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the gear (cranking motion), but I still made the second turn-off and last call at the Happy Bottom Riding Club.” Great Caesar’s ghost and jeepers Mr. Kent! Pull up your pant legs boys and girls, it’s getting deep in here. I know we like to embellish so as to keep the attention of the other storytellers in the room, but super-pilot bravado is like Kryptonite to newbies and will cause gasps and gastrointestinal grunting if used around fearful mortals, fanatic politicians or the frenzied editor of The Daily Planet.
What’s the Scariest Thing?
It’s easy to endorse aviation when we have runway ahead of us, altitude below us, fuel in the tanks and expenses in check. In fact, when all is well, our passion for flight often causes the exuberance reactor to lose containment as our aviation adjectives, adverbs and accolades pepper anyone within earshot. But it’s a tight rope when we talk to potential students, passengers or the media if they ask, “What’s the scariest thing that ever happened to you?” And no Gordo, that’s not your cue to tell them who is the best pilot you ever saw (with respectful acknowledgement to the passing of author and journalist Tom Wolfe).
Most of us are spring-loaded to “The Right Stuff” mode and answer with a modicum of exaggeration like the Happy Bottom pilot above. But we’d like to win friends and influence people here, not cause a stampede to the emergency slides or the desire to snuggle up and watch “The Lion King.” After we’ve covered the fun stuff about flying, questions about risks and operational challenges, training and expenses will come up. When we talk to these folks, tell them what you love about flying first. They will hear it in your voice and see it in your eyes. Then maybe gently give
them the “how we sometimes have to save the world” part. Try to use any superlatives sparingly.
A Talk with Jesus
Speaking of superlatives, before you say that flying can be like a religious experience, there’s a difference between the “sunrise, blue sky, smooth air, great view of Monument valley, the Rockies or New York skyline” feeling that we might claim is “like a religious experience,” and the “engine failure to a 400/1 approach in which we actually talk to Jesus at the marker” type of religious experience. So, unless your storytelling is riding on the shirttail of common metaphors, perhaps we ought to tone down the use of that and “best pilot you ever saw” superlatives while around newcomers and the Perry White’s of the world.
How do we delicately answer the sometimes-tough questions from non- pilots? Well, it’s not always a beautiful day in our neighborhood – we’re not a pointy-eared science officer or the U.S. Secretary of State. But here’s my take on promoting the pleasures, freedoms and efficiencies of GA.
Passion
Writers are counseled to write about
what they like and not to be afraid of
how it sounds, and to not call the editor
“Chief.” Some of the audience will like
what they read, some will not. But
through the use of words, syntax and
Lighthawk
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individual style, passion for the subject
should be clear. The same is true when
you talk to non-pilots about flyingS. iOxutrh Page
passion for flight will show in our faces
and inevitable use of hand gestures.
ASE, Inc.
4/C
www.rtcpilot.com/twinturbine
We apply all of our skills and all of our energy into every flight. We don’t just feel passionate about flying, we put passion into it. When you have passion for something, you love it even when you hate it. During my time in a dozen
Hillaero Modification Center
1/6 pg
4/C Ad www.hillaero.com
July 2018 TWIN & TURBINE • 27