PlasticPilot.net

Aviation is a learning process and it is sometimes good to stop and have a look backwards. So for my last post of 2007, I will share with you six of the lessons I learnt in 2007.

Some are about aviation, some are about editing a blog, some are new lessons, some are things I already knew but have been confirmed in 2007. I hope they will help me in 2008, and if they could also be good for you, then I’ll be happy !

Sad events are popular
As editor of an aviation blog I had to post about accidents, crashes and people who flew away. I made it to help impacted persons, and to not forget those who left. It was quite a surprise to me to see how much visits these posts generated. I sometimes felt guilty about it.

Sea haze develops quickly
While I was in Cannes to renew my IFR, I saw sea haze covering the airport and making any operation impossible within 15 minutes. The good old tip of having fuel to an alternate not in the coastal area makes even more sense to me now.

One never forgets
After completing the FADEC challenge, I flew again on Piper Archer and Saratoga. After more than one year, I quickly re-gained proficiency quickly. One never forgets about flying.

Magic is still in the air
Travelling on airlines certainly lost some of its charm and prestige in the low-cost and high-security era. The ecological concerns also reduces aviation’s aura. But when I posted about how airlines work, how passionated aviation workers are, and what makes this business particular, I got interesting feed-back from readers with various background… and as I once told, aviation will never die.

Media are all but objective
This is not new to me. I always knew it, and this has been confirmed years ago when an accident hit the company I worked for by that time. Media are not trying to report truth but to attract the wider possible audience. Their role has been more than evident in the Dash8-Q400 story as well as in the British Airways “ghost” flights case. I don’t blame them, they do their job…

Blogging is good
I like to fly, write and share my experiences. It took me time to find the good way and structure, not talking about the template. I still consider myself as a beginner, so expect new mistakes and changes in 2008. Editing this blog makes me happy, and this is why I will continue.

Thank you for reading, and see you in 2008 !

A Safe year…
My very first with for 2008 is a safe year, no accidents, and as few incidents as possible.

… with less constraints …
Secondly I wish that 2008 will see constraints on general aviation diminishing… lower fuel prices, less airport restrictions, no new segregated areas, no airports closing, no user fees (in the US… it’s too late for Europe).

It’s may be naive, but I hope that administrations will not create new forms or new ways to harass pilots as they already do so well.

… and more new technology …
As a fan of modern avionics and FADEC engines I wish to see more new models coming out of the factories, more retrofits, and more pilots trained on such planes, making aviation even safer, and reducing impact on environment.

… towards a world of understanding
On top of that, I wish for a better understanding of general aviation by the rest of the world. May those who were not yet lucky enough to start flying, be able to join us. May pilots flying over crowded area do all what they can to reduce noise, and general public understand the benefits aviation bring to all of us.