Aviation Blog
People In Aviation
Nebraska’s Venerable Lyon Retires
Jan 6th
Bill Lyon, Deputy Director of Operations has retired from the Nebraska Department of Aeronautics (NDA) after serving the state as a pilot and administrator for more than 40 years.
With an Airline Transport Pilot rating, Bill retires with over 16,000 hours in a wide variety of aircraft. I count it an honor and a privilege to have shared the flight deck with him for a very small percentage of those hours.
Whether in the cockpit of a Cessna 182 or the Department’s Piper Navajo or Cheyenne, I spent many hours flying above the expansive Nebraska landscape, talking about aviation, talking about life and soaking up bits of wisdom from this skilled aviator.
As the Director of the Nebraska Department of Aeronautics between the years of 1992 and 1998 I had the opportunity to work with Bill not only in the air but on the ground, in good times and the challenging times as well. It is through the day to day grind that you truly get to know a person.
A definition of venerable is, “commanding respect by virtue of age, dignity, character, or position” – all fine characteristics and each can be attributed to Bill. But, the one that stands out to me More >
Glamorization of thievery may be sending the wrong message about our airports!
Jul 1st
With the news that 20th Century Fox has purchased the rights for a film based on the exploits of the bare-foot bandit, are we sending the message to every would-be thief in America that our GA airports are easy marks? News reports are growing and their seems to be a quiet expectation and longing for word on the continued exploits of the young fugitive, accused of stealing planes, cars and boats. Beginning along the West Coast, he has most recently brought his passion for crime to the Midwest with apparent break-ins at airports in South Dakota and Nebraska. Colton Harris-Moore, dubbed the “barefoot bandit” because he was without shoes when he allegedly broke into houses in Oregon and Washington, may be inadvertently the cause of the media’s message that thievery is easy at general aviation airports. If the allegations against Harris-Moore, 19, are true, the young man may be becoming more desperate, if not dangerous, according to some reports. Everyone loves a good story but we don’t want to create a birthing ground for would-be copycats who crave the attention of a nation-wide audience and a little milk to the point of causing, accidently or not, the loss of life. More >
The right amount of rudder, a light touch on the stick
May 1st
It’s a shame that sometimes we learn more about a person after they have gone than we did in their presence. Such has been the case more often than not for me. I recently attended the memorial service for a friend that I worked with in one of the aviation circles I travel in. His name was Jim Burch. I liked him. I think most people did.
Jim and I served together on the Aviation Safety Advisory Group of Arizona for a number of years, but other than sitting across a table from Jim once a month and seeing him at a couple of other functions, I never took the time to say, “hey, let’s go grab some lunch or can we meet for breakfast some time?” Had I done that I think my life would have been much richer.
The thing about people in aviation, especially pilots, is that there is a shared bond, a shared respect in many cases that ties us together. When I was younger I didn’t appreciate it as much as I do now. Now that I’ve aged a bit, well a lot, I tend to focus on relationships a bit more. Being at the memorial service More >
“As a test pilot, already famous for flying, Hoover became doubly famous for surviving.”
Apr 4th
Not many of us who’ve grown up around aviation have done so without seeing Bob Hoover demonstrate his flying abilities in his North American Rockwell Shrike Commander. I had that opportunity to meet him in Nebraska back in the late nineties.
(Photo of Hoover, left and Publisher, Kim Stevens taken in Nebraska in the 1990’s.)
There is an excellent article on Mr. Hoover in the April/May issue of Air & Space Magazine. Check it out… http://www.airspacemag.com/history-of-flight/Simply-the-Best.html
Senator Nelson and the Aluminum Overcast
Apr 4th
The political skies have changed from clear to pretty gloomy these days for U.S. Senator Ben Nelson and the storm seems far from over for the Nebraska Senator at least as far as his future in politics goes. There was a time however, when the sky was just overcast. I’m referring of course to the Experimental Aircraft Association’s (EAA) venerable B-17 bomber, Aluminum Overcast, which began its 2010 tour last weekend at Deer Valley Airport in Phoenix, AZ. Senator Nelson has always known and appreciated the value of aviation, experiencing it first hand as Governor of Nebraska for two terms back in the nineties crisscrossing the Cornhusker state in a variety of general aviation aircraft. That is where our paths crossed.
I was a state trooper assigned to the Executive Protection Division of the Nebraska State Patrol and would from time to time occupy the right seat on those trips. I remember driving Governor Nelson from Lincoln to Omaha one evening and commenting on what a neat job the Aeronautics Director would be. To my surprise he said, “you ought to throw your hat in the ring!” Lo and behold, recognizing my love for aviation he appointed me as the Director More >
Ed Stimpson Impacted Aviation
Nov 27th
I was saddened to note the passing of Ed Stimpson recently. I was glad to have had the opportunity to get to know Ed a little bit over the years. I had originally met Ed at one of the events sponsored by the National Association of State Aviation Officials (NASAO) back in the mid nineties when he was deeply involved in the industry advocacy effort that led to enactment of the General Aviation Revitalization Act of 1994. I had the privilege to have had a number of conversations with him after that including the time we hosted him at a conference during my days in Nebraska.
This reminds me of how grateful I am to have been associated with NASAO for so many years. Through this organization I have had the opportunity to meet and develop relationships with many outstanding men and women that I don’t believe would have been possible in any other circle. Mr. Stimpson was certainly one of them.
Stimpson was president of the General Aviation Manufacturers Association for 25 years. His monumental contributions to the industry have earned him the highest awards in aviation, including the Wright Brothers Memorial Trophy and the NBAA Meritorious Service to Aviation Award. More >
Blood Sweat & Lears
Nov 19th
I didn’t set out to collect ball caps! I typically don’t even wear them. But over the years I’ve picked up a few here and there. The other day as I was sorting through some of my aviation stuff I found a large tub full of hats. I realized I had enough hats to open a haberdashery. Almost ninety of them! As I was scratching my head -sans cap, trying to come to grips with how this happened, I realized it wasn’t so much the number of hats that surprised me but the impact of all of the stories they represented. Each hat was special and with each came a flood of memories, some with a smile, some with an outright laugh!
One of my first and all-time favorites is Blood Sweat & Lears, a cap I picked up from Duncan Aviation in Lincoln, Nebraska, soon after my career in state aviation began. Another favorite is the Bad Boys Club, provided by Diane Hofer, who at the time was the State Airport Engineer for the Nebraska Department of Aeronautics. This cap is special in that it is only one of a handful that went to a select few that somehow found More >
