About the time I graduated from kindergarten, my Uncle Leland returned from his enlistment in the newly created United States Air Force. Hanging out and making model airplanes with him ignited a passion that would burn in my heart for the rest of my years. About a decade later in Air Force ROTC I had my first flight – in the back seat of a four-place single-engine airplane. We hadn’t even cleared the runway when I was hooked. In these posts, I’ll share some of the highlights of the next sixty plus years of learning, flying and teaching in numerous planes.
Beechcraft Duke – Traveling in Style
Our sales manager loved to ask prospective candidates, “Do you enjoy business travel?” If they answered, “Yes,” he knew they were rookies. Experienced business travelers dread the beginning and end of every trip. Getting to and from the destination. But for me, that was like time in my sandbox – a few hours of sheer ...Read moreThree flyers on 9/11
For most, Tuesday, September 11, 2001 began as an ordinary day. * * * My first student of the day was Bryan. An excellent student, he had become familiar with procedures at Palwaukee so when it was time to land I had him call the tower for instructions. That was the end ...Read moreFlying After 911
Two days after the World Trade Center Towers were attacked, I had the unique experience of flying a mission for Lifeline Pilots … when the skies over the U.S.A. were cleared of all but F-16s and a handful of emergency medical flights. Here are some stories from that flight: (From LifeLine Pilots: the shortest distance between ...Read moreSituational awareness
Originally posted to ontheroadagainagain.com on October 22, 2014 A dear friend and operator of a top quality flight school posed this question in a lesson. Although he was teaching aspiring pilots, the lesson applies to a host of life situations: “You are driving down a four-lane highway. There are high curbs on either side of the ...Read moreOSH – World’s busiest airport
Originally published February 11, 2015 While tooling down the road in GrandpaLyle’s Ark, I thought of Bill Reyer, a dear friend who lives in New York, and how much I thought he would enjoy being on the road like I was. It wasn’t long after that that we talked and I shared these thoughts with him. We ...Read more