Appropriate (and Inappropriate) Holiday Gifts for Your Flight Crew
It's the season for gift giving. That means it's also the season for scrambling to pay off your guilt by dishing out gifts to those who serve you and make…
This Christmas… He’s a Believer
This is his fifth Christmas and this year he’s a believer. We took him to see Santa last week. We went to the good one. The Friday night Mall Santa.…
National Adoption Month. Where Do Storks Come From?
“Father?” Said the almost five year old. “Listen, there is something I’ve been thinking about. You and I have been watching a lot of classic television programing lately. Shows like…
Future Daddy Blogger Support Group
The meetings are held in the basement of a church near an all-night donut shop. Although both are helpful, the location is more about the donuts than the man upstairs.…
His First Joke
For the first time in his life he has come up with something funny. Months later he still calls back to it. And it is funny.He’s had funny moments before.…
My Son. My Chronological Yardstick
Every memorable event in my life that happened before the spring of 2010 is filed away in my brain with a five-year buffer. My mental calendar from the era before…
What I Did Not Do During My Summer Vacation
I was on vacation during the month of July. I ceased all work related activities. I also didn’t… Read a USATODAY Eat airport food Shave Tell a passenger their flight…
How Hollywood Gets Airline Life Wrong
In many ways… Hollywood’s depiction of airline life is completely wrong. In some ways it’s spot on and I claim those scenes as just another day at the office. My…
Captain Dad – I Called Maintenance Control for a Toy Helicopter
My work life and home life collided yesterday when my son complained that his toy Hess helicopter wasn’t working as it was supposed to. “My helicopter won’t fly anymore!” It…
The Things You Find in Hotel Beds
Do not read this if you are in a hotel bed. If you are in a hotel bed please tell me you removed the bedspread. Please tell me you didn’t…
On Father’s Day
I used to give lip service on Father's Day. Cards were sent and thanks were given and the love was spread around as abundantly and efficiently as I could spread…
Eat, Sleep, Fly
Sometimes people ask me what it's like to be a pilot. "Wow, that must be so cool! I bet you're really smart. You must have been good at math in…
The Beat Poets Taught Me How to Talk to a Four Year Old
Many days during my college decade were spent studying the Beat Poets and experimenting with stream-of-consciousness prose. We turned words cut from the newspapers into dialog and had nonsense talks…
He Already Thinks He’s Smarter Than Me
He's only four and he already thinks he's smarter than I am. He's learned how to give the look that says, “Seriously? I wasn't born yesterday you know?” I give…
On Fatherhood: Almost 40 With a 4 Year Old
How different his world is in 2014 than mine was when I was his age in 1978. This is the blessing of the late blooming father. Had I begun the…
The Time I Told an Aviation Icon I Didn’t Have a Business Card
Filed away years ago as, “Well, that sure was stupid.” Once, I met Southwest founder and former CEO, Herb Kelleher in the airport. We talked at length and I got…
Is the First Officer Actually a Pilot?
Since the beginning, there have always been two pilots up on the flight deck. Had it not been for the Wright Brothers, maybe we'd only have one seat up there.…
What You Should Not Ask Your Flight Crew
We obviously spend lots of time around the humans. We are in the service industry after all. Day in and day out we spend our time carrying you, your loved…