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Author Archives: Joe Clark
The Maytag Repairman Isn’t Alone
Working as a writer is greatly different from working any other kind of job. For one, you must be ready for a life filled with solitude. Writing is one of those things you do best alone. You must also possess … Continue reading →
Joe’s Luck
I was at the airport when a man inquired about flying lessons. He asked all the usual questions and then pointed to his wife and two boys. “Can you teach my wife how to fly also? You know, in case … Continue reading →
Posted in Flight Instructing, Flying
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Tagged airplane lost power, airspeed, altitude, Cessna 150, cow pastures, emergency landing, engine problems, first solo, flying lessons, heart attacks, maintaining altitude, make the field, my first flying job, power available curve, power required curve, uneventful landing
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2 Comments
More Treasures of The Garage
First it was the Dzus key, then the old high school yearbooks. Then we hit the mother lode. We found some very important old photos for which I had been searching for a long time. I shot these photos as … Continue reading →
Posted in Flight Instructing, Flying, Life in General, Personal
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Tagged 1959 Cessna 150, aerodynamics, airplanes, Charlie’s Airport, Continental engine, how to fly, N6269H, old high school yearbooks, old photographs, Piper J-3 Cubs, private pilot checkride, rebuilding a Cub, Treasures of The Garage
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5 Comments
Hit the Slide
Wow! Can you believe Steven Slater did what he did? Yes, of course you can, because you have thought of doing something similar yourself. Go on, admit it. I do not believe Slater was dissatisfied with his employer; I think … Continue reading →
Posted in Aviation, Life in General
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Tagged 9/11, fearful of losing their jobs, flight attendant, Hit the Slide, Homeland Security, JetBlue, lack of civility, rude passengers, Steven Slater, stress, The Golden Rule, traveling public, unemployment rate
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Rest Easy Senator Stevens
This week, word came of former Senator Ted Stevens’ death in an airplane accident in Alaska. He perished with the pilot and four others when the aircraft they were in collided with the side of a mountain. Four others survived. … Continue reading →
Posted in Aviation, Flying, Life in General
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Tagged aircraft accidents, airplane accident, dangers of flying, de Havilland DHC-3 Otter, engine failures, highway fatalities, mountains, National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), poor weather, professional pilots, Senator Stevens, weather conditions
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Memories of Cuba
One afternoon, one of my friends and I speak of Cuba, Castro, and what might come with Castro’s passing. I comment that I cannot wait for Cuba to open, so I can visit the island nation again. He is of … Continue reading →
Eastline Brief
Yesterday, my wife found my dzus key. Afterward, I found myself thinking more about the T-28B Trojan which was the first Navy airplane I flew in flight training. Here is another memory I have from that time in my life. … Continue reading →
Posted in Aviation, Flying, Life in General, Personal
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Tagged blind cockpit drills, dodging bullets, dzus key, Eastline Brief, emergency procedures, flight time, flight training, Marines, Navy, solo, T-28B Trojan, training devices, Whiting Field
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Real Pilots
My wife took on one of the most daunting of all tasks: cleaning the garage. For me, there were risks involved. For instance, she might find photographs which could be incriminating, such as the one she found of me with … Continue reading →
Posted in Aviation, Flying, Life in General, Personal
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Tagged cleaning the garage, cross-country flying, dzus key, maneuvering flight, mementos, Milton Florida, Navy, R1820-86, real airplane pilots, real airplanes, souvenirs, T-28B Trojan, T-34 Mentor, Whiting Field, Wright Cyclone engine
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4 Comments
Driving Around Tampa
I rarely sit in the backseat, but here I am with my wife looking out the back windows. Her dad is driving and her mom navigating as we transit around the city where we all grew up. For me, it … Continue reading →
Posted in Aviation, Flight Instructing, Flying, Life in General, Personal
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Tagged Alessi Bakery, B-26 Marauder, Cuban bread, Cuban sandwiches, Drew Field, in Tampa Bay, MacDill AFB, One a day, Rough Riders, sitting in the backseat, Tampa International Airport, Teddy Roosevelt, Teddy Roosevelt's Rough Riders, University of South Florida
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5 Comments
The Importance of Reading
One thing slowly disappearing from the repertoire of many individual’s skills is reading. During this day, when too many are attached to their electronic devices, the idea of reading a book has fallen from popularity. It takes too much time; … Continue reading →
Posted in Aviation, Flight Instructing, Flying, Life in General, Reading
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Tagged aviation books for sale, aviation textbooks, flying books, learning, reading, vicarious learning
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