Get Out of Your Head
“Stop staring at the instrument panel,” my flight instructor said, finger pointing to the blue stretch of sky beyond the windshield. “Everything that makes flying worth it is...
Life Force
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 I’ve cultivated any major life philosophy over the years, this is it…
From a Distance
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 looked even worse through my…
Do It Your Way
Six years ago, three friends and I spent a week paddling fifty miles in canoes on the Green River. The stretch of water winds through…
Time Machine Do Over
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 ballpark waiting for…
Spirituality Guest Post
Inspirational speaker and award-winning author Janae Bower co-hosts a blog currently featuring an A-to-Z series on spirituality. This week's letter is "C"—as in Christopher—and Janae has…
More Stories to Tell
Aviators come from all walks of life with wildly varied personalities. But one thing I’ve noticed is, they all tell great stories. Typically, the longer they’ve been flying, the grander the…
Detours
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 over—trust me on this—but I try not to get…
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…
From the Ashes - Summer School Part 4
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 weekend training the college's group fitness instructors in…
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…
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…
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 Holy Ground of Boeing
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 for me since a wicked line of thunderstorms barreled through the…
Weather or Not...
I’ve been thinking about the weather lately. This weekend, I’ll fly my plane to Atlanta to join my…
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…
Unexpected Turbulence: Navigating Life's Jolts
This might come as a shocker, but aviation weather forecasters don’t always get it right. The accuracy level they’ve achieved in recent years is phenomenal, but you can bet there are times when…