Apr 20 2020

We Think We're in Control Until We're Not! Posted 4 years 218 days ago ago by Admin

As a person of faith, I never really felt I was in complete control of things . . . at least not the big things. 

Sure, I can control little things like when to go to bed and how many hours to work in a day. But when it comes to big things, like what career path my daughter will take or what my business will look like in 10 years, or when I will hang up my wings (rotary-wings, of course) for the last time, I believe I am not in total control of those things.

Take my ownership of this magazine as an example. Back in 2012, as a working helicopter pilot and digital media company owner, owning an industry magazine was never even a thought in my mind. Yet here I am, with a fantastic team, and the honor of participating in an exciting industry on a different level. I did not ask for it, nor did I seek out the opportunity. The opportunity presented itself and I chose to take it.

The current situation facing the Covid-19 coronavirus has been a strong reminder of how little control we have. It was merely four weeks ago that the engines of our industry, both piston and turbine, were running smoothly. With the exception of offshore oil support and flight training, most operational sectors of our industry were in pretty good health. However, as the virus spread and a global pandemic was diagnosed, everything changed in an instant. For most people, whatever control we felt we had, was diminished by this invisible enemy.

Whether you are in flight training, air ambulance or tourism, our business requires teamwork; it requires closeness. The simple remedy of “social distancing,” another new term in our lexicon, will bring many sectors in our industry to a full stop and is already sending ripples through the industry. But here’s the good news: in the grand scale of time, this chapter will close soon. And when it does, we will be leaner and stronger as an industry.

As will many businesses that fly helicopters or support them, we will all collectively share some pain and have to tighten our belts a notch. But if we work together knowing that this temporary pause will end soon, we can all come out the other side of this and get back to work.

For me, I will continue to lean on my faith regarding the things I cannot control, like the coronavirus and its impact on the helicopter industry. As for Rotorcraft Pro, we believe in the “can-do’ spirit of the industry and know that we are all in this together. For our part, we are thankful for our readers and our advertisers and we will do everything in our power to support them and fulfill our mission of informing, educating, and entertaining working professionals in the helicopter industry.