Aviation Blog
State 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 >
Frequent-Flyer Programs – Status or Free Magazines!
May 16th
I read with interest a recent article in the Wall Street Journal, “Road to Redemption”, which pointed out which airlines are the most generous with frequent-flyer award seats and which are the least. The article placed Southwest and Alaska among the best and Delta and US Airways as among the worst. My problem over the years was the inability to remain loyal to anyone airline. That was especially true quite a few years ago when I was flying out of Omaha and Lincoln, Nebraska. I bounced around between TWA, United and Northwest most of the time with an occasional flight on American depending on where I was traveling.
Pam Keidel-Adams with Wilbur Smith Associates, flies almost exclusively with Delta and has been very happy with their program. “I am at the highest elite level, so they are good about giving people in this level great frequent flyer rewards,” said Keidel-Adams. ”Instead of making it tougher to get a seat, they have just raised the miles required to get a different seat.” Ms. Keidel-Adams said they now have high/medium/low reward levels so you can usually get a seat, it’s just a question of how many points it will cost you.
In contrast to Ms. 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 >
Vancouver Olympics and State Aviation
Feb 14th
With the world focusing its attention on Vancouver and the 2010 Winter Olympics, it brought back memories of my first trip to Vancouver in 1997. I was presenting my first ever “Paper” at the International Air Transport Conference hosted by the Air Transport Research Group of the World Conference on Transport Research Society.
Being new to academia, I had no idea what I was getting into until I noticed the roster of presenters and conference speakers. Had I arranged to be there on my own dime, I may have faded into the Canadian shadows or escaped to Victoria a couple of days earlier.
My presentation was titled “The Role of General Aviation Airports in a Global Economy – A State Aviation Perspective.” I find it interesting that 13 years later that title still sounds relevant. I was grouped with other presenters with amazing credentials from universities like Oxford, Queens, Gothenburg and from places like New Zealand, New South Wales, Spain, Israel and Singapore.
What was even more amazing was that there were people in the meeting room politely listening as my knees knocked and my voice quavered. The redeeming factor was that my presentation material stimulated questions. Not so many about GA airports 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 >
The Marginalization of Aviation in Arizona
Nov 22nd
A recent dismissal of top aviation management from the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) looks to be another step in the further marginalization of aviation in the State of Arizona. Barclay Dick, former Director for the Aeronautics Group noted, “if that’s the direction of the march, the Aeronautics Group staff will have great trouble funding the outstanding grants, issuing new grants, and continuing the improvements to the state’s airports.”
Hits to Arizona’s Aviation Fund has resulted in the State having to defer grant payments and eliminate any further state grants for the foreseeable future. Arizona was listed recently as second only to California, as having been hit the hardest in these trying economic times. We think everyone recognizes the need for making tough decisions, but one has to wonder if the impact on aviation has been disproportionate.
We wrote several months ago about a lack of vision on behalf of the Arizona Governor and Legislature for having swept over $40 million from the aviation fund to plug holes in the general fund, and there is talk of sweeping more funds from that account. We are led to believe that there are many that don’t understand what the long-term impact this action is 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 >
