Blog

Early in my flight lessons, my instructor called attention to the death-grip I had on the plane’s yoke. Looking down at the white knuckles…

Flying sustains me. When I walk away from my airplane after a flight, I have tremendous energy, and I’m ready to accomplish anything. Life…

There are no signs in the sky—well, at least no man made signs. I like this. One of the reasons I relish my time in the air is due to the…

If you ask a pilot how he navigates, how he knows which direction to fly, the acronym GPS will probably appear somewhere in the answer.…

This might come as a shocker, but aviation weather forecasters don’t always get it right. The accuracy level they’ve achieved in recent…

Balance is critical in aviation. Flying a plane that has a center of gravity too far forward or aft invites trouble. You can stare at the…

One luxury of flying an airplane is you travel straight to your destination. Barring an obstacle along the route, like restricted airspace…

I’ll let you in on a secret, but don’t laugh. Well…you can laugh, but try not to do it in front of me. Here goes: the reason I learned to…

There’s a saying that’s common. You’ve probably heard it: The sky’s the limit. It’s said to encourage someone, to inspire him or her to aim…

I’ve been thinking about the weather lately. This weekend, I’ll fly my plane to Atlanta to join my wife at a fitness event where she's a…

For those that read Weather or Not, you know I planned to fly myself to Atlanta for the weekend. The universe apparently had another idea…

Someone once asked me if my airplane had a rear view mirror. While it might be useful for keeping an eye on the kids in the back seats,…

There is something you were meant to do. The fortunate among us know what that something is and are moving toward their goals. But for…

When a caterpillar emerges from a chrysalis, does it know it has become a butterfly, or does it make a leap of faith from the empty husk? I…

I found myself immersed in a sea of people last week, adrift in the ebb and flow of humanity at O’Hare Airport after I arrived in Chicago.…

We all receive signs. Some of us just don’t notice. People call them different things: signs from the universe or signs from God. Both…

Sometimes help not only comes when you least expect it, it can arrive in the most unlikely of forms. At least that was my experience three…

Imagine for a moment you're confined to a prison cell. It’s not the dark, dank room we’ve grown accustomed to expect from the movies, but…

Flaps, one notch. Mixture, rich. Sky, clear. Throttle, full. Brakes, released. The plane clings to the ground for an instant, Newton and…

Some of you may have noticed a lag between posts recently, which may imply I’m not writing as much. Au contraire. Last week I wrote at…

Passion. It sparks in radiant arcs when you discover it—or it discovers you. When you possess it, you couldn’t hide its warm glow if you…

We’ve all heard the maxim, “The best things in life are free.” It’s true. But what about those great things in life that do cost something?…

There’s no substitute for the school of life. Each of us is enrolled, like it or not. But we should like it. It’s the finest education…

I'm pleased to announce my article Follow the Glow is featured on Rick Smith's website. Rick is the bestselling author…

I miss summer already. Perhaps it’s a holdback from childhood when the last school bell rang and the doors flung wide to spill kids and…

Second in the summer school lessons series. For part 1, click here. In July of 1990, I had a bad day. The plan called for heels dug into…

​I feel as if I've been hibernating for the last few months. As I stumble out to blue skies and bright sun, I know this: It’s good to be…

When did most of us stop believing in magic? Was it the same time we stopped discovering castles and dolphins in the clouds? Did we come to…

Several months ago I flew the Cirrus to Montgomery Executive Airport at Virginia Tech to visit my wife on a Saturday night. She spent the…

When I started Lessons from the Cockpit last year, my goal was simple: write satisfying stories—I hoped—about lessons I'd learned from…

My music collection is eclectic. If there is one thing in life I strive to be, it’s well-rounded—of the mind, that is, not the body. My…

Yesterday I was guest speaker at the Greensboro Optimist Club. I gave a speech based on my Follow the Glow post I wrote for…

Ah, Memorial Day Weekend. Although not the official start of summer, the holiday typically heralds its imminent approach. With my favorite…

When non-pilots see the plane I fly, they assume it carries a lot. But everything in life, love, and lift is a tradeoff. If I want to take…

I have something to share with you. It’s going to sound strange, but here goes: for a couple of years now, I’ve been getting messages from…

I often speak to groups about networking. People think I have a success secret on it. But I’ll tell you the same…

My youngest son, Cort, didn’t enjoy his first airplane ride. He was four and from the moment we took off, he kept asking when we’d head…

What do you want to do with your life?   What do you really  want to do?   Why aren't you doing it?

I want to take a moment to thank all the readers of Lessons from the Cockpit. Without you, there'd be no lift to make the…

Lessons from the Cockpit has a blog exchange this week. Seattle writer Katherine Jenkins wrote the great piece below. Her…

College has been a hot topic in our house. Two weeks ago, we moved TJ, our oldest, into the freshmen dorm at Elon University. He arrived…

I am reposting the piece I wrote as Lesson 221 for writer Katherine Jenkin's blog, Lessons from the Monk I Married. Hope you enjoy it if…

If you read Don’t Look Back, you know I don’t spend much time fretting about the past. I’ve made enough stupid mistakes to fret…

Have you ever had moments when you’ve been struck by an intense clarity, a knowing, that we’re all integral parts of something much bigger…

A few months ago I wrapped up the fall session of the creative writing class I teach. The last night of class always includes a section…

When it comes to chasing our dreams, what are so many of us frightened of? Who made the snide coworker judge and jury? Who made the absent…

Doubt. It’s arguably the single most insidious obstacle that stands between individuals and their dreams. There’s a wind that’s eager to…

Most people I know try to honor the promises they make to others. And if something prevents them from keeping those promises, they feel bad…

There’s an old aviation joke that gets passed down often. It usually surfaces during the required night flight that every student must take…

In May 2009, I left a high-paying job to write a novel, and I’ve never regretted it one bit. Navigating the traditional publishing…

Aviators come from all walks of life with wildly varied personalities. But one thing I’ve noticed is, they all tell great stories.…

Inspirational speaker and award-winning author Janae Bower co-hosts a blog currently featuring an A-to-Z series on spirituality. This…

I’ve always loved the quote, “We are not human beings having a spiritual experience; we are spiritual beings having a human experience.” It…

A week ago Friday I found myself at an urgent care facility with my 8 year-old, Cort. Less than 20 minutes before, we’d been at the…

Who knows why most pilots felt the urge to learn to fly? Perhaps some grew tired of staring at cloud bellies and wanted to see their tops.…

There is a person you are meant to be. You know this because you’ve dreamed of it. Perhaps that person is a painter or a photographer.…

If you suddenly found yourself with enough money so you no longer had to work, what would you do with your time? When I ask that question…

Fitness has been part of my life for a long time. I’ve worked out enough to have a little insight into building muscle. One absolute truth…

Last Friday morning I flew the Cirrus to Charlottesville, VA to visit a buddy of mine, John Hart. John is an excellent friend and wonderful…

Several years ago I drove to a friend’s mountain cabin near West Jefferson for ten days to get my novel jump-started. I’d dabbled with the…

I'm please to announce my guest post on Katherine Jenkin's blog, "Lessons from the Monk I Married." Katherine spent every single day of…

This week I have a guest post on EXTRAordinary! Inc., the website of an excellent friend, Rich Schlentz. I first met Rich after he hired my…

If you've ever checked out the other tabs on Lessons from the Cockpit, you may have noticed my writing class titled The Write Motivation.…

I have a secret to share: I’ve been leading a double life. For many readers of this blog, I’m Christopher Laney, writer. But there’s…

Susan and I spent a recent Saturday cleaning out a few closets in dire need of organizing. One of the closets was in the kid’s playroom,…

Whenever I lift my eyes toward the sky, my mood improves. I noticed this a long time ago and have always assumed my fondness of that vast…

As I neared my speaking venue, I suddenly regretted not making time to wash my car. The thin film of dust on the vehicle’s black hood…

Life on the ground is often rigid. We spend the better part of our days living between the lines, whether it’s the boundaries of a house or…

Summer always reminds me of childhood when I would play outside with friends until dusk and beyond. On many evenings when the light faded,…

My friend, David Horne, occasionally writes a “Movie Lessons” segment for his blog. I love these and constantly nag him to write them more…

I’ve been running full steam over the last six months with a new business but finally found some time to read Katherine Jenkins’ new…

A great actor can transform a bit part into something amazing and memorable. That is why the acting great Stanislavsky said, “There are no…

It looked as if a forest had exploded. Green pine needles littered our carpet with a trail of them scattered throughout our foyer. This was…

I never thought about the old man until I’d see him on my way home. If the weather was good, he’d be there, sitting on his porch at the…

What in your world do you define as impossible, that you wish weren't? To make a living as a painter? To run your own business? To travel…

Our upstairs air conditioner stopped working one Friday evening in late May. I almost called the repair guy but held off. Waiting until…

For those of you who still listen to the radio, perhaps you have a favorite station you tune in to on the way to work everyday. What if a…

Conventional wisdom says aquarium fish only grow as large as the tank will support. I don’t know if that’s true, but I’m willing to bet…

We have three boys, all with different personalities yet similar in so many ways. When the oldest was eleven or so, I’d often walk into the…

Continued from Raising Fools - Part 1 I’m lying with my upper back flat while the rest of me twists to the left, right knee…

I’ve penned Lessons from the Cockpit for over four years and in all those posts I don’t believe I’ve written one as important as this. If…

Continued from Life Force: There must be an easier way. Those words sifted through my mind five years ago as I sat on the front steps…

In my last post I promised ideas to help you flow with life versus forcing it. If you’ve been trying to force life to happen…

Failure can be a scary thing. Most of us sense it lurking at the edge of anything important we try to accomplish. It also has a particular…

“Stop staring at the instrument panel,” my flight instructor said, finger pointing to the blue stretch of sky beyond the windshield.…

I’m a sucker for a distraction. I often walk into my home office with a specific purpose in mind only to waste precious time doing…

When I started training for my pilot license, I was amazed at how I felt after a flight ended. If I ever lifted off from a bleak world, one…

Hundreds of years ago, remote communication on earth didn’t extend beyond smoke signals, drums in the night, or the written and spoken word…

Pilots of small planes give thunderstorms a wide berth. Accidentally flying into a brewing system is feared by many aviators and I’m no…

Have you ever watched a movie that follows multiple characters over a period of time as they unknowingly weave in and out of each others…

Watch the pennies and the dollars will take care of themselves. My friend’s dad used to say that often. It sounds old-fashioned in this day…

I drive through an old neighborhood on my way to the office and back every day. It’s the highlight of my commute because I like to pass…

From the deck of our oceanfront rental, I watched my boys play in the sand. “Play” is probably the wrong word. Looked more like work to me.…

I sometimes envy people who travel the world with everything they own slung over their shoulders in a backpack. How carefree it must be to…

If there is one activity that has vastly improved my life in multiple ways, it’s journaling. I’ve mentioned this to numerous people who’ve…

I’ve been addicted to hunting shark teeth on beaches for a long time. The activity is meditative and helps clears my mind, at least until…

How do you feel when you walk outside to a bright blue sky? Good? I do. What if the day is dark, with rainclouds hanging low? Different…

More people than you’d think harbor dreams of writing. This is apparent to me because when someone learns about my experience, I often…

For readers who know me only from the blog, in my other life I run an information technology firm that helps multi-billion dollar…

Procrastination sucks. If there is one thing that has slowed me down in life more than I care to admit, even though I’m doing so now, it’s…

Hate making mistakes? Me too. But unless you never attempt anything hard, making mistakes comes with living a full life. I've made a lot of…

Does the world really need another post on meditation? Probably not. But there’s a reason it gets lots of attention...

There are probably many people in your life who believe in your ability to succeed. Mom or dad or the significant other. But those...

Life is messy. We spend our time trying to organize the chaos into something recognizable, but messiness will always be part of it,…

Parenting is hard. Really hard. By the time we have kids, most of us haven’t figured out what we want from our own lives after decades of…