Who was I Foolin’

I always marvel at all the talent we have available as we meet on a regular basis. We have engineers, mechanics, machinists, fabricators, and dreamers. All these people represent an arsenal of goodwill and skill. I am the first to admit that I am not a welder by any stretch of the imagination. I have a fascination with sparks and melting steel, but that’s really the extent of my skill.

Enter Darrel (not his real name to protect the innocent). He saw the struggles that I was having keeping my welds uniform. So, in one fell swoop, he came in to save what was left of my dignity. After working with my welder, he shows me that I have the wrong size conductor, a worn-out and improperly sized drive gear, the wrong wire, and a worn-out guide wheel to boot. Even with all these things working against us, he lays down a perfect weld that would make Ted’s jaw drop. After numerous explanations and frank critiques, he shows me just what I am capable of. The very next day, I am off to purchase all the parts that will turn me into a welding god… Some things money can’t buy.

The point being that we all believe we are all-knowing and tend not to say that we may need a hand here and there. The truth is that there will always be room for growth. We are destined for advancement. We have not come this far in our society by only doing what we are comfortable with.

I am very proud to be leading a bunch of men who are able to say that flying is their obsession. It is with great pride that I freely admit that we like working on our own planes. I’m proud that we do not let the fear of our own skills prevent us from pursuing a hobby that less than 1% of the population is willing to entertain.

TC had an article that showed that those pilots who belonged to a club were less likely to have accidents. Now maybe that makes each of us think that it will be too much to bear, the ribbing of the club membership as we share our misadventures. Each of us has in the back of our minds, ‘How am I going to explain this?’ But that is a good voice to be hearing. Whatever it takes to help all of us make good decisions, we need to continue to admit and to accept. Thanks to one and all for inspiring me to be a better aviator. Now I can’t wait to start welding the next plane. Best wishes for the holiday season.