Well ... they're off! Re-injured knee that can't drive ... braces off and teeth visiting the dentist/hygienist ... verabradley lunch bag left on computer table ... all little day planners.




These hang in my kitchen. Two created the two outside pieces - kiwi. I wanted to mount them to something and hang them ... . To me, they represent taking pieces and making something interesting out of them. These are bent wire and window screen. I painted pieces of scrap lumber ... and collaborated with Two to make the leaf ... I needed three elements.

That's what I'm trying to do with my time. My expectation, as I worked on earning the CFI certificate was that I would have a job (and the ability to pay back the costs) as soon as it was completed. Stuff changed. Leadership changed and demand changed ... where I want to work may actually be over-staffed ... January will tell the story. The other local place has students, but no planes. They say they will have planes in January. The place that is definitely hiring ... we're decided that the commute is impractical ... I think I can work, but I also manage the pop ups that my family situation requires. Like today ... lunch could stay on the computer table, but the doctor visits are all me. So, I am looking at what I have to work with and trying to figure out the details on what can be created with those assets. In my town, the community at large is under served by the aviation infrastructure ... all of the resources go to the university program. That's why someone like me, a private citizen, can be bumped from flight training two weeks short of completion. It makes sense. A degree plan that hinges on certification of pilots has to take precedence over the goals of local pilots. In the past, once a private citizen began a certificate, their training spot was secure. That's not how it went for me, or this last batch of advanced non-University students. The PVT citizen pilots were maintained because it worked with the current schedule ... gotta keep those planes in the air! Well ... I don't want to fall in to that hole ... it's business. That was a lesson I showed up late for, but now I get it. There are a lot of local people who would like to learn how to fly. Some of them can afford to indulge that desire. I've been trying to think of ways to provide service to that community. A course of ground school could be offered through parks and rec ... the winter brochure is already out though. I'm going to talk to them this week about getting this offered in the spring. We have a brand new terminal facility ... they have no pilot training options, but they have wonderful class room space. It is co-owned by the city. I think the city would be interested in using the space for a once a week ground school for the kind of citizens who want to learn more about what makes airplanes fly. I think a ground school group could/would become the core group of a little flying club. I know those guys could partner in a plane and more importantly insurance for their airplane. I've got a lot of stuff lying around not being used ... it's represented by those precious little green bits of plastic with images of the Wright Brothers with my signature on them. I am missing a couple of vital pieces ... first students ... later, when the students need it, a plane. The students are here ... and they have some green stuff in their pockets too. I just need to find the way ... a way ... to help them get started towards reaching their goals. So that is what I am working on this week.