Page 4 - Volume 17 Number 6

2 • TWIN & TURBINE
JUNE 2013
editor’sbriefing
June is traditionally billed as Learn To Fly Month. Why should we experienced old salts of the sky care about an observance of LTF month? Maybe because it’s time to reflect on how we got here. Most likely, you had a mentor or two, someone who nudged you when you needed it, someone you could go to and ask “did you ever?” without being treated like a dummy. It might have
been your pilot parent, or a neighbor pilot who let you fill a spare seat, or the CFI who donated a lot of unpaid ground school.
If you learned to fly in the military, there was probably someone who suggested you sign up, gave you inside knowledge of how the system worked, and understood what it meant when you came home with your wings. In all these cases, you received support, even though it was up to you to earn those ratings. In many respects, our mentors shared in our accomplishments.
We in aviation know what it is to face challenges, and we need to be there for younger seekers of true wisdom, even those wannabe pilots. Sure, I can find an eager-beaver youngster annoying when I’m busy getting ready for a trip and really don’t have time to visit. But, I have to remember when I was that kid and how I was tolerated around the airport.
Payback Time
Encouraging other individuals to fly is simply paying back the expenses we incurred at the kindly hands of those other mentors, long ago. Pilot numbers are down by 25 percent from the glory days of the 1980s, and the pilot population is aging. We’re going to need a crop of younger pilots to take our place, and given all
the competition for time and money, aviation needs salesmen. Be that salesperson – offer a “Can I help you?” to the curious guy or gal standing by the fence.
Probably more than most, you and I know it’s expensive to fly. Without sugar-coating it, just tell them that it’s worth it. All lifestyle diversions cost money, but few offer the benefits of personal aviation. You can actually go somewhere in an airplane, see sights others only dream of, and use flying to build a business.
Don’t consider that it’s only young singles who need our mentoring. People who can afford to learn to fly often (but not always) fall into two categories: those who have yet to acquire responsibilities, and those who’ve completed them. But anyone can realize it’s time for a challenge, and may need just a little nudge to act on their dream. Watch for that person who says, “I always wanted to fly.” Let them fill an empty front seat, as I did on a quick charter the other day, and sell the concept.
Learn To Fly Month isn’t just for student pilots; it’s for all of us. “Someday,” I tell young pilots in training, “I’ll need you to come get me out of the retirement home and take me flying.” Pay it back, before it’s too late.
Our Special CJ Section
We are once again printing June’s CJ Magazine material as part of this issue of Twin & Turbine, a bonus section targeted at Citation Jet owners and operators, many of whom are valued members of the Citation Jet Pilots association. We have Jim Gregory’s profile of a busy CJ1 pilot and his copilot in training, and some updates on the status of the newest Citation models in development. And CJ’s regular columns from Kevin Dingman and David Miller are part of this layout. It all makes for good reading about a great series of owner-flown Citations.
LeRoy Cook, Editor
Paying Back