Mac has been flying for 40 years, and writing/editing aviation magazines as long as I can remember. His words here are from the September 2015 edition of EAA’s Sport Aviation magazine:
Tag: mindset
Flying Both the Boeing 747 & Edge 540
The essence of Inner Art of Airmanship is finding the core principles that makes good pilots great. Learning the techniques that are universal when flying a Piper Cub, an Airbus, or a helicopter. Paul Bonhomme is uniquely qualified to understand these issues, as he flies an Edge 540 in the Red Bull Air Races and a ‘day job’ at British …
Aaron Rodgers Mindset
“It’s all about the challenge. Innovate and evolve and stay on top for a while. It can’t be Groundhog Day. I can’t be Bill Murray. I’d go as crazy as he did in that movie.” Aaron Rodgers, NFL Green Bay Packers quarterback. The Packers are 4-0 this season. He is the best quarterback in the NFL right now. And with …
Master Your Craft
I fly an airbus – but the sentiment is the same:
Am I a Good Pilot?
I think I’m a good pilot. Above average, anyway. For sure. Over 17,000 hours, 5 type ratings, published scientific research into pilot behavior, on and on. I work at it, every flight. Well, most every flight. But a paper recently published in Psychological Science: Journal of the Association for Psychological Science (I’m not a nerd, but I am a subscriber) …
It’s Not About Split-Second Skills
You never know when it will happen. It could be your first solo. It could be after 42 years of flying. As Captain Gann titled a book: Fate is the Hunter. Best be ready. BA Captain Chris Henkey was. The press has praised his ‘split-second’ skills in aborting the takeoff on the runway. But I think the more praiseworthy airmanship …
I Wonder …
No Perfect Flight
I’ve spent six months in airliner jumpseats observing flight crews, recording their threat and error management behavior during three separate Line Operations Safety Assessments (LOSA). And I never saw a perfect flight. There is no such thing. I watched some master aviators come close, but we all can do more, do better. I’ve become resigned to the idea that I’m …
Love the One You’re With
“If you can’t be with the one you love … love the one you’re with.” While ‘make your passion your work’ is a good idea, it’s a little simplistic. And sometimes unrealistic. Thankfully, an article in yesterday’s New York Times titled Rethinking Work, shows us a better way — we can put some passion into our work. Work that is adequately …
Pandava Prince Arjuna on Flying
The Pandava prince Arjuna saw the connections between the wind that blows ships, and the senses that blows our thoughts. We must harness the power of both.










