Engineer, physician, and astronaut Mae Jemison on thinking for yourself: “Never be limited by other people’s limited imaginations. If you adopt their attitudes, then the possibility won’t exist because you’ll have already shut it out… You can hear other people’s wisdom, but you’ve got to re-evaluate the world for yourself.” Mae Jemison Source: Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students, …
Taste Every Moment
“When you are a young person, you are like a young creek, and you meet many rocks, many obstacles and difficulties on your way. You hurry to get past these obstacles and get to the ocean. But as the creek moves down through the fields, it becomes larges and calmer and it can enjoy the reflection of the sky. It’s …
81% of ERAU Pilots Bust IFR Minimums
OK, this might be a bit of a ‘one weird trick nobody knows’ clickbait avgeek troll headline — but this is a real paper on real research in a real journal. It’s in Safety Science, titled ‘An analysis of a pilot’s adherence to their personal weather minimums’, written by Professor Scott Winter et al.. Full citation at the end of …
Seneca on Sailing
2,000 years ago, Seneca was writing about seamanship. Remember, “never stop flying it . . . ” ANother translation has it so: A great pilot can sail even when his canvas is rent; if his ship be dismantled, he can yet put in trim what remains of her hull and hold her to her course. Seneca, circa 65.
Just Row
The siren birds look cool, flying around free in the sky. Odysseus is the hero we hear about tied to the mast, getting to listen to their siren song. But better to be the oarsmen. Heads down, doing the work, no distractions. Sometimes we have to ignore the sights and sounds out the window, or in our head, and just …
Ludvig on Practicing Art
Flying feels like making music! And note the forced hard work of digging deep, it’s not enough to just practice the fun simple bits a couple times. “Fahre fort, übe nicht allein die Kunst, sondern dringe auch in ihr Inneres; sie verdient es, denn nur die Kunst und die Wissenschaft erhöhen den Menschen bis zur Gottheit.” Beethoven in letter to …
Ed Dwight, Almost Astronaut
“You did not get ‘into’ a fighter, you strapped it onto your ass and it became an extension of your physical body.” Ed Dwight.NY Times article 16 July 2019. Amazing life story of Ed Dwight, almost the first Black astronaut, who could have walked on the Moon: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/16/us/ed-dwight-was-set-to-be-the-first-black-astronaut-heres-why-that-never-happened.html
It Can Happen to You
In 2013 FAA Safety Briefing magazine published a seemingly unremarkable story about a mindless runway incursion in a light piston twin. Human error. Could have been bad, but like most incidents, no big deal. What’s interesting is the author. He was a master pilot. The byline is Gene Cernan, fighter pilot, test pilot, aeronautical engineer, astronaut, Moonwalker, and general aviation …
Where to Focus
From this week’s James Clear newsletter:
Screwdriver Meet Screw
This Gary Larson Far Side cartoon is good for a giggle. But some of us don’t see a school for the mechanically declined. We see a masterclass. The best coaches, leading the best players, winning the biggest trophies, taught this way. Back to basics meets beginner’s mind. Vince Lombardi is considered by many the greatest coach in football history. Won …