If I may offer my readers some advice on preparing for their 2011 parts requirements, it is this: buy early. I have been observing the price of aircraft parts and its impact on the market for many years. I am less than encouraged by what I see.

From photographs alone, we can see that Willa Beatrice Brown (Chappell) was beautiful, daring and a trifle flamboyant. Beyond her broad smile and beneath her fashionable white jodhpur flying costume was an academic with a rare talent for business administration.

More than 40 years ago. Probably best remembered for the “original, one and only” Woodstock Music Festival and the man on the moon. A lot has changed in the last 40 years, but some of the ideas that came about in that era are still applicable today, even though they have mostly been forgotten. Laurence Peter and Raymond Hull’s 1969 book “The Peter Principle” received a lot of publicity and recognition when it came out, and interestingly enough, the basic principles still apply today, with virtually no changes required to them.

The development of subordinates is a major supervisory responsibility, and coaching is a basic part of employee development. Just as in a sporting event, coaching is observing behavior and providing feedback that is both immediate and specific.

What can the director of maintenance at a small helicopter operation teach other professional DOMs? Plenty about the value of networking, for one thing.

Last November 5, the FAA issued Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) 2010-1060, “Policy Clarifying Definition of Actively Engaged for Purposes of Inspector Authorization.” The original deadline for comments was December 6, but the FAA extended the comment deadline to January 17. Either deadline was too early for a call to action in this column, but I wanted to make some comments on the NPRM, Inspection Authorization, and advanced certification.