Ian Twombly

Lest you think I’m a complete curmudgeon dinosaur, I marvel at new technology. I find jets, fly-by-wire, autoland, and autothrottles incredibly cool. However, I choose to fly an airplane without an electrical system. For the average home user, AI’s advertising pitch is focused on making our lives easier. I don’t remember asking for my life to be easier. I don’t need to have my groceries delivered this afternoon, or my toothpaste from Amazon via drone in an hour.

Dutto is the academic dean of the California Aeronautical University, and a former high school teacher. After more than a decade teaching physics, chemistry, and biology, Dutto was introduced to aviation after her school adopted the AOPA Foundation high school aviation curriculum. The school hired a pilot to help teach the new courses, but being a pilot and being an educator are not the same skill set. Dutto helped to mentor the pilot, and she eventually took over the program.

Like all successful relationships, ours is a relationship built on trust. I treat the airplane well and it treats me well. When I clearly articulate my needs, like adding full throttle in a go-around, it does its best to oblige. In return, I invest in annuals, hangar rent, and good insurance. There appears to be some mutual affection and admiration as well, although that might be one-sided. I smile when I think of my airplane and buy it gifts like oil changes and experiences to new grass strips.