Thanks to Rosie for alerting me to the funny number up in my post counter window - 9,999....I stopped paying attention to it some time ago. But it would be a shame not to recognize the amazing benefits I have received in my life from participating in Doug's little social experiment here on VAF. I joined the forum when Doug created the site back in 2005(ish), and have enjoyed both the social and the technical aspects of the community ever since. I owe a lot of my success in my "second career" in aviation journalism to the presence of this site as a place to practice.
VAF has always tried to be a bit of civility in an internet world where people forget that they are speaking in public, and often say the darnedest things.....you wonder sometimes if the entire population of the 'net was raised by wolves. The goal has always been to create a place where people could come and ask questions without being slammed as ignorant beginners - and overall, folks do pretty well. When we chase someone away because they are made to feel foolish, it is the community that has failed - not the questioner.
Anyway - to the point. I have been a little quiet this week because we lost my father a few days ago. He was 89 years old, lived a full life, was a member of the Greatest Generation (USS Aaron Ward, DM34, almost sunk at Okinawa...). He wanted to be a Naval Aviator in the war, but couldn't pass the color test - and he encouraged me in my own aviation career, one he couldn't have. Dad taught me (among many other things) that you need to learn to communicate with - and understand - other people if you are going to be successful ... at anything! He was a mathematics educator all of his adult life - and generations of Minnesota students benefitted from his work in problem solving curriculums used throughout the state. He even left us a math problem to be placed in his funeral bulletin. That's dedication!
In addition to making sure I learned my math, he always emphasized the importance of reading and the importance of reading a lot in developing good writing skills - and I am tempted to believe that he was right....
Dad flew with me a number of times in my life, but by the time my RV came along, he was no longer limber enough to climb over a cockpit rail - so didn't get the chance to fly in the airplanes I built. But he was with us in spirit.
Dad - this 10,000th post is for you!
Paul
VAF has always tried to be a bit of civility in an internet world where people forget that they are speaking in public, and often say the darnedest things.....you wonder sometimes if the entire population of the 'net was raised by wolves. The goal has always been to create a place where people could come and ask questions without being slammed as ignorant beginners - and overall, folks do pretty well. When we chase someone away because they are made to feel foolish, it is the community that has failed - not the questioner.
Anyway - to the point. I have been a little quiet this week because we lost my father a few days ago. He was 89 years old, lived a full life, was a member of the Greatest Generation (USS Aaron Ward, DM34, almost sunk at Okinawa...). He wanted to be a Naval Aviator in the war, but couldn't pass the color test - and he encouraged me in my own aviation career, one he couldn't have. Dad taught me (among many other things) that you need to learn to communicate with - and understand - other people if you are going to be successful ... at anything! He was a mathematics educator all of his adult life - and generations of Minnesota students benefitted from his work in problem solving curriculums used throughout the state. He even left us a math problem to be placed in his funeral bulletin. That's dedication!
In addition to making sure I learned my math, he always emphasized the importance of reading and the importance of reading a lot in developing good writing skills - and I am tempted to believe that he was right....
Dad flew with me a number of times in my life, but by the time my RV came along, he was no longer limber enough to climb over a cockpit rail - so didn't get the chance to fly in the airplanes I built. But he was with us in spirit.
Dad - this 10,000th post is for you!
Paul
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