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Flying mentor and friend

April 17, 2012/in Personal stories/by studentpltnews

The room was crowded with hundreds of his family, friends, students, and business associates. It had been just over 3 weeks since many of us had lost our teacher, our mentor, our friend, to “complications” from a heart surgery. John Morgan Lane touched a lot of lives and we were all there to celebrate his life while mourning his passing.

Dress the part

April 8, 2012/in Career/by studentpltnews

Don’t make enemies and never burn a bridge. Dress professionally and be punctual. At you’re FBO you’ll meet instructors, students, or other connections to the professional industry, who you’ll make an impression on. Make it a good one.

Flying mentor and friend

April 17, 2012/in Personal stories/by studentpltnews

Dress the part

April 8, 2012/in Career/by studentpltnews

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Flying mentor and friend

April 17, 2012/in Personal stories/by studentpltnews

I first met John Lane in the early 1990’s while a young flight instructor in the Dayton area. John was a designated pilot examiner and I had a student in need of a checkride. The examiner that I usually used wasn’t available so I planned to give John a try. I had heard about John prior to this and was bit intimidated. He had a scary reputation as an examiner according to the folks in my circles. I later learned that this “reputation” was very much a myth.

Our paths did not cross again until 2002 when Sporty’s contracted with him to teach me how to fly and instruct in the Diamond Xtreme motorglider that we had recently acquired. It was during that training that John became my mentor and someone that I was happy to call my friend. I rarely saw John without a smile and he always made you feel like he was glad to see you.

John’s legacy lives on through our motorglider training program and the many students who have learned to fly a glider through this program. When we first started, John did most of the rating examinations in the aircraft. He was the only examiner qualified at the time.

One of my first students in the motorglider was a staff instructor here at Sporty’s Academy. He later went on to become a pilot examiner in the aircraft and now works for the FAA. I believe that he is the only glider qualified operations inspector in the Cincinnati office. He is another tribute to the legacy of John Lane.

When the time came for Sporty’s Academy to produce its DVD on learning to fly a glider, we turned to John Lane for help. Many of the aero-tow segments in that program were flown by John in a glider from our friends at Red Stewart field. When we needed a slack rope shot, John made it happen. When we needed a glider in a spin, John was happy to oblige (while I sat in the other seat holding the camera steady). Rope break at 200 feet; sure, John could handle that. Those shots were the last time that John and I actually shared a cockpit but they were not the end of my learning from my mentor and friend. As I sit here writing this, I can’t help but long to fly with John just one more time.

John flew with a lot of people in his 29,000 plus hours of flying. A sampling of these people were in attendance at his memorial. When the pastor asked the question, “Who here has flown with John Lane?” a majority of the hands were raised. Many high time pilots acquire their hours while cruising on long legs, at high altitudes with the autopilot engaged. Not John, his hours were earned while teaching others to fly and sharing his passion for flight with anyone willing to go for a ride.

Stories of John’s generosity and passion abounded at his memorial. We learned that he not only gave an untold number of airplane rides to people at his own personal expense, he also gave of his time through the local Rotary and as a volunteer at a nearby retirement community.

John was not only a pilot and flight instructor, but also an aircraft mechanic. His hanger was a place where friends gathered to talk about and work on airplanes. Owners with an interest were often allowed to help John in his work on their aircraft. When other mechanics needed advice, John was always eager to help them out. According to one story, he would sometimes show up at your hangar door with just the part that you needed without being asked.

John lived near the edge of the Lebanon-Warren County airport with his wife Nelda. John’s hangar sat behind his home. Years ago, he donated the land to the county for the development of the airport. There is a movement underway to rename the airport in his honor. This would be a wonderful tribute to a man who gave so much to this facility and his community.

I can’t do justice to the memory and passion of a man like John Lane in this short blog post. There are simply too many stories to tell about a man who lived his life to the fullest.

As was expressed at his memorial, the passion and generosity of John Lane and people like him are what has made general aviation what it is today. Last month we lost more than a friend and a mentor, we lost one of the true advocates for aviation. We can only hope that several of us will rise up to fill parts of his role as I know of no one that can take his place.

John Lane, you will be missed.

Article Links

Article from the Middletown Journal
Article from Cincinnati.com

Dress the part

April 8, 2012/in Career/by studentpltnews

When I was in college at the University of Cincinnati, I joined Air Force ROTC. Being part of this military college class meant wearing the uniform all day every Thursday on campus. We could either wear our ‘dress blues,’ or our BDU’s (camouflage uniform). A few of my ROTC buddies dreaded wearing their uniform because we stood out in the crowd. But most of my ROTC classmates, including me, didn’t mind because they liked getting the looks and attention from other students. However, one of my ROTC classmates, Evan, not only loved to wear it, but wore his cleaned and pressed uniform every single day he was on campus.

I didn’t quite understand why he did this. I thought he was looking for the attention, or looking to please the Air Force officers who taught ROTC. Evan was a year ahead of me in the program and as the quarters went on I saw how successful he became in ROTC. He later graduated, received his officer commission, and became a fighter pilot based somewhere in California. This was exactly what he wanted. Looking back, I never remember my perceptions of why he chose to wear his uniform daily materializing. He knew what he wanted. He dressed the part and immersed himself in Air Force culture.

Sometime after I switched my major to a civilian aviation college program, I heard someone say the phrase “dress like you already have the job you’re seeking.” I think that’s what Evan was doing. This advice can apply to most careers, but definitely to being a professional pilot. If you intend to enroll or are already enrolled in flight training, with the end goal of making it a successful career, then dress the part. This is more than just the clothes you wear, but also the knowledge, attitude, and confidence that comes with studying, showing up prepared and on time to every flight lesson, and immersing yourself in the aviation community. I’ve held a number of different good jobs in aviation, and had to turn down other good offers along the way. I credit this to something I realized a few years ago; a good reputation will take you farther than your good pilot skills and ability. Aviation is a small world; with a bad reputation, you probably won’t even get an interview.

So make friends with your peers during your training, wherever that may be. Don’t make enemies and never burn a bridge. Dress professionally and be punctual. At you’re FBO you’ll meet instructors, students, or other connections to the professional industry, who you’ll make an impression on. Make it a good one. They are key to helping you advance to your goals. Good luck with your aviation career!

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Flying mentor and friend

Dress the part

Flying mentor and friend

Dress the part

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Flying mentor and friend

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Dress the part

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