All I really need to know I learned from the flightline
Jennifer Lea Reynolds
jensunshine3@gmail.com
Several years ago, the book All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten, written by Robert Fulghum, was very popular. In it, he detailed how adults can create more meaningful lives by reflecting on the childlike moments they experienced in kindergarten and applying them to life today.
When I came across this book on my bookshelf at home, it hit me: RC pilots can do similarly, right? Except ditch the kindergarten notion and replace it with the flightline. There are many life lessons that often originate from the flightline or elsewhere (which can still relate to RC flying).
Here are some flying-related words of wisdom I’ve heard lately that I think are perfectly suited for modelers.
Always fly three mistakes high: My husband and I recently ran into Skip, a former member of my flying club in New Hampshire, and memories about days gone by ensued. Skip eventually let us know that he tries to run his current business by keeping in mind something he learned from his RC days.
“Always fly three-mistakes high,” he said. Since then, I occasionally recall his words. Whether holding a transmitter in our hands, sitting behind a desk at work, or dealing with a personal decision, why not approach it with some wiggle room?
Give yourself some leeway in case life doesn’t go precisely as you hoped. This isn’t to say we should go into everything with the expectation that there will certainly be mistakes (negativity doesn’t do anyone any good), but inevitably challenges can surface, so it’s best to not cut your flying tendencies—or life ambitions outside of flying—so close that even the slightest error can severely jeopardize the situation. In other words, always fly three mistakes high!
Sometimes a good gust of wind is just what you need: Wind and flying aren’t quite words that are music to pilots’ ears. Ideally, blue skies and gentle breezes wafting through the air are preferred, right? Well, yes and no.
A few years back, while my now-husband and his friend flew their Fokker D.VIIs in tandem at a Hadley, Massachusetts, fly-in, an unexpected burst of wind hit just as their airplanes touched down for landing.
Photographer Michael LeClair captured the moment, which resulted in a memorable ending that couldn’t be recreated if the pilots tried. The gust of wind caused both airplanes’ wings to interlock almost like human arms, at which point they ultimately
tipped on their noses as if taking an end-of-performance bow. What could have been disastrous and somewhat embarrassing actually ended up looking like a deliberate, graceful part of their flying routine.
“Sometimes a good gust of wind is just what you need,” someone shouted from the flightline, after witnessing what I immediately dubbed, “The Hadley Flip.” With that, some people clapped and laughed (as did my husband and his friend after wiping their brows).
That wind gust comment stuck with me. An otherwise unwelcome or unexpected nudge in life can sometimes produce some pretty spectacular outcomes.
You might feel as though you’re flying in circles, but the circles are getting smaller: My husband and I overheard this nice little gem from our pastor. As soon as he said the words, which were designed to show how people can get closer to their goals despite challenges, I knew the phrase would stick. I enjoyed his saying not only because of the obvious “flying” reference, but because of its deeper meaning, which could apply both at the flightline and in other aspects of life.
We can get closer to our goals even if we are still going in circles, whether those are literally repeated circle-around-the-field landing attempts, or asking the boss for a raise. Baby steps. Sure, we might feel as though it’s taking us forever to achieve something, but we’re making more strides than we think. Our metaphorical and literal “circles are getting smaller” is because we’re trying in the first place. We’re practicing and enjoying and simply doing
what we love. From aircraft nuances to frustrating work moments, and everything in between, stick to it. Keep at it and do what it takes to get those proverbial circles smaller until you’ve reached your goal.
Don’t judge my plane by its covering: A play on the “don’t judge a book by its cover,” I heard this phrase at my previous flying field in New Jersey. A member known for bringing rather tattered models to the flying field emerged from behind his car after having taken his patchwork-quilt-covered Frankenplane from the trunk.
It was still safe and flyable, yet he jokingly announced, “Don’t judge my plane by its covering,” as he brought the sore sight closer to the rest of the pilots. There was a great deal of laughter and much eye-rolling over the strange-looking airplane, but you know what? That airplane placed second in our club’s landing contest, beating out other, more visually appealing, popular-looking airplanes that you would have placed bets on.
So it is at the flying field. As it was for some people in high school or can be at social interactions as adults today, judging isn’t fair. Besides, many times what’s being judged often delightfully surprises us in the end.
Have you heard any words of wisdom from the flightline or otherwise that apply to flying, as well as life, away from the field? Send me an email. I’d enjoy hearing your thoughts!
SOURCES:
Michael LeClair Photography
www.mleclairphoto.com
