The destination is simplicity. But figuring out the journey can be complicated. Embrace, and enjoy, the confusion.
This is the Real Secret of Life
I Know My Personal Limits
“I knew my personal limits. It was my pride to know my abilities and those of the airplanes I flew. Still, there was always a part of me that knew I could dart outside the limits for a bit and sneak back in quickly.” ~ Ryan Lunde This quote is from an excellent personal article well worth reading: Impact, online …
A Virtuous Pilot?
Be a virtuous pilot. Knowing the when, why and how of flying is not enough. We must do.
The Aircraft is Our Tool
Formation aerobatic pilot Christophe Deketelaere on the perpetual pursuit: He flew for 18 years in the French Air Force, and currently is on the Breathing Jet Team. Quote is in an article on the Breitling Jet Team in the July, 2015, AOPA Pilot magazine.
Once is Not Enough
Once is not enough. Make the mental paths deep by walking through the weeds many times. This quote is often misattributed to Henry D. Thoreau. But it’s actually by Wilfred Arlan Peterson in his ‘The Art of Living, Day by Day: Three Hundred and Sixty-five Thoughts, Ideas, Ideals, Experiences, Adventures, Inspirations, to Enrich Your Life’ (New York: Simon and Schuster, …
Mindfulness in Flying
I think landing forces us to be mindful. The trick is to attain mindfulness in the rest of our flying. Quote is from the best-selling 2005 book Wherever You Go There You Are. Photo is a North American T-6 Texan landing in New Zealand.
Wiley Post on Flying
Wiley Post was the first pilot to fly solo around the world, test pilot for the pressure suit, discovered the jet stream, worked on early autopilots. And apparently was deeply in touch with the inner art of airmanship. (Quote in his 1931 book Around the World in Eight Days written with H. Gatty.) His friend J. H. Conger once said, “He …
Automation Addiction
In 2011, before the Asiana B777 crash, before the UPS A300 crash, industry experts were talking about automation addiction. It’s in an excellent AP news story, Automation in the air dulls pilot skill. Think they were onto something? How do you stay sharp?
New NTSB Safety Briefing
The NTSB recently released a Safety Briefing applicable to all pilots. It details several recent mid-air collisions that maybe could have be avoided if the pilots had seen the other aircraft coming. All were in good day VFR conditions. There’s no indication that these pilots were looking at iPads at the time, but I think we all know how captivating …