Page 28 - Volume 16 Number 1

26 • TWIN & TURBINE JANUARY 2012From the Flight Deck by Kevin R. DingmanGot Sole?It’s a 23-minute flight from Kalamazoo to O’Hare over Lake Michigan and RJ Captains like to leave the seat belt sign on for the entire flight. My laptop and writing pads are in the overhead compartment – no, this airline Captain traveling in uniform can’t get into the overhead bin while the sign is on; it sets a bad example. So, today, the only writing material I can find is the white sick-sack in the seat back pocket. How much can you write on a sick-sack in 23 minutes, and how small do you have to write to get the central points down? And I wonder how much of Nick’s sales pitch to Nike I can remember and fit on the sick-sack. Ah, the tribulations of being a writer when inspiration strikes.And yes, gentlemen, I know around 86% of our readers are male AND you probably don’t dress sexy, wear lipstick or look in the mirror before you run. Ladies, I’m not slighting you either. I’ve flown with plenty of very skilled pilots who were wearing lipstick, most of them female. In fact, a colleague from the magazine discussed the 86% thing and mentioned that airplanes, like the road, don’t care if you wear no lipstick, or underwear. Or did he say airplanes don’t care which you’re wearing, men’s or women’s. I think his point was that airplanes only care about piloting ability and not gender.Between each trip, I unpack and repack my suitcase. Its contents are, by necessity, exactly what I need;nothing more, nothing less. A few months ago I made the decision to replace my running shoes with some slip-on Docksider-type leather shoes. Tennis shoes use up more space and I had stopped working out and running a few years ago as my knees began to talk to me. To lessen the impact stress of running, I’d converted to the treadmill and finally to the elliptical. Ultimately, I ran out of motivation at the end of what has become an increasing long duty day and had stopped working out all together.Today was the first trip since removing the running shoes from my suitcase. Only a few hours ago the tennis shoes were replaced with the more convenient slip-on leather shoes, retired and abandoned to mowing the grass, doing errands and collecting dust. I had formally revoked the ability to run on a layover; admitted that I’m finished. Given up.... quit. Too old to run – or perhaps too lethargic, as it turns out.Lip BalmI pull out the in-flight magazine from between the sick-sacks and emergency briefing card. The editorial page is promoting an article about running your first marathon – it figures. Reading the editorial and the marathon feature story is quite coincidental. Not only that, but my FO for the upcoming Orlando flight, Roxanne, is a runner; an oh-my-God serious runner, a marathoner. I flew with her earlier this month and she ran after work at each layover; like, six miles. Dude! I mean – Dudette! She made me feel guilty. Add to that, my Duke recurrent training instructor just finished (again) his annual Escape From Alcatraz swim; from the island to shore; open water with no wet suit – and he’s over 60. He says lipstick helps keep him warm. Ok, he claims it’s more of a “lip balm.” I didn’t want to ask him about the other places he may applyYou don’t stand in front of a mirror before you run –And wonder what the road will think of your outfit.You don’t have to listen to its jokes and pretend they’re funny.It wouldn’t be easier to run if you dressed sexier.The road doesn’t notice if you’re not wearing lipstick.It doesn’t care how old you are.You don’t feel uncomfortable because you make more money thanthe road.And you can call on the road whenever you feel like it – whether it’s been a day,Or even a couple hours since your last date.The only thing the road cares about is that you pay it a visit once in a while.Nike. No games, just sports.(Paramount Pictures, 2000. What Women Want; Mel Gibson, Helen Hunt)Obey the rules!