10 | AUGUST 2019 FLYINGMAG.COM
FLYING AUGUST 2019INBOX
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LETTERS T OSATISFACTION
I bet you’ll get a lot of emails about Sam
Weigel’s article “Grains of Time” [June].
Some will probably say he was a bit preten-
tious for perhaps suggesting we all join the
Jimmy Buffet lifestyle of piracy on the sev-
en seas. While reading the story, I felt that
at first—and then I realized that he was
only trying to point out that time is fleeting.
The advice he offered helped me in a way
he probably wouldn’t expect. I have a pri-
vate pilot’s license and own a Cessna 172.
I have had this nagging feeling that it’s just
not good enough. I need a glass cockpit, a
faster plane, an IFR ticket and thousands of
hours, or I am not a real pilot. I contemplat-
ed selling the airplane and joining a club with
a faster one. After reading the article, I real-
ized the choices I have made regarding my
flying have been good ones because I get to
fly. On my terms and on my time.
The plane I have is perfect for the mission.
The little grass strip down the street—min-
utes from my house—is bumpy, a bit over
grown, north-south instead of east-west, but
otherwise it’s perfect. And it’s cheap. I read
the article last night, flew this morning and
was home in time for breakfast.
Following your passion sometimes means
counting your blessings.Brian Brickley via email1,500-HOUR RULE
I read Stephen Pope’s editor’s letter in the
June issue about revisiting the 1,500-hour
rule and would like to add my experience
with this rule and its flaws. I’m current-
ly a 6,000-hour pilot with past Part 135
experience flying medical missions inKing Airs. I graduated from Embry-Rid-
dle Aeronautical University in 2006. I hold
an ATP Single- Engine Airplane certificate
that I earned in 2010 to “lock in” my writ-
ten for the day I had the opportunity to add
multi-engine privileges.
After a few years of hiatus from flying,
I returned to flying in 2015 and wanted to
serve as PIC for a jet Part 135 operator.
I then tried to add multiengine privileges
to my ATP only to find I had to retake my
written—because it had been retroactively
invalidated by this new rule—and take the
[certification training program] to do so. The
CTP course would cost me $5,000 and put
me out of work for one week.
I petitioned the FAA to allow me to waive the
CTP course, and even offered to retake the writ-
ten exam on the basis of my past experience and
education. I had more than 20 comments in fa-
vor of my petition, many pointing out the very
same topics mentioned in your article. An FAA
inspector denied my petition on the grounds that
it would not be in the public interest and rule
makers had determined the ERAU education
was not satisfactory. This was infuriating and
hardly what I would consider due process.
There needs to be more regard in the
regulation for skills, experience and edu-
cation. After all, determining those factors
is the purpose of the written and practical
exams. At a bare minimum, there needs
to be a grandfather clause for those hold-
ing an ATP certificate before the 2014 rule
change. I’m sure there are many qual-
ified pilots who could ease the current pi-
lot shortage if this roadblock did not exist.
There’s already a [notice of proposed rule
making] in progress for A&P mechanics for
experience and competency-based training
credit. I hope something similar finds its
way into Part 61.William Robertson via emailEMBRACE FAILURE
Martha Lunken’s recent column [“Living
Legends,” June] certainly rang true with
me. I too have been asking myself if kids
still dream about flying airplanes like I did.
Fortunately, some do, but an increasing
number of older kids seem to have no
dreams at all. They turn to video games
and fantasy worlds that take them away
from the world in which they actually live.
We should be helping them to live success-
fully in their own world by learning how to
confront and change it for the better. Hard
times never last; and adventure never dulls.
I am excited to see that elements of
my industry, aviation, are working hard
to do just that with print publications,
websites and blogs. Maybe this will do
something incredible—spur a dream
where none existed before.
One thing that also helps are real-life
stories from people who have overcome
their own obstacles and realized their
own dreams through hard work and per-
severance. Kids need to learn that failure
isn’t bad, and it isn’t permanent. Any suc-
cessful person can tell you that. Failure
is an essential component of success. In
my 50-plus years as an aviator, I have not
known a single successful pilot who has
not failed in some way—often more than
once—and overcome it to realize his or her
dream of flight. Passing these stories onto
the next generation is important to let them
know that success is not a straight line;
setbacks are to be expected and overcome.
Flying magazine does a good job of this with
an article or two every month. I hope more of
our youngsters will read them and that you con-
tinue to publish them. Thanks for your effort.Cam Potts via emailTEACH DECISION-MAKING
Risk management can’t be taught? [“Not Your Father’s Commercial Certificate,” June] That’s
news to the airlines. The key is the “assessment process.” Good assessments almost always
result in good decisions. Pilots must be taught from the start to make better decisions.Brian Wilson via email