“You have no idea what future impact you will have on the teens in your charge, except that you will–one way or the other. Will YOU be the reason one of your cadets goes to Mars, cures a disease, wins a war? In education, they say that ’100 years from now, the world may be different because you were important in the life of a child.’ “May’ leaves too much to chance. Replace ‘may’ in that sentence with ‘WILL’ and you’ll understand why we are here.”

Determination is the engine of Victory

Found these young lovelies yesterday through John as well.

I love the story about the WWII ace asking what SHOCK’s call sign stood for and then asking to see her ovulate. Sometimes, no matter how old you get, your fighter training takes over, and the understatement of the year slips out.

I just laughed my big fat ass off at her response to his initial question and his comeback. And then they took their picture with him.

Sons and Daughters to make us all proud.

Press on jet jocks.

Subsunk

Always knew you were a kindred spirit.

Aviation really IS a guild, where the lore is passed on from one individual to another. As Lex so generously does here.

There’s no better feeling in the world than waiting on the ramp when one of your cadets taxis back from his or her first solo hop.

Because you remember their first orientation flight, when they could barely see over the top of the instrument panel. When they took the controls at the pilot’s nod, and said over the intercom in a young but determined voice:

“My airplane”