Page 38 - Dec 19 TNT

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flight instructors by resting my scrawny, 110-pound physique in the seventh (jump) seat of a Seneca I. Back then, Vans Aircraft was a year old and the convention’s Wisconsin venue was only two years into its 50-year reign. Burt’s VariViggen was brand new and the VariEze didn’t yet exist. You could buy red 80 octane fuel everywhere, get a ride in a Breezy and Bob Hoover was the star of the airshow. Now the largest annual fly-in in the world, it’s much more than a fly-in; it’s a family reunion complete with a flood of memories. I still feel like that long-haired, 110-pound, student-pilot-hippie when at Oshkosh, but now that I’m a balding, professional pilot and writer, I have an image to uphold – right? A special thanks to the spirit-filled lady that was yodeling in her best Julia Child voice “hellooooo” from a tent somewhere. It made me want to break into my Steve Martin, Wild and Crazy Guy imitation with both hands alternately pointing skyward. Oshkosh can do that.
SEPTEMBER: Participation Trophy – Nine Ladies Dancing with Earbuds
“No Such Thing as Bad Student, Only Bad Teacher. Teacher Say, Student Do.”
– Mr. Miyagi (Pat Morita-The Karate Kid, 1984)
The year that I started high school, a brand-new C-172 was $33,950 and they built 750 of them. The favorite flavor of flight school fuel was red 80 octane, and a third-class physical was completed as if you were applying to be a Mer- cury astronaut. It was a time when you needed a restricted radiotelephone operator permit to use the airplane radio. and your flight instructor chastised you for not only pilot- ing errors but for improper use of the radio. After soloing in GA, your shirttail was ceremoniously and publicly cut off, potentially exposing non-pierced nipples and navels. At the majors, most FO’s f lew for 12 to 18 years with old-school captains before they upgraded to the left seat. And while the captains and FOs flying today may have 45 to 70 years of combined flying experience, the flying time of a new captain and a new FO’s added together will soon not be as much as one retiring captain. But despite these differences in generational characteristics and experience levels, the pilot partition of Gen Y and Z continues to show impressive skill and intelligence. Their level of adaptability noticeably exceeds previous generations, and not just in their ability to use Bluetooth electronics and essential oils. So, we may not be doomed after all.
October: True Confessions – Lords Don’t Leap, Even if There are Ten of Them
“Telling Passengers the Inconvenient Truth”
I’m not a fan of the grisly facets of All Hallows’ Eve. But the ghoulish holiday presents a timely pretext to discuss what we tell our passengers before things turn dangerous or disastrous. No matter from which side of the cockpit door you toil, we all do our part in dealing with passengers. Tell- ing them in frustration, as the flight attendant did in our
Pilots N Paws®
is an online meeting place for pilots and
other volunteers
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A general aviation transport
requires just one pilot volunteer
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dependable than time-consuming ground transportation for these animals who are often in danger of euthanization. Volunteer pilots retain complete authority of their planning and flights, and can give as much or as little time as they like. Flights are tax deductible 501c3.
SIMPLE AS 1-2-3
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1. Go to www.pilotsnpaws.org and register
2. Post your information and read other posts
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3. Wait for contacts /make contact with others
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www.pilotsnpaws.org
36 • TWIN & TURBINE / December 2019