4|15

The D.O.M. magazine staff was in Atlanta April 16-18 attending the MRO Americas show April 16-18. It was a busy show with lots of exhibitors on the show floor and plenty of attendees talking to them. It was an opportunity to learn about new products and services. It was also a chance to meet new people and catch up with friends I have made over the years.

Speaking of friends, I stopped by Machida Borescopes’ booth and had a conversation with Chuck Bayless, one of the company’s independent sales reps. I have known Chuck for many years, and always enjoy catching up with him at the various trade shows each year.

Chuck shared that he enjoys reading each issue of D.O.M.magazine. He said that he especially enjoys reading my editorial column. He asked, “How do you come up with topics for your column?” I told him, “I just pay attention to what is happening in the industry and write about a subject that piques my interest.” As we were talking, I told him that I already had a subject in mind for my next column, but he would have to wait until he got the May issue of D.O.M.to read it.

April 15 has always been a day that stands out. It is a time when Uncle Sam and the State of Wisconsin receive their tax checks from me. On Monday, April 15 this year, I went to the post office to mail my tax checks and my quarterly tax estimates (part of the joy of being a small-business owner). I jokingly asked the post office worker if she had any stamps that had hearts and said “Love” that I could put on the envelopes that I was mailing to the IRS and Wisconsin. She smiled, and put a generic Forever stamp on my envelopes and stamped them for me, ensuring they were postmarked April 15.

At Noon, I met up with Greg and Bob and we drove to Milwaukee to catch a 3:30 p.m. flight to Atlanta.  The MRO show was starting the next day. We checked our bags, went through security and had a bit of time before our flight so we decided to partake in some overpriced airport food and drinks at one of the airport restaurants. As we were waiting for our meal to arrive, I noticed that the TVs were broadcasting live from Boston. People in the restaurant were gathering around the screens, paying close attention to what was going on. I quickly became aware that there had been some sort of explosion at the finish line of the Boston Marathon. The news channels were broadcasting images of the debris and blood-soaked sidewalks as they were trying to report what had happened.

We finished our meal and headed to the gate. Our airplane was at the gate and we were going to be boarding soon. At that point, four TSA agents showed up at the gate area and started to randomly search our carry on items.

All of a sudden, another date came to mind — 9/11. I remembered going in to work that day and hearing that an airplane had hit one of the World Trade Center towers. I remembered looking at images of that smoldering hole that was being broadcast and thinking, “How could a pilot have accidentally hit one of those huge towers? Couldn’t he have found a safer place to ditch if he was having problems with the plane?” As the events unfolded, I soon realized that it was something much worse!

As we were boarding the plane, I thought of just how much aviation has changed since that day in 2001. Gone are the days of family or friends going through security with us to see us off on a flight. Shoes now come off. Liquids are limited. We go through imaging scanners that supposedly don’t reveal our private areas.

 On the flight, I remembered how I felt flying for the first time after 9/11. It was the following month. I remember the sadness I felt trying to imagine how the passengers felt on those four ill-fated flights. The mood was eerily somber throughout the flight.

The events of 4/15 of this year remind us that we should always be aware of our surroundings. We have learned to be more vigilant at work. We question people walking around the hangars we do not know. We look out for suspicious vehicles and packages around the airport. But the threat of terrorism isn’t limited to aviation. There will always be twisted individuals who will go to extremes to harm innocent people in order to strike fear and terror among us. We can’t let our guard down once we clock out for the day.

Sadly, 4/15 will now be etched in my mind for a reason far more terrifying than Tax Day.

Thanks for reading!

 Joe Escobar