The Weight of the World
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 four people on a trip with…
Letting Go - Summer School Final
Ah… Memorial Day Weekend. Although not the official start of summer, the holiday typically heralds its imminent approach. With my favorite season in sight, it’s time to…
Everyday Magic - Summer School Part 3
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 the conclusion on our own, or was it blurted by a spiteful person, or perhaps worse…
Summer School - Part 2
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 the hot sands of Athens…
Summer School
I miss summer already. Perhaps it’s a holdback from childhood when the last school bell rang and the doors flung wide to…
Follow the Glow: How to Discover Your Passion in Life
Follow the Glow originally appeared on the old website of bestselling author Rick Smith. Rick is a…
The School of Life
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 money can’t buy…
Life is Rich
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? I’ve been thinking about it and making a list of…
Passion for Planes, Paintings, and Pets
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 tried. Passion spills beyond the edges of your physical form to…
Into the Great Wide Now
Flaps, one notch. Mixture, rich. Sky, clear. Throttle, full. Brakes, released. The plane clings to the ground for an instant, Newton and one of his pesky laws stunts your…
You Can't Soar from a Prison Cell
Imagine for a moment you're confined to a prison cell. It’s not the dark, dank room we’ve grown to expect based on the movies. Instead, it’s warm and comfortable. You’ve decorated it with…
Cosmic Signposts
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 terms work for me, but…
Smile and the World Smiles With You
I found myself immersed in a sea of people last week, adrift in the ebb and flow of humanity at O’Hare Airport. Sometimes it felt as if I was swimming against a current, a riptide of passengers intent on…
Make the Leap - Part 2
When a caterpillar emerges from a chrysalis, does it know it has become a butterfly capable of flight, or does it make a leap of faith from the empty husk? I not sure we’ll ever learn the answer, but…
Make the Leap - Part 1
There is something you were meant to do. The fortunate among us know what that something is and are…
Don't Look Back
Someone once asked me if my airplane had a rearview mirror. While it might be useful for keeping an eye on the kids in the back seats, there’s…
The Sky's NOT the Limit
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 as high as possible. The irony is…
Discover the Hero Within
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 fly an airplane was because…
Reach Your Dreams: You CAN Get There From Here
One luxury of flying an airplane is you travel straight to your destination. Barring an obstacle along the route, like restricted airspace or an ornery weather system, you can…
Who Stole the Go Signs?
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…