S**t – Happens… Plane and Boat

S**t – Happens… Plane and Boat

So there I was, on a hot summer day, sharing a flight with fellow student Danny. Danny was a Boston bartender with flying dreams. (We all liked to split expenses in those days, when we could.) I’m in the pilot’s seat, and Danny is directing me over a big Boston area...
The Inner Voice

The Inner Voice

  THE INNER VOICE Can it save your life? We all get nudges from our Inner Voice. Some say it’s your Conscience – some insist it’s your Guardian Angel – some say instinct. Or psychic events. Whatever you call it, I pay attention whenever I get that...
3 Axis Control

3 Axis Control

 3 Axes (plural of axis) Learning to fly – to maneuver an aircraft – isn’t hard, once you get it into your head that it’s nothing like a car. A plane can be a slippery eel. It maddeningly wallows and bobs if you don’t remember it’s got three axes to...
Second Time

Second Time

But before I could get into the air, I had to speak that Arabic numeral thing… the new language. He reached over, clicked on the radio, and twiddled a knob. We listened to a string of babbled numbers coming from the speaker. (The ATIS, automated terminal Information...
3 Axis Control

The First Time

The first time The moment I had fantasized, been dreaming about, anticipating with sweaty palms – had arrived. Two weeks before, my world had rocketed out of humdrum grey with a mere phone call.  I was poking around for a glider ride.  (Missed out on that during a ski...
Ground-loops?

Ground-loops?

“JEEZ, DON’T GROUND-LOOP IT!” “Jeez! – don’t let it ground-loop!!!” Shrinking from the baggy-eyed bully as he grabbed the controls, I glared at him. “Hey wait, dammit – ground loop?!” He relaxed his grip as we rolled out, giving me back the rudder to steer the...