What's Up - October 2013
That’s Thirty …
By Larry Shapiro
This is a writing expression that I end all my columns with and in simple terms means, that’s all/finished … not the case when it comes to In Flight USA … it’s been 30 years since they turned the lights on and started getting our attention. I’d be remiss if I didn’t tell you how I came to find the privilege of having my column appear every month, a privilege I’ve now enjoyed for more than 13 years.
It wasn’t a life plan, it was almost an accident, and also some good luck, good timing, and as they say in real estate, it was location, location and location.
A few personal words about Ciro
I remember the shock and disbelief I felt when I heard that Ciro was in the hospital for a simple, low-end medical procedure and that for reasons none of us ever really understood, something went wrong. We lost a great publisher, husband and father. I don’t think any of us have ever really recovered from that and we keep him alive by telling Ciro stories and making fun of some of his silly collectables still cluttering up the office. I didn’t get to tell Ciro how much I care about him, so now, Ciro! I really loved you and you were the man I wanted to be.
The location was the stairs in front of one of my offices at SQL, and every month I would just happen to be there when the amazing, polite and very dedicated Ciro Buonocore would back up his white van and start unloading the monthly In Flights.
He was not only the president and founder; he was also the shipping department, the circulation department, and most of the other departments. He understood what overhead meant so he kept it low and he did it all with the help of his two angels that are still carrying on the tradition, but now they line up behind Ciro’s wife, Vickie, who has strived to keep his dream alive and well and in the spirit of his dream – and it was his dream. To my special Queen Victoria, thanks Vickie for keeping this dream alive.
I spent many hours standing next to him in the old Redwood City location as he laid out the paper every month, piece by piece and all by hand (we didn’t have the electronic goodies then) I watched as he gave birth to another issue. He was quiet, focused and always precise and pleasant. He was what we would call today a very sweet man. I felt privileged that he allowed me to invade that private space.
So when I think of the phrase, “a few degrees of separation,” I think of the degrees from my office door to his truck and those few degrees changed my life forever. Those few private special minutes we would spend and visit talking about his “girls” led to him asking if I’d like to write a few words about life, liberty and the pursuit of excitement in the world of aviation. I almost broke my tongue saying yes.
And that my friends, as they say in the movies, was the start of a beautiful friendship that has continued with his wife Vickie, and his two equally amazing daughters. I have to again mention Toni and Anne. They held my hand then and they are still holding it now to get me through each issue. Muchas thank you’s ladies. Now let’s go eat some noodles.
What’s in a name?
A lot, especially if you’re lost or meeting someone. Just a little tidbit about a name change that was not a name change. It was a dark and stormy night … naaaah, it was a sunny bright day at one of my favorite big airports, OAK. (Oakland) and I was looking for Kaiser Air.
I was in the habit of always stopping in and enjoying the great service at Kaiser Air and stealing their free cookies and popcorn. So far you are probably bored with this story – but wait, it gets more boring. So I’m in the habit of having folks meet me there, or recommending they use that FBO. Then I received my first, “I can’t find it, it’s not there.” I calmly responded with; WHAT?! Of course it’s there – well sort of. So here’s the scoop – and I guess I was the last one on the block to know this – Kaiser moved a little south down the ramp and seems to be alive and well.
So, with that said, welcome to Landmark, the new guys on the ramp and just as lovely if not lovelier. They have moved into the old Kaiser digs, gave it a bath and spruced it up some, added some lovely uniformed ladies at the front desk, enhanced the popcorn and, most of all, treated me like I was important – which is exactly how I want to be treated. So, welcome to Landmark, keep the corn popping and always treat me like I’m important and we’ll get along just fine. I guess we could call this a Landmark decision.
I’ll drink to that …
Actually I won’t be. I’ll be drinking my beer down in La Paz. But go enjoy the annual Hiller Aviation Museum Oktoberfest on October 5, located at the San Carlos Airport, (SQL). Where else can you drink beer for a charitable cause? Tell Willie Turner, the chief drinker, that you want the beer he would have bought me if I was there. If you see a tall redhead at the door give her a hug for me, it’s my wife.
BTW, if you want to join me down in Mexico let me know, we can plan a great fishing trip and I’ll park your airplane in our big new hanger and then we can go to dinner. I’m serious, let’s do it and let’s do it soon. My friends, called the Baja Pirates, will guarantee you the best time of your life.
APD 2013 Wrap Up
I can’t wait to tell you how great our Airport Day was at Palo Alto, but I’ll have to since I’m writing this before we have it. Next month you will get a blow-by-blow description of all the fun we had that you might have missed.
Changes
One thing that never changes is changing. I know, I know, you’ve heard this before – well you just heard it again. Every day something new ends up on the panel, some new rules are announced and some old things are removed or eliminated. Think about sitting in on a local ground school class and being shocked to learn about all the things that have changed and that you’ve forgotten. Don’t be stubborn, just do it. I just did and I’m still wiping the egg off my face. I know we all supposedly get a bi-annual review, but I also know how much many of us have forgotten. Let me know what you learn that you thought you already knew, I promise I won’t tease you.
Ten Years Ago
Ten years ago I shared these thoughts with you … thought you might like to read them again …
Airshows & Airshows, What’s Up & What’s Really Up!
What a packed aviation month October was and November is looking to be the same. Burt Rutan kept his word and we entered into another chapter of aviation history. While final preparations were being made for trip two into space, I was with Dick Rutan at the Prescott Air Faire in Arizona hanging out with a whole bunch of WWII aviation heroes. They worked a real airshow with a different name, it was called “combat.”
Not to dilute Burt’s work, but spending the weekend at the P-40 reunion and sharing stories with them, and a small group of Tuskegee Airman – well, I hope you get the picture. These are some of the most modest and humble fighter jocks in the world and I was honored to sit among them. I was also very impressed with a community where everyone knew there’s going to be an airshow. That’s one of the big pluses of working in smaller communities; everyone becomes part of the event in some way.
On Final
Wow, what a month September was and it reminded me how messed up parts of the world we live in are. And it reminded me again how important family is. As school starts again, and after you’ve finished stealing candy from the kids trick-or-treat bags, don’t forget to tell those you love that you do in fact love them. Use aviation to bring your families closer together and make spending some of that time a higher priority. After you change your clocks, and replace the batteries in your fire alarms, change some of your bad habits and make family a destination location … send me some pictures when you do it.
Until next time …
That’s Thirty!
“Over”
