Pursuit of excellence

Which leads me to another word: airmanship. For pilots, the skill and knowledge we apply to uphold our responsibilities in the air and on the ground should be without compromise. But lately it appears to me that, in the rush for ratings, some pilots are compromising the fundamentals that make great pilots. Fundamentals such as hand flying, situational awareness, communicating effectively, common courtesy, and not over relying on technology. Don’t get me wrong—I’m all for technology. You’d be hard pressed to find a person in my age bracket who is more into technology than me. After all, I have spent most of my corporate career in emerging technology with companies such as Google and Cisco. And, as a pilot, I believe that a list of many good things has come from the digital cockpit, top of which is safety. But what good pilots consistently do is perfect their foundational skills. They practice—they live—on airmanship. It’s courtesy, consistency, and core competency.I want to amplify the opportunities we have as pilots and aircraft owners. To push ourselves.

What do I mean? For example: choosing to extend the downwind when there are multiple aircraft waiting to depart at a nontowered field; entering on a 45 when the pattern is busy rather than “asserting” a straight-in to save yourself time (or at least say “traffic permitting” when you call for your straight-in to let others know you will yield to them); using your feet to dampen yaw in turbulence so your passengers are more comfortable; not filling someone’s hangar with dirt when you do your runup; keeping the controls in the correct position when taxiing (even though this doesn’t matter much on modern airplanes, it shows a level of situational awareness that many pilots lack); and recognizing that a go-around is not a bad thing, it’s aviation’s version of a magic eraser. Seems simple, I know, but when you start relaxing on the fundamentals, you get sloppy and you’re not being the best you can be.

For more than 85 years, AOPA has been protecting, defending, and advancing general aviation in this country. I’ve added “advancing” because that’s one of my main goals as your new president. I want to amplify the opportunities we have as pilots and aircraft owners. To push ourselves. To strive for excellence.

Airmanship to me is also the ability to be comfortable at all edges of the flight envelope. I remember an instance early in my training when there was a 90-degree crosswind, and I assumed my instructor would say it wasn’t a good day to fly, but instead said it was a great day to fly. Pushing yourself is the only way to learn and to get better. That same instructor liked to conclude most training flights with a loop, roll, and spin. It was intimidating the first time, fun the next time, and ultimately one of the things I looked forward to the most, and each time I worked to see how I could improve.

And I’ve been a flight instructor since I was 19, and training others for this avocation has been one of the most important parts of my life. While I can’t instruct as much as I’d like these days, I see the role of a CFI as one of the most critical aspects of general aviation.

Allow me to pause here and apologize if I’m sounding preachy. Like the loop, roll, and spin, I also think our flying lives should be fun. So, while we are pursuing excellence and remembering our basics, I also want to emphasize the exciting things we’re working on. As I write this, your Outreach team is finalizing great AOPA activities at the Buckeye Air Fair. We’re planning for events such as Sun ’n Fun and EAA AirVenture as well as fly-ins in South Carolina and Ohio this year. Our writers, photographers, and videographers are traveling the world gathering great content about the exciting world of general aviation. Our marketing team is amassing great discounts and benefits for our members, and our member services teams are answering your questions and sharing their joy of aviation with you.

This positivity only happens if we are paying attention. Just like in the cockpit, our awareness of what’s going on and what needs to be accomplished are paramount to our success in flight and in our work. I am anxious to work together with you in this pursuit of excellence as pilots and as members of a great association. But remember to loop, roll, and spin!

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