Humility is an Honest Quality...

On Wednesday evening, I (and 2499 of my "closest" friends) spent our time with the President. Former President George W. Bush, that is. "W" is a man who spent 8 years under the scrutiny of a nation and the national media. His every step being monitored, questioned, and judged. For his term as President was marked with a national tragedy unlike anything seen my generation or many others. An act of terrorism was committed on our soil and it was up to "W" to lead 280+ million people as cohesively as he could.

Was this an easy feat for any man? No. Would any man make mistakes along the way? Yes. How many people had the privilege of leading our nation prior to Bush? 42. Did this fact go to his head? No. One Wednesday evening, we were treated to a night of comfortable conversation, good natured humor, anecdotal nostalgia and the occasional plug of his new book.

"W" took center stage at the Lancaster Chamber of Commerce's Annual Dinner at approximately 8 pm and shared with us the highs and lows of his presidency. Making no apologies for being committed to faith, mission and serving the people of the United States, Bush recounted his thoughts and feelings behind some of hardest decisions made as the Commander in Chief. He was relentless in his praise of our armed forces, his emphasis on the need for a principled mind and moral fiber to run the country, and of course in his desire to never criticize his predecessor.

The common theme that peppered every quote, joke, and story he shared? Humility. This man ran our country. He's one of 44 to have this commendable privilege. Did it go to his head? No. He's real, raw and at times, self-effacing.

Am I looking to convert you to his fan club? No. In fact, all I hope to accomplish in this musing of mine is to share the fact that I enjoyed my time listening to the President. I admit I was riveted by what he had to say, because I hold a great deal of respect for the office he formerly held. If I could impart only two (of the many) impactful points he spoke, I'd choose:

• "How can I point out the speck in your eye, when I've got a log in my own. The most important verse for any President."

And,

• "I will not criticize my predecessor. I believe when you leave the Office, you exit the stage."

Thank you, Mr. President. It was a sincerest pleasure.

An April Fool...

Wow, where did the month of April go? All I can recollect of the experience is the rain, rain, and more rain. I feel like a fool for not savoring the 30 days of showers that April had a bit more, for earnestly seeking the May flowers.

That thought lends itself to a conversation I recently had with my husband. We were reflecting on the fact that at times, life takes place in the details. And, if you overlook the details in pursuit of what's ahead, you may just miss some of life's greatest moments passing you by!

Were the April showers really that bad? Honestly, no. The outcome and benefits of the rain? The May flowers!

Not only does attending to the details make you stop and take pause from time to time, but it's character building as well.

Don't be an April fool and miss out on some of the greatest aspects of life for being in hot pursuit of the greener grass.

How will you make time to stop and smell the roses in the month of May?

Beware the Ides of Facebook...

Fast typists beware of hitting return when replying to a post on a Facebook wall! As yesterday, March 15 (the Ides of March), Facebook rolled a new wall post procedure. Gone is the button to post, in it's place a press of the return button now posts your comment or reply.

How do you get around this user interface (UI) change? Simply retrain yourself to use shift & return keys if you desire a hard return in your commenting or reply. Or, learn to self-govern your commenting and replies, or you may need to delete and repost a number of times before you get the hang of it.

Don't let this change to the UI be the death of your Facebook wall interactions!

A Southern Hospitality Infusion

I experienced, as I have on previous trips to Texas, some of the greatest measures of customer service and hospitality that I've encountered. You'd be surprised how far these simple gestures will carry you in business, and in life.

• Smile, even when you don't feel like it. Every person I encountered in Texas from the concierge at my hotel to the police officer whom I encountered while strolling downtown Fort Worth, offered me a genuine smile.
• If someone takes an interest in your day, take an interest in theirs. Enough said.
• Treat everyone-absolutely everyone-with respect. I witnessed a man in a business suit stop and assist another man (the latter was dressed in tattered, worn-out clothing and saddled with numerous plastic bags) in his efforts to clear the Fort Worth sidewalks of littered cigarette butts.

Think about this next time you pick up the phone to answer a service call you don't really want to deal with, or the when your co-worker shows up at your office door to ask you the same question for the umpteenth time.

Folks, this isn't rocket science. It's common courtesy.

Will you join me in an effort to treat others how we want to be treated?

#Avgeek Abundance - Flight #10

Today's entry in the blog series is an interview with a lady #avgeek, Karina. Karina is known on twitter by her great sense of humor. Her twitter bio says it all: "Attn in the boarding area..the gate agents have left due to the HUGE amount of stupid questions." Already acquainted with Karina? Than maybe you will learn something new about her. Or, if you don't know her, please allow me to introduce her:

When did you first discover your passion for the aviation community?

I discovered my love for aviation at a young age. Call it crazy but I would love to take family and friends to the airport and I would always wait for the planes to take off. I was amazed by how quickly we could get to our destination by such a machine. I just was fascinated by the workings of how the aircraft were different in size and watching the pre-flight and just loved sitting there at the airport and hear planes take off.

Do you or have you had an aviation hero? Who?

I wouldn't say I have an aviation hero…no one specific, I mean Charles Lindbergh and Amelia Earhart come to mind. But to me any heroes are those who are reaching the boundaries of air travel. Pushing towards new aircraft and new ways of travel.

In your opinion what makes you or someone an aviation geek (avgeek) or propeller head (prophead)?

I think anyone that can be called an avgeek, are those who could sit like me at an airport with their scanner and not be bored. Or go to their local airport and just get to meet pilots, hang around the hangar. I think also that those who stop and stare at an aircraft going overhead. It just comes into your blood, you just can’t get enough of seeing, hearing, and smelling the jet fuel of the airport and aircraft.

Why do you recommend that your friends and family become avgeeks or propheads?

I would say I've already kind of sucked them in…they are starting to use phrases like jet-way, atc delays, and my favorite, I’m training them the airport codes. They are also getting better at traveling and not so worked up about when flights are delayed amongst other things that happen.

What are the biggest challenges facing the aviation industry today, in your opinion?

In the airline business it has become too much of the fact that the passengers are always right and never wrong. I also believe that at times the media doesn’t get their facts straight and reports wrong things making our jobs even harder. Weather is something that the airlines will always being dealing with, what amazes me is passengers who live in for example; SFO, KNOW that ATC delays happen. It’s an everyday thing, but yet they yell and get angry at the gate agents. Too much of the public has made their schedules so tight that if they have a bump in their schedule they get all riled up. I think all airlines it doesn’t matter who you work for get blasted…but yet we don’t take the time to realize how MANY of these airlines are up in the sky and yet only when an accident happens is it spread across the entire web. I think that until several passengers or some of the media step into our shoes, they will never know how complex the airlines are. It’s not like we could make an aircraft appear out of no where to replace the broken one. Passengers need to have much more patience and the media needs to report the better things about the airlines. It was wonderful to see the coverage of 1549 that landed in the Hudson, it was just showing the public that we all train for emergencies and when they happen, it’s wonderful to know that we have trained professionals and staff that will step up to show that the airline hasn’t completely lost touch with passengers. But at times we do still need to have that human touch and make sure that the passengers will realize that we do care, and at times some of the decisions are completely out of our hand and are done by upper management that are NOT in touch with the front lines. I wish at times they were more in touch.

Take flight, share something about yourself that you don't think was covered in these questions...

I’m happiest when I am allowed the time to park over on Sunset and I have my scanner and listen to the aircraft land and take off. I also love flying to new places and old ones to see family and friends. I think it’s just incredible watching a 747 take off, and now the A380 taking off. I am completely amazed at how far we've come. I have the airlines in my blood and I can’t get it out. From watching the Red Bull Air Races (Kirby Chambliss is my man) to just being at the airport and experiencing families seeing an Armed Forces veteran coming home after being away from a year, to just helping passengers get to their destination. I’m blessed to be able to travel for free and just being around some absolutely crazy (we have to be a little insane to be in this business) friends. I wouldn't trade it for the world!

#Avgeek Abundance - Flight #9

Today's entry in the blog series is an interview with a lady #avgeek, Julie Vessigault. She self descries as liking airports, airshows, airplanes, flying, hangar flying, says she called the airport gypsy or hangar maiden and that she's "Chasing the Dream." Julie and I have been tweeting one another for many months, and I look forward to meeting her at an upcoming "fly in" tweetup in March! Already acquainted with Julie? Than maybe you'll learn a few new tidbits, or if you don't know her, allow me to introduce her:

When did you first discover your passion for the aviation community?
August 27, 2006, Let me start out with my earliest memories. When I was five years old, my dad's mission in life was to teach me everything he knew about airplanes. When I was six, I was taken from my parents and put in foster homes. The aviation "training" I had faded away.

Twenty-five years later, in the summer of 2006, I met someone who had just been hired by a regional airline and was about to leave for training. I was attracted to this guy, but while he was very aloof and I never heard from him again, something about working for the airlines appealed very much to me. I had lived out of a suitcase for three months and loved it, so a flight attendant's lifestyle seemed to be the ticket. Besides that, suddenly that preliminary aviation training I had 25 years before became fresh in my mind as if it was yesterday.

It's rather poignant to share, but before August 27, 2006 was over, I "knew" my calling in life was to be a flight attendant, and I began studying aviation safety religiously.

When several airlines didn't hire me for flight attendant jobs, I knew I couldn't depend on the airlines to get me airborne. I discovered General Aviation and airshows. The first show I volunteered at was Sun 'n Fun, and in 2007, the theme was "Living the Dream". Three words never before made such an impression on me, and it soon became obvious that aviation saved my life- gave me confidence and wiped out severe depression following my divorce. Two months after Sun 'n Fun, I found myself in the cockpit of my first general aviation plane. I was amazed how within reach the dream of flight was!

After four years of volunteering at Sun 'n Fun, last summer I also volunteered at Oshkosh Airventure plus 4 California airshows.

Do you or have you had an aviation hero? Who?
My first aviation heroes were Robin Fech, an ASA flight attendant who saved many lives in the crash of ASA529, and Captain Al Haynes of the crash of UA232.

As I discovered General Aviation, I adopted Corkey Fornof, Howie Keefe, Bill Brennand, Gus McLeod, Bob and Sharon Stebbins, John and Rose Dorsey, Duncan Miller, and so many others also as my heroes, their individual stories and roles inspire.

More recently, I have established a military aviation hero, known by us on twitter by his callsign, "Shotgun".

In your opinion what makes you or someone an aviation geek (avgeek) or propeller head (prophead)?

• It could best be summed up in one's travels: When I go some place new, I have to visit the airport. Most recently on a roadtrip to Las Vegas, I stopped at Tehachapi Airport, circled Mojave Airport, skirted Edwards AFB, stayed at a hotel overlooking McCarran Airport, visited and enjoyed a flight out of North Las Vegas Airport, and experienced a tour of the flightline at Nellis AFB. Also every AvGeek has a trip to SXM (St. Maarten) on their "bucket list"
• A celebration isn't complete without an element of aviation, the past two New Years Eves I rang in the new year at the baggage claim area of SMF and enjoyed "airliner fireworks"
• You collect model airplanes, airline memorabilia, and aviation-themed t-shirts. You also have a healthy library of aviation books and movies.
• You spot even the most obscure airplane depicted in a restaurant wall hanging. Identifying the elements of aviation and aerial videography in movies comes natural.
  

Why do you recommend that your friends and family become avgeeks or propheads?
Aviation saved my life and gave me dreams to live and chase like nothing else could.

What are the biggest challenges facing the aviation industry today, in your opinion?
The biggest challenge is probably the cost of being involved in aviation. But I have overcome that challenge "paying" for my experiences with time and passion.

Do you collect aviation memorabilia? Which airshows are your favorites?

#Avgeek Abundance - Flight #8

Today's entry in the blog series is an interview with Chase Larabee. He self descries an entrepreneur interested in tech, aviation, and entourage, in that order. Works in private aviation and the founder of @PilotAway. Already acquainted with Chase? Than maybe you'll learn a few new tidbits, or if you don't know him, allow me to introduce him:

When did you first discover your passion for the aviation community?

I guess I never really discovered my passion for aviation, I was completely raised into it. During my youngest years, my dad was bush flying up in Alaska, and I was shown videos of me sitting in the right seat, along with an image on an old Alaska Airlines 727. Growing up in the Seattle area between Boeing Field, Paine Field, and Renton my dad would always take me to those airports on the weekend. Whether it was to get a picture of me in front of the brand new 777, or to see 737 fuselages coming off the train in Renton, I was addicted. Later on I would begin flying with him all across the country and I knew I wanted to work in aviation as well.

Do you or have you had an aviation hero? Who?

For as long as I can remember, the Blue Angels have been coming to town every summer and watching those guys perform, along with the sights and sounds, every single pilot was my hero (although I really liked the 2 solos). About five years ago though, I attended the Arlington fly in and got to see Bob Hoover perform in his Aero Commander. That sure was a sight. To me, anyone who is going to roll a Commander with no engine power really gets my vote, so I bought his book and learned much more about that very impressive man.

In your opinion what makes you or someone an aviation geek (avgeek) or propeller head (prophead)?

I would honestly like to say that anyone who can appreciate the smell of 100LL stained clothing, or Jet A in the morning but I know I cant stop there. In my personal opinion, what makes someone an avgeek is something who completely lives the lifestyle. They work in aviation, either fly themselves or enjoy flying with friends, come home to a coffee table full of AIN, Flying, AviationWeek and many more great magazines, and then still has time for a little flight simulator here and there. I myself know that even after a long day of work, and travel I can simply never get enough of aviation because in all honestly I am just too damn passionate about it.

Why do you recommend that your friends and family become avgeeks or propheads?

I recommend that my friends and family become avgeeks, because it is too easy. Regardless if you have a favorite airplane, or even favorite airline, somewhere in there your head is turned toward the sky. It is a hobby that can be started with a few magazine subscriptions and plane spotting weekends, and once someone takes their first flying lesson there is no turning back.

What are the biggest challenges facing the aviation industry today, in your opinion?

Personally, I think that in today's day and age, our biggest threat is the financial downfall. Although it may seem like only a slump in private jet sales, people are flying less in their free time due to high fuel and maintenance costs, flying lesson costs rising, forcing people to re-think a career in flying, and lastly the entire general aviation industry struggling with new and used aircraft sales, hurting thousands of passionate avgeeks.

Take flight, share something about yourself that you don't think was covered in these questions...

I wanted to take a second to talk about social media and aviation. A few years ago, when first starting out on Twitter and Linkedin, I never thought I would see social media spread within aviation. I would like to say, I was completely wrong. Now more then ever, my twitter stream is filled up with aviation news and to me, it's like a professional playground of avgeek activity. There are days I get aviation companies who want to follow me on foursquare, and others I am following a company on Linkedin and Twitter, and it is not only impressive, but I am completely proud with how far social media has spread within our community, because even as early as last year some companies were just introducing themselves to social media.

What aviation companies are to following on aviation or are following you? Have you ever seen the Blue Angels at an air show?