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Perspectives
A New Definition of Normal
The last time we flew from our home in New York to southern California for a magazine conference, we became the topic of conversation at the event.
If we had driven to California in a camper, no one would have batted an eye. But because most people equate flying with that humiliating indignity called airline travel, the idea of spending three days—roughly 24 Hobbs hours—in an “airplane” seemed unfathomable. Kind of like telling someone you’re wearing jelly underwear; they just don’t know how to react.
One of the problems facing general aviation is that most people just don’t understand it. The idea of climbing into a small airplane and using it to get from point A to point B for a business trip or family vacation is still unnatural.
The fact is, general aviation is an ideal way to travel for business, because you can change schedules on a moment’s notice, squeeze more appointments into less time and often—weather permitting—make your own schedule. And for family travel, you can’t beat a small airplane for packing children and the family pet into an airborne equivalent of the station wagon and heading off to a second home or backwoods retreat.
General aviation is more than just transportation, it’s a lifestyle that unfortunately, we often take for granted. A lot of dedicated folks and organizations are working hard to explain general aviation to the rest of the world so that it doesn’t become prohibitively over-regulated.
But it’s also up to us as members of this elite little community to do our part. We need to share our lifestyle with friends, family and neighbors so that they see what we do not as an oddity, but as something as normal, safe and acceptable as traveling by camper or boat.
So next time you’re contemplating taking a business trip with your airplane, offer to take a co-worker with you. If you’re planning a weekend getaway, invite some neighbors or family members along for the ride. Do your part to help the non-GA flying public understand what it’s like to travel by general aviation airplane, so that even if they don’t become pilots, they will at least understand why we do what we do.
And maybe then you won’t become the topic of conversation on your next business trip. At least, not unless you are wearing jelly underwear.
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