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A Goose At FL330
While there are those who would counsel you against imbibing at altitude (it’s dehydrating…it saps your energy…it disturbs your rest), I have my own cautions, but they’re far from the proscriptive sort. Two things: 1. Your sense of flavor’s dulled in the dry, almost-hypoxic cabin air. 2. Unless you’re in First, you’re going to be…
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A Redbird Shiner Bock
The life of a traveler means you’re often far from friends, and it’s keenly felt when they’ve gathered and you’re missing out on the party. Our aviation family’s a close knit one, with some of the smartest, funniest, somewhat dysfunctional functional people I know—but when we get together, we come up with great ideas. They…
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Summertime In Iowa
It’s been a funny summertime everywhere, it seems: record heat in the UK, cool temps in Portugal but hot as blazes elsewhere in Europe. But here in the Midwest, we’ve had a gorgeous run of fair weather, first up at Oshkosh for Airventure, and now back on the farm in Iowa. I recall growing up…
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Spotted Cow Sighting
A few years back, I had the joy of working with the Cessna sales and marketing team, and one of our favorite occasions had to be the week we’d spend at EAA’s Airventure at Oshkosh in Wisconsin every summer. Our leader of the piston troop, while normally a vodka guy, made an exception for beer…
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Curds & Root Beer
When you bite into a cheese curd, the sound may remind you of chewing styrofoam—not that you’ve done that since you were a kid, right? Still, this fact shouldn’t keep you from enjoying one of summer’s greatest snacks. But that curd (a cheddar-based concoction native to Wisconsin, as far as I can tell) evokes a…
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Today At FL340
In the past 10 weeks I’ve crossed the Atlantic four times—twice for work and twice for family matters both sublime and deeply sad. It’s enough to make me think my frequent flyer status is due for an upgrade. But no, those rules have changed, and the means by which we can make airline travel a…
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Chasing Doug Through SoCal
Hunting down the ghost of a man long gone takes dedication–and fortification–and surely this was a man who would appreciate the drinks taken in his honor. The last steps of Donald Douglas (the man responsible for founding Douglas Aircraft Company and the team that created the DC-3) took place in Southern California. He’d spent much…
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I Almost Never Left MCO
I ponder yet another trip to Florida–always for work; I almost never go there by choice. Not that there’s anything wrong with the state (I’m a fan of Tim Dorsey’s Serge Storms), but I get my fill during these annual sojourns on business. For a period of my life, I flew “non-rev” on the good…
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Fat Tire On A Tire In Topeka
Even in a flimsy keg cup, a Fat Tire tastes like Colorado–malty, hearty, and fortifying. And on a summertime airport ramp with the hot-tire asphalt baking off its daytime heat, it’s no wonder that a ladybug crawled up next to the cup to find a bit of shade. The fact I sat under a grand-sized…
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A Lite In A Plastic Mug
Last night friends posted about a reunion dinner of sorts taking place back in Wichita. The review of the new steakhouse came back with poor marks, but nothing to overshadow the joy of meeting up with those you care about. This particular group? Folks who were once part of the sales and service team I…