As we get closer to the New Year, many people are thinking about New Year's resolutions.
The problem with New Year's resolutions is that they often fail. We set our minds to a goal and often set ourselves up for failure.
Let's look at one example. We make a resolution to lose weight. We sign up for a gym membership and start a diet.
I recently came across a quote on leadership that has been on mind for a few days:
A good leader takes a little more than his share of the blame, a little less than his share of the credit.
Arnold H. Glasow
Being a leader isn't about how great we can become. It's about how great we can make those around us!
I've interviewed a lot of maintenance managers since launching D.O.M. magazine in 2008. There were some good leaders and some great ones. Those I would consider great had some traits in common:
I have been interested in human factors and how they affect our jobs for roughly 20 years. D.O.M. magazine contributor Gordon Dupont, known as the father of the Dirty Dozen, shares his knowledge on human factors with our readers each issue. Earlier this year, I signed up for the Aviation Human Factors Industry newsletter from Roger Hughes.
I received a press release this morning from Star Jets International. As part of the release, Star Jets announces that is will now accept Bitcoin as a payment mechanim for its private jet services. While bitcoin has been used for quite a few years, this is the first time I have heard of it being used in aviation.
Though not yet official at the time of this writing, word has gotten around in the industry that GE has closed its flight department (Corporate Air Transport) this month. Apparently, it is still keeping its helicopter operation, and there is speculation that it will be using a fractional/leaseback type arrangement for future corporate travel. Several of its flight department personnel have reported that they have already been dismissed.
The National Business Aviation Association Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (NBAA-BACE) is just around the corner. From October 10-12, the D.O.M. magazine team will be at NBAA-BACE in Las Vegas, NV along with around 27,000 business aviation professionals from around the world at the sixth largest trade show in the United States.
My editorial column in the July issue of D.O.M. magazine, What Doesn’t Kill Us, discussed the benefits of stepping out of our comfort zones. You can read the editorial column on our digital edition HERE.
On June 16, I wrote a blog titled Don't Follow Your Passion. I discussed how Mike Rowe had suggested that passion isn't enough to ensure success and happiness. I wanted to get your thoughts on the subject. In case you missed it, you can read that blog HERE.
A reader sent me the following response, and I feel compelled to share it with our readers:
EAA Airventure Oshkosh 2017 is just around the corner. Will you be at the world's largest fly in and airshow?
Oshkosh is two weeks away. This will be my 16th year attending this great event. The D.O.M. magazine staff will be in attendance covering the events and searching for new products and services relevant to our readers.
I’ve written numerous times on the importance of passion. I guess you could say it’s a topic I’m passionate about. I believe that in order to have success and be happy, we need to be passionate about our career. If you chase the dollar, you’ll never be happy. If you follow your passion and do something you enjoy, the money takes care of itself.
Or so I thought.
Then I saw a video from Mike Rowe (of Dirty Jobs fame) talking about passion. This made me reconsider my opinion.
By now you may have heard about a mechanic in Teterboro, NJ who was allegedly fired for not signing off a fuel leak on a Falcon 20. This story has been making the rounds on social media this week.
I have interviewed more than 50 DOMs and maintenance managers for our profile stories in D.O.M. magazine over the years. The interviewees span many different segments of the industry and all have different backgrounds and experiences. I have learned a lot from each interview and article I have written.
I’m a fan of Jeopardy, the TV trivia show hosted by Alex Trebek. Contestants in the show compete for monetary prizes based on how they respond to the categories in increasing dollar amounts and how they wager when a Double Jeopardy clue is found. A big part of winning is also how they wager and respond to the Final Jeopardy question. It’s a fun way to learn about subjects I would have never considered exploring.
I was reading an article today on SmartBrief.com. In the article, “Don’t assume that somebody else has it all figured out,” Elliot Begoun interviews Mark Jansen, CEO of Blue Diamond Growers. I would encourage you to read the article by clicking HERE.
We just got done wrapping up our October/November issue of D.O.M. magazine. It is our largest issue ever (100 pages) and is full of management-focused articles for aviation maintenance managers. Look for it in your mailbox next month or in electronic version next week.
I interviewed Sam Haycraft for our cover story in the October/November issue. Haycraft is the executive vice president and co-founder of West Star Aviation, I’ve known Sam for years, but learned a lot when I sat down and interviewed him for the article.
One way that non-certificated persons (non-A&Ps) can perform maintenance on U.S.-certificated aircraft is under the supervision of a person with a mechanic or repairman certificate. A recent discussion at an NBAA maintenance committee meeting got me thinking on what “under supervision” exactly means.
EAA Airventure Oshkosh 2016 is just around the corner. Will you be at the world's largest fly in and airshow?
Oshkosh is one week away. This will be my 15th year attending this great event. The D.O.M. magazine staff will be in attendance covering the events and searching for new products and services relevant to our readers.
D.O.M. magazine is the premier magazine for aviation maintenance management professionals. Its management-focused editorial provides information maintenance managers need and want including business best practices, professional development, regulatory, quality management, legal issues and more. The digital version of D.O.M. magazine is available for free on all devices (iOS, Android, and Amazon Kindle).
Joe Escobar (jescobar@dommagazine.com)
Editorial Director
920-747-0195
Greg Napert (gnapert@dommagazine.com)
Publisher, Sales & Marketing
608-436-3376
Bob Graf (bgraf@dommagazine.com)
Director of Business, Sales & Marketing
608-774-4901