvenient
Accepting reality is not always convenient, but it is a worthy goal. The savings can be considerable in terms of cash — and life itself.