Remembering Jimmy Buffett,

 Remembering Jimmy Buffett:

Like so many people, I have an enduring bond to Jimmy Buffett.  His music made me yearn for the water, and adventures in the air and on dry land.  Schoolboy Heart was my JB mantra.  While not a life-long fan, I started listening to his music in the late 80s, and really enjoyed his books as well (esp. "Where is Joe Merchant"!). A Pirate Looks at 40 might be my favorite song, as it relates to me, but there are so many songs and lyrics that speak directly to my heart that it's hard for me to pick a true favorite.

I remember flying with a Captain at Northwest who was one of Jimmy's flight instructors when he was getting his seaplane rating.  I didn't know what to expect from a story about my mythical "hero", but wasn't surprised about what he had said about JB. "Buffett was a great stick at times, but other times it was like he was somewhere else."  This Captain was not with Jimmy when he flipped his seaplane during a landing (which he wrote about in "A Pirate Looks at 50"), but he knew the guy who was.  Guess it was just one of those days.

I loved how enamored Jimmy was about flying, and how he would write about it in many of his songs.  Jamaica Mistake-a, School Boy Heart, and Tree Top Flyer (first performed by Crosby, Stills and Nash) immediately come to mind.  That yearning for the skies, and pure joy of flying I could relate to.  Many of my like-minded pilot buddies were also true Buffett fans. In fact, a good sized group of us took many a "flotilla-pilgrimage" down the Detroit River to listen to his concerts, and of course...drink far too many margaritas!

Jimmy Buffett's mariner heritage gave us all a glimpse into what it was like to be a sea-faring man long ago, shared through his own writings and those of others about him. "A Good Life All the Way" was a great book about how Jimmy became Jimmy.  Mostly about his music, but also about the man he was.  His wild antics while younger left him many lessons about how to be successful without losing his soul or his style. Many thanks to author Ryan White for doing the research and writing a book that was a gift to us all!

I can't write as many words as I have memories of where Jimmy has taken me and my friends, but he has given me the gift of relaxation while measuring what to truly not give a shit about. Confidence that it will all work out...one way or another.  And if you pursue what you really love, you will be a success...even if it's only in your own little world.

Since my ramblings are all linked to aviation and/or my website, there is one last connection that I have to make.  Much like Jimmy, I always wore a ball cap when flying. And the ones he wore are the ones I chose as well.  Like our lives, they were broke-in, maybe a little worn, and comfortable. The actual description is "unstructured, low-profile" which really sums it up! 

Find us at PilotBallCaps to see what I'm talking about, and thank you Jimmy, for reminding us that we can grow older, but not up!

Cap'n Spud and Connie in Key West

It's been 15 years... so what have we learned?

This August marks our 15th year since we started pilotballcaps.com.  This little "hobby" business has been a real gift, especially after I hung up my flying "spurs" for a more grounded life.

The kindness shown by our customers is sometimes overwhelming.  It's not the business-end that I am thankful for though: it's the personal interactions, the aviation chit-chat and great stories and pictures we receive.  

Here's just a few brief examples: After emailing an Air Force Pilot whose son was an Army Aviator (he ordered both type of ball caps) , I said "I'm guessing this is another Aviator hat for your son... I hope he's doing well."  His reply brought me to tears, as I read that the Army Aviator hat was for his grandson, and that his son lost his life in Iraq while serving our country.  I felt horrible, and sent my condolences.  His response was simple... "thank you for remembering him."  

Many of the interactions are just "hey, did you know xxxx?" or swapping random flying stories.  We've had customers who flew everything from ultralights to Thunderbirds (and Blues!).  Every once in awhile I get someone that I actually knew from my time in the Air Force. I've been able to reacquaint with some of my old crew chiefs, Boom Operators, Navs and Pilots... Squadron Commanders and other ops folks as well.  It's been a pleasure to see what's transpired over the many (many) years since I was flying Tankers.

Then, there's our part in some "final moments".   The first was George, a fighter pilot waaay back in the day. His daughter bought the cap to remind him that he was the "toughest guy she knew" as he was fighting cancer.  I checked in from time to time, and found out he had passed, wearing the hat.  You'd think this was an unusual story, but there were a couple more after that!  Pure gratitude came from their loved ones, often saying that it was the best gift they could have given their aging fathers.  You see, if it's got your wings on it...something that you fought for, worked so very hard for, and wings that you cherished... this often is the best gift.  Just a simple reminder of your service, your career, and your accomplishments.  So very simple.

Thank you to every customer, the one-timers and the ones who come back year after year. But a special Thank You to all of you who share your lives with us.  So, what we actually have learned is that: You are the gift, and you are the reason we keep going!

Spud (and Connie) at pilotballcaps.com

#flyingstories #gratefulpilot

Great background customer's story

Every once in awhile I get a cool story from one of my customers.  This one was from a conversation with a fellow Air Force Pilot and Delta Captain, who flew the F-104 Starfighter!  These stories are a big reason I keep pilotballcaps.com open for business!

Hey Spud, 

Thanks for your reply. I checked out in the F-104 Starfighter July 1958 stationed at Hamilton AFB, Ignacio (San Rafael) California. As the the youngest Officer in the Squadron I had the distinction of being the youngest if not the youngest pilot in the free world to fly a single engine jet twice the speed of sound. As part of our training I also flew my aircraft to over 90,000 ft. In March of that same year 2 members of the 83 rd, FIS set the world speed record of 1404 mph and altitude record of 91,249 ft. As the junior officer I was in charge of stocking the fighter room and PR officer. Said duties came with the name Mr. Vice which of course I had painted on my aircraft ship 769. If you google F104 Bay Bridge, you will see me flying formation over the San Francisco bay area. This same picture is on an issue of Jane's World some consider the bible of the aviation world. I was fortunate also to be the Air Force advisor for a TV special moderated by Walter Cronkite.  That's another story too long to tell here. lol  Was drafted in the Army in 1954 2 months before my 19th. Birthday. Joined the AF instead and was commissioned Sept. 1955. Transferred to the Louisiana Air National Guard in 1960 and flew the F-102 for 6 years. Hired by Delta 4/17/61 and retired 6/1/1995 flying the L-1011 to Europe. Hope I have not bored you with my rambling and bragging. lol Looking forward the new addition to my cap collection. 

Regards Ralph(Spike)

Gratitude for our Veterans and Friends

Just a few thoughts to express my gratitude for our friends and customers... this week I received two phone calls from recent customers thanking me for selling them a ball cap! It makes me realize how important our memories are. For us to provide that small link to past friends and relatives and their service or collective experience gives me great joy. For those of you who have shared your stories with Connie and I, tales of brothers and sisters-in-arms, of parents whose service must be remembered and carried with us...it's priceless to us.

We're getting fewer and fewer WWII and Korean War stories (but still some), but many more from Viet Nam. and more from Desert Storm, OIF, and Iraq and Afghan wars. Sometimes our paths have crossed by mutual friends or units we may have served in at different times, or how our ball caps have been recognized by others wearing them.

I've heard and read anecdotes from many of you about how you have helped your fellow veterans. And those stories are not isolated, you know who you are (even though you would be the last to recognize it), that one who checks in (Buddy Check) on fellow vets, visits or volunteers at the VA, takes in a homeless vet while they try and get back on their feet. The Honor Guards, Wreaths Across America, Veteran's Cemetery Challenge, Patriot Riders and too many others to name.

You know the depth of connection that many will never experience. For all of these gifts you have given us, we truly Thank You...for including us here at pilotballcaps.com into a small part of your lives! And Thank You for your Service!

Honoring our Veterans and building a business

Honoring our Veterans is what we're doing here.  At first it started about me.  I wanted MY wings.  I was proud of them, and wanted a reminder of my accomplishments.  The hats came out so well that I thought others would like them as much as I did.  And many agreed.

Next step...make pilotballcaps.com a reality...with no budget. No experience.  No knowledge of how to build a website, of market products, or using social media.  But learn I did... with many mistakes, I finally got a groove and realized my biggest strength was personal relationships.  I could relate to Veterans, we shared a common bond... and that was the easy part. That's why we try and connect with all of our customers, and many have really become friends.

What followed was a gradual expansion to include other aviation specialties, squadrons, airlines and aircraft.  Most were at the request of our customers..and many of those did very well.  Many did not and we still have the original order in stock.

Our commitment to Vets is why we have kept our prices what they were ten years ago.  It's also why we've sent hats to some Vets when they couldn't afford them, donated to different causes, and joined a variety of Vet's groups.  We just believe in it.  The time is coming when we have to raise prices.  Not because of a profit issue, but rather due to ever increasing shipping costs much of which we have incurred.

Thanks to our thousands of loyal customers and friends. To our Veterans...thank you for your service and sacrifice. And remember to tell your buddies about our little endeavor!

Whose Business is it anyways?

Whose Business is this? Maybe I'm confused but I thought it was mine!  But is it?  Yes and no.  I believe like most businesses, it belongs to the principals who keep it afloat.  That means shareholders, board members, sometimes its employees...and its customers.  For us, I think of our customers as our "board of directors".  They drive where we are going...they influence the new product lines...they ARE our marketing department.

I started this endeavor because I liked the product that I came up with.  You see that?  It was all about me in the beginning.  But that all changed when our customers became invested.  That's when our designs expanded.  New items are usually derived directly from our customer requests.  Most of the time they're right and we do well by listening.  Like any board of directors, or marketing department or advisers...sometimes they get it wrong.  Our biggest successes have been from input from our loyal customers and friends. Ideas that we didn't want, or just didn't consider.

As we stroll though our tenth year I am ever grateful for the loyalty, friendship and advise of our customers.  They are what drives the ship.  Connie and I try and keep in touch with many of them, but their numbers are in the thousands now, and we rely on technology to keep track of everyone.  Facebook helps, but mostly it's the repeat interaction that allows us to maintain that close connection.

You see, at pilotballcaps.com you're part of it... part of the design, marketing and consulting force.  For that Connie and I would like to thank you all for your trust and your help.

Civil discourse, PilotBallCaps and ramblings!

As we close the book on 2018 I resolve to write more, listen more and make my personal connections stronger. Looking back I realized, WOW, It's been awhile since I posted anything...  Seem like I have a lot to say, but not a lot to write.  These are my latest ramblings:

Civil discourse....agree to disagree, just like grown-up adults. Just because somebody says something you agree (or disagree) with does not make it factual... no matter who says it or what position they are in, find the truth.

Whew, glad I got that off my chest!  Every year I re-evaluate where pilotballcaps.com is going for the next year.  Last year we committed to improving our website....well, we did make some minor improvements, but I'm not up to speed on our next platform, soooo kind of an old dog-new tricks issue!

This year we are going to focus on what we do well and what our purpose is for the business. We may be an online retailer, but more and more I see that we are in the service industry. Our focus is solely on the customer's needs.  That does get in the way of profit, but I'm proud that we have not had to raise our prices in ten years and can still offer a superior product with personal service.

I couldn't do it without Connie (Mrs. Spud)!  She can always be counted on to keep up on the shipments when I'm out flying (yes, I do have a "day job").  Connie would never admit to this, but aside from being my heart and soul, she is able to see things from other peoples' perspective. She guides most of our decisions, even though she doesn't know it!

What is new this year??? Well, we're still expanding.  Navy and Air Force Aircrew are getting more to offer.  US Army Air Force and Eighth Air Force and 486th Bomb Group are new this year.  And we have worked with three new squadrons, all very happy to get some great gear for their troops.

I can't end the year without thanking our customers.  There are far too many to name that keep promoting us, sharing our posts and just flat out believing in us.  Thank you one and all.

Where do we go from here?

     As we open the door to 2018, we have a tendency to ask "Where do we go from here?"  Whether it's a resolution or a promise to "do it different this year" or a new business plan... a new year is an opportunity to reinvent ourselves, of just fool ourselves into thinking something will change.

     I recently had a discussion with a colleague about our goals for pilotballcaps.com.  He was talking explosive growth, advertising campaigns and hiring out the very things that make us unique.  I took it all in and seem to have come to a decision... just do more of the same.  Keep being what we are.  

     Every year we change a little, or a lot.  Give up something bad for something better.  Work a little harder, or a little less.  Worry more about the right things, less about the mundane.  The same in life as in business.  So this year is our opportunity to do more of the same.  More focus on the people who have supported us, and the same level of contact with every customer.  Listen.  Not enough of us do that.  Just listen.  

    We began the year by just listening.  We listened to the previous letters, phone calls and emails from our customers.  New designs are influenced directly by our clients.  Shipping built into the price.  (which I disagree with, but time will tell).  Nine years ago we stated with 5 designs and this year we've already added 2 new designs to our current inventory of 64 designs.  All orders include "free shipping".  Everyone still gets the email, with a reminder to tell your friends and leave us a review.  I wonder how many of those actually get read.  Few get responded to and a few leave reviews.  Those reviews tell us that we're doing well by the customers.  But I can't help but think that the lack of some reviews may mean something different.  Maybe I shouldn't be concerned with this, but I am.  After all, we average close to 40% year over year sales growth... every year since we started.

     So going forward we will just do the same things. A simple plan, just do what we do.  Make people happy and give many people a path to their memories and accomplishments.  Maybe add some more exposure, more videos about who we are and what we do.  And just keep moving forward!

     Thanks to all of our loyal customers, and check out our video about our mission!

Our Mission ...pilotballcaps.com serving all Military Aviators

Take off your damn hat and show some respect!

With all of the fuss about the recent politicization of the NFL and out National Anthem, I'd like to remind the fans to either remain silent or sing the Anthem, stand if you're able, and take off your damn hat!  People in the stands talking, taking selfies and any number of things Other than paying attention to our Anthem is FAR more disrespectful than players silently protesting injustice in our Nation.

Rant complete!  It's simple.

(yes,  you should even remove your aviator ball cap if you got it from me, regardless if it is your Military rating and no matter what your hair looks like when you take it off!)

I'm as patriotic (or more so) than the next guy, but we are collectively getting lost in all of the noise and distraction.   There are far more serious things to discuss...so let's do that!

Detroit Aviation and Airlines Collectibles Show 2017

It's that time of year again...the Detroit Aviation and Airline Collectibles Show - 2017 is May 20th at Willow Run Airport, Ypsilanti, MI!

Connie and I will be there to hang out with our fellow enthusiasts and perhaps sell some our Pilot Ball Caps as well.  We intend to have some of our best-selling Aviation ball caps from pilotballcaps.com.  We'll include all of our Airline ball caps, Military Pilot ball caps and most of our Aviator and Aircrew hats.  

Also with us will be Bobby D and Tracy from crewdawgcreations.com and they will have select items for the aviation collectors.  I am a long-time customer and friend of Bobby's, and have many of his amazing products!

So... look for our tables there and stop by to say hello. If you're a previous custom please let me know that.  I know most of you by name but very few in person.

 

Detroit Aviation and Airline Collectible show

It's been awhile since I've blogged, but yes...we're still kicking. Over eight years at it, and 50+ designs...so we have been very busy.

Last week we did our first show, with mixed results.  The weather was lousy and the show was in the Willow Run hangar, but it was warm inside and they estimate there were around 1000+ people who braved the cold and snow.

We had most of our designs out there and made a few bucks, but most important was getting out in the public and giving a face to the website.  Connie and I had a great time meeting fellow aviators and enthusiasts.  Overall it was a great learning experience and a lot of fun.

We hope to see some of you there next year, and we may be making an appearance at the show in Cleveland this fall.

Like always...tell your friends about us and our website pilotballcaps.com.  And fly safe!

Spud and Connie

the impact on a customer.

I'm still surprised at what a big impact a small thing can have on a person's life.  Relating just to our simple little ball cap business, I see it much more often than I would expect. I wonder how many other online retailers get personal emails from their customers...thanking them, or telling their stories, or sharing the impact of just one small purchase.

What brought this home recently, was the return of a ball cap order. A customer bought an American Captain's ball cap for his 82 year old father.  It was just before Christmas, and he got the address wrong....it wasn't going to get there for the Holidays.  He emailed me, and I simply boxed up another and sent it to the corrected address.  I didn't charge him, and just said "it'll probably come back to me."  Well, three months later it was returned. I was a bit amused that it finally made its way home, so I emailed the customer to let him know and to ask about how his Dad liked the hat.  He said that it was the best gift he could have given him, and that his Dad wore it "all the time".  Then he added the "Dad was even wearing it when he died, two weeks ago!"

That just floored me.  Knowing something so small that I did (which was just routine business) would have such an impact.  I emailed him back sending my condolences, and reminded him how lucky he was to have had his father for as long as he did, telling him how I lost my Dad when I was 28. 

His Dad was a retired pilot, and even in the last few months of his life he held on to that pride, and maybe even re-lived a few of the good-old-days. 

So we don't have a bottom line.  We don't worry about our profits, even though year-over-year profits have consistently grown (by 40% again last year).  We haven't raised our prices or cut corners.  We just do the right thing, every sale, and every time. So our largest profit margin is achieved by those emails and occasional phone calls, with a story, a thank you or just a silly "pilot joke".  Thanks to all of our friends and customers who make it worth while!

Six years....already?

You know I don't post much.  Only when I have something that strikes me, moves me, or humors me enough to put fingers to keyboard do I bother to bore others. But this month marked six years of watching an idea turn into a hobby, and then turn into a small business.

Six years ago I wanted a simple ball cap.  I've always worn them when I fly, and we had just announced a merger between my company (Northwest Airlines) and Delta Air Lines.  New rules... new procedures... new uniforms. Being naturally nostalgic, I wanted a visible reminder that I was a Northwest pilot.  I searched the web for anyone who produced such a thing.  They didn't exist.  Anywhere!

A new solution was to have one custom made for me.  At that time I believe it would cost me about $35 for one hat! So like any good (cheap) pilot, I decided to spend $400 and have a bunch made. Now the only question was how to get rid of them.  Word of mouth and eBay worked for awhile, but I wanted a website. So with some help from Will Henderson and others, pilotballcaps.com was born. But you can't just have a website for ONE product. I really liked the hats that our manufacturer made, so I had Air Force and Navy pilot ball caps made. So now I had 5 designs, with more great comments from customers coming in weekly.

Now as I sit in our pilotballcaps.com office, I look around at the 40+ designs, most in different colors. Six years ago it was just for pilots, but now we have Aircrew, Navigator, Squadron and Airline hats. I'm surrounded by over 1500 hats sitting on the shelves, 100s of shipping boxes and everything we need to serve our customers. Most important are the hundreds of great aviation stories I get from my customers, and thousands of satisfied aviators around the world that are wearing our hats...that just kind of happened into being.

So Happy Anniversary to our fledgling business, and thank you to all of our (very) loyal repeat customers! We'll keep on "Selling the Best ball caps to the Best Aviators in the World...because everybody deserves a great ball cap!"

And this hat started it all!

The Military Family

Mom, Dad...what did you do when you were in the Air Force (Army, Navy, Marine Corps...)? What did you learn and what were your responsibilities? I was thinking about these questions as my wife Connie and I recently visited the BX and Commissary at Selfridge AFB not too long ago. If you were raised in a military family, or raised your family while you were in the service, there were certain expectations.  A discipline, instilled by commanders and peers alike, and filtered down to the kids.  Rules and respect were the norm. Sacrifice was just how it was.  Your choices were limited and endless at the same time.  There was one movie theater, but it could be in Europe, Asia, or Minot ND.  Friends changed with assignments, but there was that common thread that you shared.  Just like the servicemembers, the family had bonds with everyone in their situation. Rules.... responsibilities....discipline and caring for each other.

What did you do?... Well, I was a Pilot (Crew Chief, MP, Ranger....) and my responsibilities were X,Y and don't forget Z. You could get all of that from your last OER, OPR or Fitrep (insert any appropriate DoD Form number).  But that never tells the story, just the summary.  You were responsible for your job, and that of your squadron mates.  To cover them as they did for you.  And that extended to the family.  When Lt. Smith was deployed, Capt. Jones and SSgt. Johnson and their families checked in. Made sure lawns got mowed, carpools ran and babysitters were on time.  We cared for our own, and that always included the family.

What I learned as we walked around the Base Exchange was the difference in the families shopping. Broadly the same demographics as my own home town, they were...different.  Courteous, for the most part. The kids may have been thinking about throwing a fit, but it was always under control.  The parents didn't need to either yell or coddle.  A simple look, a quick and understandable explanation and it was over.  The kids weren't bugging for that candy or toy, as they seemed to know it wasn't in the budget.  If it were, they knew they would have it.  If they needed it, they got it.  And appreciated it.  Great lessons for all of us.

One of the many things that struck me was our walk to the car.  In the whole parking lot, there was ONE shopping cart.  You just didn't leave them for someone else to deal with. You (or your 10 year old) took it back and put it where it belonged...for the next family to use.  No trash in the lot, or in the carts.  There were rules, responsibilities and discipline.  And that's what I learned from my time in the service.

By Spud at pilotballcaps.com

what my Pilot Ball Cap customers do for me...

It's been awhile since I've rambled on. We've had a lot going on, and still do but I was just thinking about what my customers do for me and thought I'd share it.

Since this business is more of a hobby, it allows me to be in touch with aviators from all backgrounds and experiences.  My guy Georgio, who flies ultralights in Italy (yes, I have pictures on our site).  Nails, who saved a Marine Corp unit under fire by VC...just he and his crew, his helo and flachette rockets (thus the call sign "Nails"). Stories about flying DC-6s and 707s back in the days when airline careers were legendary. A ball cap sent to someone's Dad who flew Lancasters for the RCAF and another to a Grandfather who flew Jugs and Mustangs for the Air Corps in WWII.  It's amazing who you get to know just from selling a few ball caps. George and Ike, both 'old fighter pilots', who have now passed on to fly west. I just wish I could hook up my Chaplain friend with their families! As he would say "Blessings from Father Jeff", but I still like to call him Padre! We have an ongoing list of folks who "checked in" with their call signs on our home page. Which reminds me that I've got to update that list again.

Back to the point of the story though.  Many of my customers become acquaintances, and some even become friends.  It usually starts with a note from me, thanking them for their order and maybe commenting on something I notice about their order or home town. The feedback I get for such simple observations is amazing, and our conversations begin. Since we're always looking to pass the word, I usually ask this of my customers, and sometimes they overwhelm me. Like Roger from Dallas who is a retired Delta pilot. He liked my hats and service enough to recommend our site to his group. The next day we sold out of Delta Captain ball caps and had to re-order.

We don't just get recommendations and great stories.  I've got standing invitations to visit from around the country, Germany, Canada and Australia. If I only had the time to get to those places (and NOT while having to work flying there and back).  Just this week I got the book "Steel Beach" signed by its author Jeff, who is a cancer survivor like my wife Connie. This gift was what brought me to write today! I've gotten USAF bag tags, patches from different units and even from the Gathering of Mustangs.  Hats, pictures, articles... these folks I call customers are just too much. Too kind.  I think it's just the common ground we all share. We've all been there, or know someone who has. Whether it's flying, or work, or just surviving your worst fear. I guess that's why I still do it. My wife says I enjoy it too much. She encourages me, supports and loves me...and understands when I take an hour (or two) out of my day just to communicate with folks I may never meet.

I wish to thank my wife Connie, who tolerates all of this, and really helps keep things moving in the right direction. And I thank you, my customers and friends. You make this business not only possible, but worthwhile.

Find us at pilotballcaps.com

What is your business?

I had an interesting conversation with another pilot a few weeks back.  The kind of chat that causes you to think.  He had been to a conference with the featured speaker being Ray Kroc years ago.  Someone had asked Mr. Kroc "how's the hamburger business?".  The reply was surprising.  We're not in the hamburger business, we're in the real-estate business. If you notice, most McDonald's restaurants are in important, well placed locations.  The franchisees are in the hamburger business, but the corporation seems to make its money from the fees and rent generated from their real-estate holdings. (I can't verify this conversation, since it's second-hand, but it still caused me to think about my own business).

I wracked my brain to figure out what the basic purpose was for Pilot Ball Caps.  Do we just sell ball caps? We're not selling them to generate a profit from shipping (as many companies do).  We're not selling anything that's not related to professional aviators and pilots, so that limited my view.  The stories I get back from my customers are fascinating.  Wide ranging, from general aviation pilots to retired airline pilots...to World War II pilots who flew all manner of historic aircraft in interesting and dangerous situations.  Navy and Air Force pilots from the Viet-Nam and Korean wars.  And (like me) the Cold War, Desert Storm and Iraqi Freedom.

Then it came to me.  Pride. Esprit de Corps. Memories. Valor.  The things that my customers all share, is a desire to remember, to acknowledge their accomplishments. And sometimes to share those memories with other pilots, aviators, friends or family members.

I may be selling ball caps, but my product and purpose is a memory, a proud moment that may be gone, but never forgotten. It's that purpose that keeps me in it. There's no real profit in it, so I guess I get the same thing that my customers get.  Pride.  Satisfaction in a job well done or knowing that someone can take a trip back memory lane with their son, daughter, wife or grand father. I just provide the symbol of their journey. Just another ball cap.  But it's theirs and they earned it. And they found it at pilotballcaps.com .  I guess we aren't just another online vendor.  And I share in that pride.

It's personal...

Yes, I did get called out to fly this week....thanks for asking. Winter storm in Detroit, and I get a 0500 report to start a 3-day trip.  The good part is we have a long Cancun layover and I have an excellent first officer. The bad part is my wife decided not to risk getting stuck in Atlanta and she stayed home.

Yesterday morning (first leg) was one of those flights where nothing was as simple as it should have been. We push-back from the gate and find out that even though they deiced the aircraft earlier, they didn't use an anti-icing agent and we still get to go to the deice pad....yeah! Oh well, we'll just get it over with. I decided to start both engines because of the slick taxiways, which was a good decision. After starting the second engine its bleed air valve wouldn't open. We went through the hoops, called maintenance and did our procedures.  I guess it just had to warm up a bit, because on the fourth try it opened and we were off. By now the visibility went down to 1/4 mile which made for an even slower taxi. This wasn't in the forecast, so we had to get a takeoff alternate from dispatch while on our way to deice. At times now the vis was only about 1000 feet or less, but the deicing went without a hitch.....and still no word from dispatch about out alternate. (a takeoff alternate is required when the visibility at your departure airport is too low to make a Cat I landing in the event of an engine failure on takeoff). The F/O sent another request as we crept along, and we finally got Columbus, OH as our alternate by the time we reached the end of the runway.  Visibility was between 1200-1800 feet now, above our minimum for that runway (500 feet vis required on 03R) so off we go. As we climbed out of the snow and clouds, the sun was just barely starting to rise...and I enjoyed that moment, because I knew that we had done everything right, step by step, to make sure our flying customers were safe and comfortable.

A beautiful flight down to ATL and on to CUN as well. Uneventful, which is how I like it! The Boeing 757 lands sooo very nice. Even with the gusty winds in Atlanta, she just wanted to make me happy. And once we get to CUN, all I could think of was how great a nap would be!  After getting a short (and much needed) rest, it was a typical layover. Check in with Connie, answer emails, get a little lunch and have a couple of beers with Jim (F/O) since we had 24 hours off down there.

By now you're asking "What about the title? What makes this 'personal' ?"  It wasn't just the trip.  It was about reading some business articles online and some reflection on my (very small) business (pilotballcaps.com). Over the past week I've had several emails, recommendations and phone calls with customers. My biggest take-away from all of these contacts is that I must be doing something right. Not one of these conversations was about a problem!  I guess that's why I keep doing it.  Not for the money (there isn't much in selling ball caps). It's knowing that, in some small part I can give our customers a good experience (whether it's flying OR selling ball caps), without gouging them to make a profit. One customer even suggested that I charge more for my hats, since my competition was "over-priced, lower quality, and slow to deliver".  I just told him (Bill) that I still wouldn't charge more than what I'd pay for a nice ball cap. Repeat customers and their referrals make up over 25% of my business.  Now is not the time to screw that up just to make a buck.  So you see....whether it's flying or my business.... It IS Personal...

Sitting reserve...and looking forward.

It's been awhile for the blog....so I'm getting back to it.  So far, sitting reserve is treating me alright.  Some months I get to fly every week and other months it seems that all I do is wait for the phone to ring. A few months ago I missed a call from crew scheduling, so I listened to the message.  My wife asked where I was going, and I told her it was probably a charter since I was laying over in Charleston. After checking my schedule online, I realized that too many years were spent flying domestic...instead of going to South Carolina, I was going to Paris!  What I heard was Charleston (CHS), but what the scheduler said was Charles de Gaulle (CDG). This all meant that I needed a nap!  Report time was in 6 hours and I was going to be flying all night.

Show up, meet the crew and get it all started.  Great crew...I've flown with one first officer before, and the other was a transfer from the Cincinnati base. Everything went off without a hitch, just as planned.  That's how the majority of our flights go... you plan it out, fly the plan...and move on to the next flight.  Sure there are hiccups... but for the most part we just keep the tempo, follow the procedures and read the checklist. 

Weather was good for the overwater crossing.  And the thing I love about this international flying is the last hour or so when we make landfall and knowing that we're almost there.  When the weather is good and the sun is coming up....it's beautiful (like it was on this flight).  Other times, all you see is the gray/white undercast and your first glimpse of Europe is when you break out and see the runway. Like all landings in the 767...it seems to just want to roll on.  I guess it's just too many years of flying the DC-9 (close to 20) when each landing seemed like its own challenge.  I loved that airplane, but I have a new respect for how hard I worked before, and how much easier life is when you're flying fewer flights but more flight hours.

For tonight, I'll keep my phone near by...and be happy whether I get to fly or get to stay home. Staying home allows me to work on the business...and hang out with my wife. As always, be sure to check out my site, because I can always use the hits... http://pilotballcaps.com

Fun with Spirit Airlines?

Okay, I should have known better.  Hell, I did know better. We booked a short vacation, all-inclusive, including air fare.  I could have changed airlines when I saw that it was Spirit... having heard nothing positive about them.  Lesson learned.  When you see that "cheap fare", just add $350 or so to that price, and that's what you'll actually pay. So, we get charged for checked bags...so what? Everybody does that in one way or another. But being charged to carry on luggage? Really??? The fees are cheaper if you book it online, so that's what I did.  So here we go: right around $35 per bag....not bad. Including carry on... PER LEG!!! So you pay these fees for each leg of your journey. It was 2 legs down and 2 legs back. Plus, to get assigned seating (not preferred, nothing special...just to be able to print your boarding passes before you get to the airport) are you ready.....$10 each...PER LEG.  Now if you want a soda...$3.00. That gets you a can of Coke and a cup of ice.


Now I know that on any given day, ANY airline can be the best or worst you've ever flown on. I've had customers come up to me after an 8 hour delay and multiple inconveniences, and tell me "Thank you...that was a great fight.".  No kidding!  But then turn around and have a smooth and flawless flight, on-time, uneventful.... and someone who's pissed-off about something totally unrelated to our flight says: "I'll never fly this airline again!".... They'll be back.    That being said, out of our 4 landings, all were "interesting".  Something about swerving back and forth on the runway after touchdown makes me uneasy. And I know what's going on up there....it's what I do for a living, and I understand the cross winds, short approaches, wake turbulence etc. But when I get out of the plane and the wind is only blowing 10-15 knots?  Not buying it. Not 4 in a row on 2 different days. 


I will say this: the crews were very nice, Pilots and Flight Attendants alike. Very cordial and professional.  Just don't deal with the gate agents. The less exposure, the better.  On our return trip we were delayed about 3 hours.  No information was posted, no updates given.  So I had to keep going back to the agent to see when it was estimated to depart. Our 4 1/2 hour layover in KFLL was now about 2.  Just enough to clear customs and go back through security. We arrived alive, and so did our luggage. That's about all I can say.


When I say "I'll never fly this airline again!".... just like I've heard so often over the years, it's different. I mean it.  Maybe if it were free....totally free.  So the actual comment should be: "I'll never ever pay to fly on this airline again!"... That sums it up.  I knew better.  I have confirmed the reviews and comments I've heard about Spirit through the years.


I know better.... and now, so do you!