D.O.M. Blogs

The helicopter Ingenuity reported in on February 19. The downlink, sent to NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, indicated that the helicopter and its base station were operating as expected.

By the way, in case you haven't heard, Ingenuity is a helicopter that landed on Mars February 18 with the Mars Perseverance Rover. If all upcoming tests go according to plan, we could soon have the first helicopter fiight on another planet!

I was curious — when did New Year’s resolutions become a “thing?” According to Wikipedia, the custom has religious origins:

The people made promises to their gods at the start of each year that they would return borrowed objects and pay their debts. 

The Romans began each year by making promises to the god Janus, for whom the month of January is named. 

In the medieval era, the knights took the "peacock vow" at the end of the Christmas season each year to re-affirm their commitment to chivalry.

Lexus has been using the slogan, “December to Remember,” for years in its holiday season marketing campaigns.

This year, “December to Remember,” might take on a whole new meaning.

With lockdowns going into effect all over the country again due to the surge in COVID cases, employers all over the country are trying to figure out what to do to prepare for what could be "The December To Remember."

“When it comes to social situations, don’t talk politics or religion.” My parents taught me that lesson when I was growing up. I still follow that rule today. You see, politics and religion are very personal subjects, and getting into a discussion on either topic with someone of an opposing view than ours won’t likely change that person’s mind. Instead, it will most certainly lead to a heated discussion.

Consider this — I am a part owner of D.O.M. and Helicopter Maintenance magazines. I also am in charge of the editorial content for both magazines. If you look at the masthead in the table of contents or my business card, it says my title is “Owner/Editorial Director.” It could just as easily be “Co-founder/Vice President of Editorial,” “Founding Partner/Executive Editor,” or just “Editor at Large.” Honesty, maybe I should change it to “Editor at Large” because of the extra COVID weight I have put on.

Aircraft mechanics have been known to solve problems. This goes back to Charles Taylor — the father of aircraft maintenance. Taylor designed and built the engine that powered the Wright Flyer into the history books (when engine manufacturers of the time said they couldn't do it). I've seen mechanics make turnbuckle wrenches to make cable rigging easier and faster. Tom Burden, a former Air Force mechanic, invented the Grypmat, a flexible tool tray, to help keep tools nearby without marring the aircraft surface.

A week and a half ago, I got some sad news. I found out that Giacinta (Gia) Bradley Koontz, a long-time friend and contributor to D.O.M. magazine passed away.

The news came from a friend of hers that had helped her with her article research from time to time. He informed me that she passed while on a trip to Alaska. He didn't know any further details, and I couldn't find any information regarding funeral arrangements. I even tried reaching out to mutual friends with no success.

Unless you live in a cave on a remote island, you have heard plenty of news about COVID-19 (Coronavirus). On March 11, the World Health Organization officially called the spread of the virus a pandemic. That same day, the CDC reported that there was a total of 938 cases of people infected with COVID-19 in the U.S. with 29 fatalities. Cases have been confirmed in 38 states and the District of Columbia. Some previously unheard-of actions are being taken to try to minimize the spread of the virus. Some of the recent news announcements here in the U.S.

Someone once told me, "Attitude, more than aptitude, determines altitude." Sorry I can't remember who that was, otherwise I would give attribution here.

In the 11 years we have been publishing D.O.M. magazine, I have seen evidence of those words of wisdom time and time again. I have also witnessed it first-hand throughout my aircraft maintenance career.

Don't get me wrong — we need to have a certain level of skills and knowledge to have successful careers. However, having a positive attitude is one factor that can give us a significant advantage in career success.