Thank you for Pete Bedell’s enlightening piece, “Career Pilot: Fit To Fly?” (December 2014 Flight Training) I am starting to learn to fly in a Piper Cherokee. So I am really excited to learn more from an experienced pilot. My original profession is a pharmacist at a major city hospital. Over the years, I have learned a lot about being too tired.
Occasionally, we all suffer from “decision fatigue.” This occurs when we have many choices to choose from and are stymied. We cannot make a clear decision. And being under stress causes “burnout.” The “burned-out” individual is run down and would rather throw in the towel. That person has no desire to fulfill a task properly and takes shortcuts. It is important to rest and recharge, especially when doing something important. Otherwise, what we love to do is no longer enjoyable. Thank you for teaching me something and allowing me to share something with you.
Steven Gewirtz
Brooklyn, New York
Flying Carpet
This letter is written concerning an article by Greg Brown about Mogollon Air Park, in Heber, Arizona (“Aviator’s Paradise,” December 2014 Flight Training).
The author made some statements that never should have been included. I am referring to his comments concerning the presentation by a FAAST team member the day he and his companion visited Mogollon.
The presentation being given was on ADS-B, and I have heard this presenter give this program at other meetings. Explaining something this technical, and trying to give people as much information as is reasonably possible to make informed decisions for the coming 2020 deadline, is a Herculean task.
The author complained about the venue, which was out of the control of the presenter. The hangar space provided, at no charge, to the FAAST team had too much natural light to allow for good viewing of the PowerPoint presentation. This was a huge disadvantage to the presenter, and certainly unintentional on everyone’s part. Including his wife’s comment about the audience enjoying the noise of their departing airplane more than the presentation was very unprofessional. Even if that is how he felt about the program, it never should have been included in the article.
Perhaps his wife is not an aviation enthusiast, but that still does not excuse publishing this rude comment. The article was to be about Mogollon Air Park, not the event at which they happened to be present.
These FAAST team members give of their time and resources to provide training and leadership in the local community. Let’s support and promote their efforts without unwarranted bashing.
Gerry Price
Chandler, Arizona
Greg Brown responds: “Herculean task is right; I attended seeking clarity in my own ADS-B installation. The presenter’s preparation and expertise were superb, and there’s no question of our hosts’ good intentions. But when no one vetted the presentation environment, both speaker and audience were cheated. I included this to motivate better future seminar planning. Humor is my way of softening constructive criticism. I apologize if it came across as rudeness.”
The results from poll questions in Aviation eBrief do not necessarily represent the views of pilots, aircraft owners, or AOPA members and therefore should not be used for research purposes.
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