January 2019 - And All Is New Again

So here we are ... a new year and a chance to look afresh at all things worldly and aeronautical. Aero. Nautical. It's no coincidence that seagoing and airgoing were seen as similar voyages from the beginning of our forays into the ether. 

Just as seaworthy boats have long been reliably considered safe as long as there was nothing else around but navigable water, airworthy airplanes are similarly safe as long as they don't run out of avigable air. It comes down to how the human behind the stick, wheel, yoke or tiller makes the boat/airplane go.

Showing off is pretty rare these days, but it happens

An early discovery as a younger teenager hanging around the Silver Springs Air Park was the revelation - Shock and Surprise! - that some pilots exaggerate when telling stories.  A few helped me calibrate my BS meter so I recognize the onset pretty early.

One of the plaques in my collection of pilotly admonitions says something to the effect that I should try to use my superior judgement to avoid having to use my superior skills.

Last week I was listening to a new-ish pilot talking to a group about a cross country flight with its attendant thrills and had to use my superior judgement to keep from asking why he had boxed himself into one or two of the corners he found himself in. A private conversation will take place soon. He's no showoff, just new at it, and a pretty smart fellow. I think we can communicate.


Meanwhile, the CallAir is getting a new access panel for the control cables and an early annual to boot - I decided to align the cycle with the winter months to keep from interrupting the spring fly-ins with downtime.


Snow and freezing rain are on tap for the weekend just begun. There's no flying to be done. I'm toasty and comfy in my barn hideaway, snuggling up with a good dog and a glass of Oh Be Joyful.