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What's Up
OK, Here we go again …
And
I Told You So
By Larry Shapiro
I know by now you are probably tired of hearing my song and dance routine about using “common sense.” May I respectfully request that you try and get over it! You see my fellow aviators, it continues to work and save a few lives along the way. Admittedly I am not a CFI, I don’t play one on television and never aspired to be one, but I will admit that I love teaching and sharing the tit-bits I’ve picked up along the way to old age, not zero time students but those of you who have been sitting on your ticket long enough to be a member of AARP.
I truly love the title of “Mentor” or King of Common Sense. I’ve begged, borrowed and threatened so many of you to give me the benefit of the doubt and join my Church of Common Sense. Day after day I cover my head, or eyes so I won’t see the silly things one sees when you spend more than half your life on an airport. Your troops do some really dumb things that you would never do in the other parts of your life, the part that pays for your flying expenses, sunglasses and silly shirts.
Jay Quetnick: Ninety-Two-Year-Old Pilot Renews Medical Certificate To Begin His 75th Year In The Left Seat
By Herb Foreman
Jay Quetnick at the Sky Kitchen Cafe in San Carlos, Calif. (Courtesy of Herb Foreman)I wrote my first article regarding Jay’s career in the air in 1993. He was a sprightly pilot at 70 years of age with 54 years in his logbooks. His first solo was in the wonderful J-3 Cub at the Palo Alto (Calif.) Airport in 1939. Jay was a student at Stanford University and had taken advantage of the Civilian Pilot Training Program and the ROTC. Upon his graduation in 1941, he became a commissioned officer in the U.S. Army, as well. The renewal of his medical will celebrate the beginning of his 75th year in the left seat. Amazing!
What's Up?! - September 2010
So here’s the thing!
By Larry Shapiro
Larry ShapiroI know as you read this you will be thinking, has Shapiro gone nuts again? Naaah, it’s just that I have said this so many times I keep hoping it will stick. Semi-crashed or destroyed airplanes are worth more when parted out rather than fixing and trying to sell them.
I feel the same way about tired, worn out high-time trainers. When you pass 10,000 hours as a trainer, it might be time to head for the junkyard. The doors and wings are worth lots and as a rule, we won’t accept an airplane that old to sell and especially to a zero-time buyer. If some high-time dude wants one, that’s a different story. He’ll know what he’s getting into. As the saying goes, “Ya gotta know when to fold them” before they fold.
What's Up? - May 2010
As I Was Saying…
OK, Casablanca it is… A Screenplay by Larry Shapiro
(Second Draft) Playback… Roll ‘em!
The place: (the time: 10:15 p.m. PDT)
It was still a dark and very foggy night. Boggy and I put out our smokes and headed inside:
Note: As I was completing this column I experienced and suffered a terrible personal loss. My loyal and loving companion “Katana” died in my arms. With that said I am just unable to complete this column now, but I will next month.
One person is standing near the runway.
It’s quiet and not well lit:
Senior:
He is speaking to you:
Now it’s next month and I’m back and so is “Katana”. She now resides in a beautiful mahogany box with her picture on it and we are very happy to have her home.
What's Up?! - April 2010
M O R E W O R D S!
Larry Shapiro and KatanaBy Larry Shapiro
The first thing that came to mind as I began to write this column was exactly what you would think I would write about and you’d be wrong. There will be no IRS jokes, no April Fools jokes, instead, and I might add, highly inspired by the recent Academy Awards Show, a short/brief attempt at a screenplay description of what has transpired since my March column. Remember, no jokes but a reminder that life itself can be very funny.
This will be a short story about the aftermath of a plane crash and how it affected a small community, the airport community, and an even larger community. The communities will be named at a later column but for now we will refer to them as: PA, East PA, and MP. There, now that takes care of that.
First we need a working name for this S-Play. Let’s see, Post Mortem, naaah, to morbid. Miracle on Beech Street, I think that’s been used before. How about Casablanca? I’ve always loved that name and it hasn’t been used for years, plus, it really works here and I can spell it. Okay, Casablanca it is.
What's Up - March 2010
Larry ShapiroW O R D S!
By Larry Shapiro
Words: they’re amazing little tools and they can be used so many different ways, some good and some bad.
I started this column a few weeks back as I was thinking how confusing some words in the English language could be. I am in awe of how well the exchange students who stay with us know and use our language. In retrospect I would probably fail if English were going to be my second or third language.
I initially was going to use words like, “pretty” and “ugly.” We’ve all heard, “wow that was pretty ugly.” See what I mean?
Now because of two particular aviation incidents that occurred in the past few weeks, and yes, I know there were more, words still seem to be very confusing to our friends and neighbors outside the aviation community. What does IFR mean to them? What does a standard departure or approach mean? I won’t even try to explain minimums. The hardest question: Why did he take off? It was so foggy!