Category Archives: Personal

In Search of Perfection–Drat!

Posted on June 20, 2011 by Joe Clark

OK, this weekend was a rough one regarding writing and publishing the blog. I literally wrote the blog at the last moment while Ardis drove home late at night from her granddaughter’s baptism. Additionally, I was tired because I did … Continue reading →

Posted in Life in General, Personal, Publishing, Reading, Writing | Tagged a critical place, a perfectionist, catching all the mistakes before publishing, discipline, do your best, granddaughter’s baptism, In Search of Perfection--Drat!, it is really bad to make a mistake as a pilot, making it perfect, my most ardent proofreader--Holly, not sleeping well, publishers, rough weekend, Saturday night, taking pride in writing, the probability of making mistakes, unforgivable, working hard and fast, working tired, writers, writing and publishing the blog | Comments Off

Wow! Thanks!

Posted on June 16, 2011 by Joe Clark

I was surprised this week, when I found my blog had attained the distinction of acquiring more readers than I could possibly have imagined. From all over the world! And all this since I started the blog last August. For … Continue reading →

Posted in Life in General, Personal, Publishing, Reading, Writing | Tagged a long lost cousin living in Switzerland, a small world, accomplishing everything I want to finish, and South America, baseball and football players, comments, losing discipline, making myself write, MidLifePilot’s Flying Blog, my Cuban grandfathers, my “grand experiment”, pianists, pilots, practicing, private messages, readers, research & writing tools, Russia, staying on top of your game, surgeons, the Caribbean, the Internet, the movie Julie & Julia, the Pacific Rim, the trials and tribulations of learning to fly, this blue marble sitting out and spinning in space, Wow! Thanks! | 4 Comments

Learning How to Land

Posted on June 10, 2011 by Joe Clark

This one is for all the students trying to master the technique of bringing an airplane back to earth. This is from the notes I kept when I was trying to learn how to land. ———————– Now, how does one … Continue reading →

Posted in Aviation, Flight Instructing, Flying, Personal | Tagged airplanes, airspeed, altitude, discipline, first solo, flight training, flying, inexperienced pilots, judgment, learning to fly, memories, student pilots, taildraggers, training aircraft | Comments Off

Dreams of Waco UPF-7s

Posted on June 9, 2011 by Joe Clark

A very long time ago, my best friend, Paul, rather jinxed me. He introduced me to one of the airplanes I have always wanted to fly, rebuild, own, and showcase: the Waco UPF-7. (Found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kuRT7fstFxs.) The UPF-7 is a … Continue reading →

Posted in Aviation, Aviation History, Flying, Life in General, Personal | Tagged 220 horsepower Continental radial engine, a loop, a training airplane, a wingover, airplanes, barnstormers, barrel roll, Dreams of Waco UPF-7s, flight training, flying, flying in the cooler air, friends, little wind, memories, my best friend, no turbulence, open cockpit biplanes, pilots, PT-14, rebuilding a classic airplane, the barnstorming era, The best time to fly, the Civilian Pilot Training Program (CPTP), The Great Depression, The United States Army Air Corps, the Waco UPF-7, Waco Aircraft Company of Troy OH | Comments Off

$2.2 Billion! Really?

Posted on June 5, 2011 by Joe Clark

The United States Post Office is reporting a $2.2 billion loss for the second quarter. And yes, that is billion, not million, as in nine zeros and three commas. It is a horrific loss—for one quarter. Officials say they may … Continue reading →

Posted in Life in General, Personal, Publishing | Tagged $2.2 Billion?!, a $2.2 billion loss, a guarantee of delivery, apathy, automated telephone prompts, closure of 2000 post offices, collectin a guaranteed paycheck, cut Saturday delivery, getting to talk to a human, higher postage fees, online tracking system, post office leadership, premium fees, the elimination of 7500 jobs, The United States Post Office, tracking packages in real time, unhappy postal customers | 4 Comments

The St. Augustine Sub Hunters

Posted on June 4, 2011 by Joe Clark

Ardis and I were driving to meet friends for dinner in St. Augustine last night. Whenever we drive down US 1, just south of the airport and north of the Ancient City, I would always slow a little to look … Continue reading →

Posted in Aviation, Aviation History, Life in General, Personal | Tagged a sense of the Apocalypse, airplanes, chasing Russian submarines, chasing submarines for the US Navy, driving down US 1, flying, friends, Grumman, interesting subjects for photographers, metal salvage, military service, Navy, S-2 Tracker graveyard, St. Augustine residents, the ancient city, the high seas, the oldest city in North America, The St. Augustine Sub Hunters, tourists | Comments Off

Low Levels

Posted on June 3, 2011 by Joe Clark

This week, one of the subjects for my commercial class was airspace and as always, I made mention of the military training routes on the sectional charts. When I was flying in the Navy, we routinely referred to the routes … Continue reading →

Posted in Aviation, Flying, Personal | Tagged 910 feet per second, a couple of guys on a boat fishing, airspace, airspeed, almost as fast as a speeding bullet, altitude, Cedar Key, changing elevations, Corsair, discipline, Florida, flying, flying in the Navy, flying on VR-1002, Flying the routes at 150 to 200 feet, friends, inexperienced pilots, judgment, looked like deer staring into headlights, Low Levels, memories, military airplanes, military service, military training routes, mountains, Navy, nine miles a minute, out West, pilots, professional pilots, rock outcroppings, roll the jet upside down, sailors, speeds of 540 knots, Star Wars, the Gulf of Mexico, Weapons School | Comments Off

Memorial Day

Posted on May 30, 2011 by Joe Clark

Today is a day set aside for remembering and giving thanks to the women and men who have served and died in our military so that we may live the lives we live. I could have been one of those, … Continue reading →

Posted in History, Life in General, Personal | Tagged a lucky one, a new generation, a three-day weekend, Air Force, Army, ask yourself serious questions, Coast Guardsmen, discipline, doing the job, independence, keeping the faith, Korea, Marines, Memorial Day, memories, military service, Navy, paid the ultimate price for the freedom, paying homage to squadron mates not as lucky, Pearl Harbor, questioning why, remembering and giving thanks to those who served and died in our military, sailors, soldiers, standing guard for us, that we may sleep peacefully this night and every night, the force protecting America, the pointy end of the spear, Veterans Day, Vietnam, World War I, World War II | 2 Comments

Getting Up on the Right Side

Posted on May 28, 2011 by Joe Clark

I have often said to my friends and students that every morning they get up, they have a choice as to which side of the bed they can use to get out. Some of them get it and some do … Continue reading →

Posted in Life in General, Personal | Tagged appointments, attracting positive people, better business opportunities, business ventures, every day comes with promise, flying or fishing, Getting Up on the Right Side, greater sales, increased income, more fun, new books for publishing, people to meet, projects I am working on, projects to finish, which side of the bed, “What new possibilities might exist today?” | 3 Comments

Writer’s NATOPS

Posted on May 23, 2011 by Joe Clark

In the days of flying tactical jets, I spent time reading the NATOPS manual and pocket checklist (PCL). Carrying the PCL in the lower pocket of your G-suit could sometimes keep you out of trouble and if you found yourself … Continue reading →

Posted in Life in General, Personal, Writing | Tagged "writer's NATOPS/PCL", a Skyhawk or a Corsair screaming through the air at .9 Mach, commas inside or outside of quotation marks, discipline, editors, flying tactical jets, G-suits, grammar, judgment, logical thought, memories, NATOPS manuals, parentheses, pocket checklists (PCL), publishers, spelling, syntax, the Internet, Writer's NATOPS, writers, “friends who can function as editors”, “word-emergency”, “writer’s NATOPS Manuals” | 2 Comments

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Category Archives: Personal

In Search of Perfection–Drat!

Wow! Thanks!

Learning How to Land

Dreams of Waco UPF-7s

$2.2 Billion! Really?

The St. Augustine Sub Hunters

Low Levels

Memorial Day

Getting Up on the Right Side

Writer’s NATOPS

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