So here I am 1300 miles from Bloomington for a week of sailplane flying in New Mexico. I’m training for my Private Glider Pilot Certification to add to my Single-Engine, Multi-Engine, Instrument, and Commercial Power Pilot ratings. “What the hell do you want to do that for?” my incredulous friends ask. Well, it’s challenging, thrilling, […]

My company’s founder, Mr. J. Kirby Risk, was a huge supporter of Junior Achievement, a program whose purpose was to inspire and prepare young people to succeed in a global economy. That’s probably one of the reasons I volunteered to participate in the Columbus, Indiana, Junior Achievement program called “Project Business.” I had a once-a-week […]

In 1967 our Navy squadron had fourteen flight crews. I was a Patrol Plane Commander (PPC) of one of the crews, Combat Aircrew Twelve (CAC-12). That distinction was very unusual for a first tour pilot. With twelve Lieutenant Commanders in the squadron, all with PPC priority, to be given one of the crews was a […]

My three sons and I had frequent adventures together during their growing up years. I got a lot of “good-dad” praise for that, but the truth is I did it selfishly. We were doing the things I enjoyed and I was in charge! You don’t have that kind of control with contemporary buddies. One year, […]

Maybe it’s wind in my hair that has something to do with my lifelong interest in sailboats and motorcycles. Perhaps it’s that same attraction that now has me flying gliders as a member of the Louisville Soaring Club. The LSC, although most members are from Kentucky, flies out of Freeman Field in Seymour, Indiana, just […]