("Larry Dighera" wrote lots of stuff)

Sorry folks, I'm going line by line - sort of.

Larry. I'm going to take a whack at this even though it's 4am. This will be
"stream of consciousness" stuff, so hold on.


The charter of rec.aviation.piloting is:


Topics include, but are not limited to......


Perhaps it's time to charter a new newsgroup:


This newsgroup is fine the way it is. There's 500 rec.aviation groups now,
you need another?


I see the intended content of rec.aviation.piloting more as an
informational resource and news exchange medium among responsible
airmen, than a hee-haw party line despite the fact that many would
prefer to reduce it to that. The choice is ours.


This is a GREAT place to hang out and talk aviation talk - pull up a bale of
hay Mr. Douglas, don't let Mr. Ziffel's pig bother you.

Yes, less political talk lately has been a relief. Less headset talk would
be nice too, but there are those who live for those threads g. I have a
big button on my toolbar - Mark Conversation as Read. When a thread is not
of interest to me, I hit that button. If a thread gets out of control, I hit
that button. It's a great button, you should get one.


I was at a banquet Saturday night talking with the guy who organized the
National Air Tour. He mostly flew the Pilatus support plane. Talk about
funny stories - he's got some about the tour. ...but those stories are
not
welcome here no more. :-(

Your self-imposed restraint is noted (despite your double-negative).


It's a play on a Tom Petty song:

Chorus
Don't come around here no more
Don't come around here no more
Whatever you're looking for
Hey, don't come around here no more

Back to the Air Tour. Wow, is all I can say. You don't want stories from the
pilots who flew 4,000 miles on the National air Tour? Larry, they were
putting their planes down in bean fields, and then flying to the next town
....out of the bean fields. This is in 2003. Type of plane? Oh, just a
Tri-Motor. One guy, in one of the Sikorskys, was "humping" rides at every
stop. They'd land at a town - most of the pilots would want to hit the hotel
right away, but this guy was giving rides ..."every" stop. He'd then have to
catch a cab back to the hotel, later that night, because he'd missed the
bus - again.

How bout this one - on the day they were to fly the final leg, back to
Willow Run, there was a thunderstorm in their path. It was the only T-storm
in the entire country that day. Also, Ford was holding open a narrow time
slot for the planes, at their Proving Grounds track (the site of the
original Ford Airport). Weather meant the National Air Tour planes couldn't
get over there on time - so they called Ford and said it won't work out -
doing a touch-n-go at the original starting line with all of the planes.
Weather broke a few hours later. Tour called Ford back and asked if the
Proving Grounds track people could all take their lunch break ...now. Ford
said sure, you've got 20 minutes. Tour organizers loaded up all the
Tri-Motors with Tour pilots. They crammed as many people (Tour pilots and
crew) as they could into about 4 planes and headed over to do some low
passes, and a few touch-n-go nods to the past National Air Tours of the 20's
and 30's.

He had a bunch of these stories, some funny, some almost unprintable. g


Perhaps the substance of the "guys" talk would be a more appropriate
subject for you to share with us in this PUBLIC forum.

"Guy's"

Your word "substance" seems to imply stripped of any ...flavor, charm, or
personality - mine, or the personality of the original guy telling the
stories. Larry, these were funny stories, whimsical stories, romantic
stories, adventurous stories, but not too many were bland and
(appropriately) informative stories.

I'm certainly no writer, but at least my stuff doesn't read like the FAR's.
Not saying yours does, but you seem to want this newsgroup to resemble
(excruciatingly dull) city council proceedings. Just my observation.


This isn't a PhD dissertation newsgroup, it's a hangar flying newsgroup.

What you overlook is the PUBLIC nature of usenet in general (which is
publicly archived for posterity), and specifically the image of pilots
the lay public carries away from reading rec.aviation.piloting.
Again, the choice is ours.


This is where you head to the deep end of the pool. History will judge this
group to be: civil (lack of swearing in the posts is a big +) informative,
entertaining, interesting, and (I think) welcoming to new posters. It's also
peopled by posters passionate about planes.


In this time, when GA is being singled out as an expendable "kick dog"
by those bureaucracies in charge of national security, the military,
and airlines, ..., I believe it is in the best interest of all airmen
to put forth to the public our best face, our sober dedication to
responsibility and professionalism, rather than portray ourselves the
as frivolous clowns recklessly cavorting over the heads of the
ground-bound public as the media continually attempt.


Hmm. You've got professional, bureaucrat, sober, and responsible all in one
sentence.


Perhaps we should all consider how what we're about to post reflects
on our fellows. My fear is, that if we fail to police ourselves,
restrictive measures will be arbitrarily imposed upon us by those with
the power to advance their own agenda. Please, let's don't give them
any ammunition here.


Neal has a funny looking plane. (When around Neal, it's best to call it
unique) Have you seen it? It's so odd it's actually kind of cool.
CheckerBird.

http://www.nealhoward.net/

The plane is a Cherokee 140. Oh my God Larry. Indian names!!! Look out, here
come the public, I mean villagers with their torches.


I realize that my views will likely be ridiculed by those who are
incapable of understanding the issue, and those who thrive on chaos
and frivolity. That is the price I will pay for speaking up for what
I believe is right. I choose to personally suffer those "slings and
arrows" if it will in any way stem the loss of our right to navigate
the skies.


There's a Psyche studies Masters Research Thesis that can be written just on
the above paragraph.

Larry, there is no issue. Some might be incapable of understanding *you*,
but other than that - no issue. Politics and religion posts are down, that's
a good thing. Other than that - no issue.


I can see that you are capable of willing restraint by your decision
to refrain from publicly posting the "funny stories" you mentioned
above. Thank you.


You're welcome. Now, how about dinner at my house? We can eat bread ...the
kind with no crusts. Nothing else, just bread ...and water.


For our own good, I would strongly urge all airmen to emphasize our
sober dedication to responsible airmanship when in view of the public
as we are in this publicly archived forum.


Again with the sober. I think you're baiting me now. :-)

I can't tell if you're paranoid or simply have issues with some kind of
pompously self-important pilot ego thing.

Rereading this a few times now, it dawns on me what's at the core of your
"issues." Larry, you're one of those people who thrive in a bureaucracy.
You're smart, but you've given up "common sense" to the rulebook. The rule
book is safe and comforting.

Kobayashi Maru my friend. Kobayashi Maru.

--
Montblack