Roger Cruickshank is a front-line RAF Typhoon pilot. The Queen’s version of Top Gun‘s ‘best of the best, tip of the spear’. He has intercepted 22 different Russian aircraft, including the Tu-95 Bear, Tu-160 Blackjack, Il-78 Midas, Su-34 Fullback, Mig-31 Foxhound and An-26 Curl. Before this posting he was a RAF flight instructor and Olympic skier. So when he talks about making …
Not Paid to Fly
“The best thing you learn when flying in Alaska is when to say ‘no.’ When I started, the owner told me that she doesn’t pay us to fly; she pays us to turn around. If you’re smart, that sticks with you.” Patrick Dugan K2 bush pilot and Extra 300 aerobatic competitor Quoted in the March 2017 edition of EAA’s Sport Aviation …
Happy Dog
There’s lots of reasons I tell myself why I like being a pilot. But it might just be the joy of a dog in a car, sticking his head out the window. Oh, and if you’re not fully focused on only landing when landing — you’re doing it wrong!
The Plane Doesn’t Know
“Flying is a great equalizer. The plane doesn’t know or care about your gender as a pilot … You just have to perform.” Lt. Col. Christine Mau, USAF. The plane also doesn’t know or care if you’re tired, or if you were going to study more tomorrow, or if you’re in a hurry. Quote is in a nice article, Meet …
Basic Appliances
This Calvin cartoon is from 1992. I don’t think modern computers and 25 years of human factors research have changed the punch line. Thank goodness for skilled pilots!
Happy Sunday!
See you in the sky . . .
Go Beyond Happy
Scientifically studying how humans get to be and stay happy is one of modern psychology’s success stories. Positive psychology, with its insights into pleasure and achievement, has benefited millions. But there should be more to life than happy. And this new powerful book, The Power of Meaning: Crafting a Life That Matters, by Emily Esfahani Smith (2017), is a gateway …
What Will You Sacrifice?
Newall Hunter is a 53-year-old communications contractor and IT engineer, who has climbed 7 of the world’s highest peaks and trekked to both poles. He gets honest about what it takes in this Red Bulletin magazine article. What will you give up to do what you really want? “If it doesn’t feel right, you should turn around. You can come …
This Hits Close
A new episode of the National Geographic Air Crash Investigation TV show, titled Killer Attitude is hard for me to watch. It describes the crash of a perfectly good Northwest Airlink Jetstream 31 from MSP to Hibbing, MN, on 1 December 1993. I was flying out of MSP that night, same airplane type, same airline. I knew the captain, Marvin. I remember …
Fifty Shades of Flying
Strap me in!