AOPA Pilot Magazine - December 2022 - 22

FLYING LIFE
Tale of two parties
Are you in it for the fun or not?
BY NATALIE BINGHAM HOOVER
LAST CHRISTMAS, I was invited to two very different present swap
parties. The first was for my 10-year-old daughter's softball team.
The second was a party at the airport. For the softball get-together,
the girls decorated gingerbread houses and played games before
trading your typical tween girl gifts: bath bombs, journals, hair
ties, and the dreaded Pop It (why are these a thing?). There may
have also been some dancing and lots of talking, so much talking.
The girls all said the party was a great success, as not one tear was
shed, and they got to relax without someone telling them to focus
and throw the ball to the target.
The airport party was another thing entirely. There were a
few groups of quiet conversation, some crockpot chili, and Ms.
Sherron's mini pecan pies (these alone made the party a success
for me). A range of presents included a pocket compass, a perfect
black logbook pen, a red cockpit flashlight, and a huge map/scarf
Sometimes it's OK, maybe even wise, to make
decisions based on the fact that something sounds like
a lot of fun and we get to hang out with our friends.
thing that was perhaps meant as a joke. However, I know several
of us were considering the possibility of hanging it on a wall somewhere
and marking with pins for where we'd been and where we
wanted to go. The conversation happily centered around flying,
as often happens when a group of pilots get together, much to the
dismay of my nonpilot husband.
Why am I telling you The Tale of Two Parties? Because there's
a connection in there somewhere, and it's been plaguing me for
a while, well, since last Christmas. That's what we writers do: go
around believing that the everyday, mundane things have something
to teach us. After almost a year, I was finally able to draw a
conclusion. (Terribly slow, I know.) According to the Notre Dame
Center for Ethical Education, kids get into sports because it's fun
and they get to be with their friends. Most of them don't care about
the competition or the building character part until much later. It
makes sense then that when young softball players bring presents to
a Christmas party, they bring fun things, games and toys and such.
Nothing practical like a book on becoming a better hitter, or the latest
batting glove, because all that stuff is just secondary.
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AOPA PILOT / December 2022
But when pilots come to a party at the airport, they bring practical
stuff, things they can really use, logbook pens and the like.
Why? Because usually pilots get into flying for practical reasons,
to be able to get from point A to Point B faster, or to take a step in
an aviation career. Very rarely does someone get into flying simply
for the fun of it. Who has that kind of money to spend on frivolity?
(I know there are some of you out there, and if you could go ahead
and contact me, I'll give you my Christmas wish list). But somewhere
along the way, an interesting thing happens...We pilots start
having fun, lots of it. We go to Oshkosh and camp under the wing
of our airplane. We have hangar parties for no special occasion.
We do pancake breakfast fly-ins and take a buddy up flying just
because it's a pretty day and we can't stand to stay on the ground.
So, what started out as a really rational reason to get into flying
turns into a lifelong passion that continues to grow.
I hate to admit it, but what were we serious, logical pilots doing
at the airport Christmas party last year? Seemed suspiciously like
the same things those little girls have been doing all along; having
fun and hanging out with friends. (Minus the squealing of course).
Does aviation build character and advance us in our careers and
carry us from point A to point B? Of course it does, but why do people
stay with it year after year and get more and more involved in
the aviation world? Because it's enjoyable and we get to be a part
of a thriving community of like-minded people.
So, here's the lesson learned from our 10-year-old friends:
Sometimes it's OK, maybe even wise, to make decisions based on
the fact that something sounds like a lot of fun and we get to hang
out with our friends. The rest of the important stuff will probably
fall into place eventually.
As far as what to get that special someone this year for their
stocking? Well, the ever-practical pilot would most certainly
appreciate a hand-held radio or a water bottle that fits into the
flight bag. But if you are lucky enough to have someone very
young to buy for, remember
to keep it fun. I'm talking
toys, games, candy, maybe a
cheesy joke book.
Your pilot friends might
enjoy that stuff too. Just don't
make them admit it.
myaviation101.com
NATALIE BINGHAM
HOOVER began flying
in 2004. After corporate
and airline work, she
now serves as an FAA
designated examiner and
chief instructor of a flight
school in Mississippi.
http://www.myaviation101.com
AOPA Pilot Magazine - December 2022

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