According to the book “Slang: The Topical Dictionary of Americanisms” by Paul Dickson, during WW II the use of slang by American and Royal Air Force flyers got so deep, that the newspapers had to run occasional articles to point out that bombs were eggs, anti-aircraft balloons were pigs, student pilots were kiwis, etc. Unsurprisingly, Dickson points out that aviation contains a great deal of slang or jargon, and this extends to our colleagues who are directly involved in the vocation of sales or...

Some gestures are universally understood. When a person with first aid skills observes another person at a restaurant frantically clutching their throat, that is a universal sign that aid should be rendered to extricate the offending victual from the patron’s airway. One of my callings in life is to let drivers know when one of their taillights is out. I’ll pull up alongside and gesture with a circular motion for them to roll down their windows, whereupon I inform them of the condition requiring...

When I first drafted this blog, I considered using the formal term “Recruiter”, but then I thought someone might think this was an article about signing up to join the military. On the other hand, it is neither about the practice of taking and preserving a person’s head after killing them.   I have the pleasure of working with a Staffing/Recruiting firm called Division 10 Personnel and Aerostaff.net1. Aerostaff.net has a specialty in recruiting and staffing for the Aviation industry which is why...

When I first drafted this blog, I considered using the formal term “Recruiter”, but then I thought someone might think this was an article about signing up to join the military. On the other hand, it is neither about the practice of taking and preserving a person’s head after killing them.   I have the pleasure of working with a Staffing/Recruiting firm called Division 10 Personnel and Aerostaff.net1. Aerostaff.net has a specialty in recruiting and staffing for the Aviation industry which is why...

Do you, like me, ever get annoyed by those pesky, over used buzz words or phrases? “…on the same page”, “Think outside the box”, and “Core Competencies” come to mind. One that I frequently see rearing its syllables is “Robust”; i.e. a robust system, design, or part. In aviation we love and need specificity, and the use of that over-used term begs for definition when used…but it seldom is, thus the annoyance. So, just how robust is your Purchase Order system?   Among part suppliers such as distri...