AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2011 - 25

deal. I have never had an engine failure,
but I have had engine trouble during
flight and my glider training really takes
the edge off the emergency.
Naomi St. Julian, AOPA 1221535
Botkins, Ohio
Meaning of aviation
I am a senior airman (E-4) in the United
States Air Force currently deployed at Ali
Al Salem Air Base, Kuwait. After reading
the article in the February 2011 issue,
“Waypoints: The ‘Meaning’ of Aviation”
I felt inclined to email you about how
much that amazes me. Spending time
abroad makes me realize that we need
to refocus more on the positive, more
important things. More than anything,
I’m just so happy that you can first-class
mail me my missed issues of AOPA Pilot.
I’ve been flying as long as I can
remember—I swear my dad put a child
seat in the airplane to take us kids flying.
I got my private certificate in June at 41
American Flyers graduates nearly 20%
of the new instructors in the United
States each year and operates the most
respected, successful and cost-effective
Instructor program in the industry. Our
CFI Academy provides instruction to secure
both your CFIA and CFII certificates
within only 30 days, for a cost of $299500
.
hours and total time of 64 days. I cannot
wait to fly when I get home. My father
has been a member since 1979 (I think),
and I joined the day after I got my slip.
The most I can say is my outright appreciation
for what you all do for GA. People
tell me all the time, “Thank you for your
service,” and I don’t know if you all hear
that enough. So I personally thank you
for your service for GA. I leave you with
a picture of a happy pilot in the desert
with his AOPA magazine.
Benjamin Ayivorh, AOPA 6427362
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Letters
I read Rod Machado’s apology (“Letters,”
April 2011 AOPA Pilot) and frankly
was disappointed. I was born in Poland
and immigrated to the United States
with my family at a young age. We
lived in a neighborhood that had very
AOPA PILOT • 25 • JUNE 2011
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few Poles as residents. Growing up, I
took a lot of abuse for being Polish.
I heard lots of derogatory name-calling
and jokes. The joke Machado wrote
was in no way offensive. It was a play on
a fact, as demonstrated by my own last
name, Slodyczka.
I grew up having to help people pro-
nounce and spell my last name. I was
never offended when people joked at
the difficulty of my last name. I learned
to recognize malice in jokes. It’s really a
shame that this is what it has come to. I
just wanted to show some support after
what must have been a negative situa-
tion. Mr. Machado, keep writing the way
you write and in the future I hope you
don’t have to check yourself about every
little comment.
John T. Slodyczka, AOPA 6647940
Bridgeview, Illinois
We welcome your comments. Address
letters to: Editor, AOPA Pilot, 421 Aviation
Way, Frederick, Maryland 21701.
Send email to pilot@aopa.org. Please
include your full name, address, and
AOPA number. Letters to the Editor
may be edited for length and style before
publication.
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AOPA Pilot Magazine - June 2011

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