R.I.P. Gordon Baxter

Surely Len Morgan is in that category too. His description of his
first revenue flight as Captain with minimal experience, a full load on
a hot day bound for Honolulu from Dallas in Braniff's only 747 is a
classic.

"nrp" == nrp writes:

nrp Surely Len Morgan is in that category too. His description
nrp of his first revenue flight as Captain with minimal
nrp experience, a full load on a hot day bound for Honolulu from
nrp Dallas in Braniff's only 747 is a classic.

Len Morgan passed away in March. Another great pilot and writer lost,
and I'm not seeing their replacements....

Bob Fry wrote:
Len Morgan passed away in March. Another great pilot and writer lost,
and I'm not seeing their replacements....

I have to disagree, Bob.
I used to ask that question back in the 1980's when those guys were all
in their 60's and 70's.
I think Lane is a very good/great replacement for Bax.
Bax had a great sense of humor in his writing that I have not yet seen
in Lane's articles.
She is not Bax, but she covers the same beat as Bax did (human
interest,people, places,etc).

"john smith" wrote in message
. ..
I think Lane is a very good/great replacement for Bax.

If you mean she fills the same space in the magazine, yes.

Bax had a great sense of humor in his writing that I have not yet seen in
Lane's articles.

Clearly you agree that Lane is not the equal of Bax.

She is not Bax, but she covers the same beat as Bax did (human
interest,people, places,etc).

Covering the same beat isn't the same as filling one's shoes.

Pete

"Peter Duniho" wrote in message
...
"john smith" wrote in message
. ..
I think Lane is a very good/great replacement for Bax.

If you mean she fills the same space in the magazine, yes.

Bax had a great sense of humor in his writing that I have not yet seen in
Lane's articles.

Clearly you agree that Lane is not the equal of Bax.

She is not Bax, but she covers the same beat as Bax did (human
interest,people, places,etc).

Covering the same beat isn't the same as filling one's shoes.

Pete


Pete,

I don't think anyone is saying she is expected to fill anyone's shoes.

Her "charge" is to write about flying in a way that is the polar opposite of
say, Peter Garrison.

While Garrison writes from a numbers perspective, Lane Wallace writes from a
more personal, emotional place and in doing so, she is more akin to Gordon
Baxter's style as regards the "romance" of flight. Bax, however, had the
advantage of knowing some of the giants of aviation and had a few more years
worth of experiences to draw from.

Ms. Wallace will never replace Gordon Baxter, but I don't want her to. For
many years, I read how Bax felt about flying and it helped "set the hook" on
my wanting to become a pilot. Now, Lane Wallace is doing a great job at
keeping the hook firmly set.

Times change and people change, but the focus has (IMO) remained constant:
reinforce to the reader why flying is wonderful and pilots are special
people. Bax did it his way and Lane is doing a fine job of it too.

Regards,

Jay Beckman
PP-ASEL
Chandler, AZ

"Jay Beckman" wrote in message
news:_Z8se.1136$eV4.769@fed1read01...
I don't think anyone is saying she is expected to fill anyone's shoes.

Sure seems like that, in context of my original statements. Why bother
replying otherwise? I said Bax was a unique writer, unlikely to be matched
for a long time, if ever. Then someone ELSE brought up Lane Wallace's name.

How did her name get into this thread at all, if not as a suggestion of
someone who could match Bax's ability?

[...] Bax, however, had the advantage of knowing some of the giants of
aviation and had a few more years worth of experiences to draw from.

Bax had a way with words that both predated, and did not depend on, his
personal contacts and advanced years.

There are lots of qualified writers, in aviation and elsewhere. No one is
saying that Lane Wallace isn't one of them. However, one can count on one
hand, with fingers left over, the number who are in the same class with Bax.
That was the sole point of my post.

Lane Wallace is not one of those in the same class with Bax, but my original
post never even mentioned her, not was it the point to call out all the
aviation writers who do NOT meet the bar Bax set long ago. Still, in the
context of my post, whether or not she is qualified to meet the standards of
Flying Magazine's editorial content is irrelevant, and has not been
questioned in any case.

I suppose it's just the nature of Usenet that a post praising someone
recently deceased could degenerate into defensiveness and argumentiveness.
But frankly, I think it's pretty dumb for that to have happened. What is it
about Usenet that my comments could not have simply be left to stand as they
were?

Pete