Initial: existing or occurring at the beginning. Solo: an unaccompanied flight by a pilot in an aircraft. These dictionary definitions do little to illustrate the significance of the words to a budding aviator. On February 3rd, 1964, I flew a … Continue reading →
As an aviator with a penchant for history, the history of aviation has always fascinated and intrigued me. In terms of its effect on the world, development of the airplane has to be considered one of the truly singular events … Continue reading →
A Navy Chief noticed something that needed to be done aboard ship. A new seaman he didn’t know stood nearby with his hand in his pockets. The Chief approached the seaman and barked at him, “What’s your name, sailor?” “John,” … Continue reading →
Disclaimer: The Writer’s Desk Logbook is not a podium from which universal truths and profound wisdom flow down to the masses. These posts are nothing more than personal observations about my exploration of the fascinating craft of writing. “Grenade in … Continue reading →
In May, 2010, an Air India Express 737-800 ran off the runway at Mangalore Airport, slid down a steep embankment and exploded in the jungle. The cockpit voice recorder provided a chilling picture of crew incompetence. As documented in a … Continue reading →
John Burch is a friend of mine, and he’s a nano-technology guy. Despite his best efforts to explain it to me, I have to tell you that he might as well be speaking in ancient tongues. That said, I do … Continue reading →
Unless you’ve been living on Mars, you can’t have missed the uproar over the new TSA screening procedures. Maybe it’s something you personally don’t care much about, because you think it’s a necessary intrusion on your privacy to protect us … Continue reading →
Reference an article in the Wall Street Journal of November 13, 2010 by Holman Jenkins, Jr., titled, “Al Qaeda Discovers the Mail Bomb: How about not overreacting for a change?,” I recently published four related posts in the Rants and … Continue reading →
This morning with my first cup of coffee I was surprised to find my letter to the editor in the Statesman about airport security, along with two other letters offering differing points of view. A nurse takes the position that … Continue reading →
Lo and behold, a bit of calm in the midst of craziness. The TSA, after two years of effort on the part of pilot groups, finally agreed that cockpit crew members are the targets of terror, not the instigators. The … Continue reading →
