Planned Serendipity

When I started this blog I named it my Aviation Passion Bucket.  I came up with that name because aviation isn't just a job to me, it's in my blood, it's my passion.  The term "passion bucket" also comes from an interview that former head coach of UCLA football, Rick Neuheisel, said during an interview with Dan Patrick.  He said that you had to have your passion bucket full in order to play against your cross town rival.

This message is so important in the way you attack life.  If you have a passion for what you do, it's obvious to everyone around you...and it's infectious.   This is why I love my job.  I get to work with people who share my passion.  We love aviation!  We love it so much that we want to share it with others, which is why we've been so focused on creating events and activities that reaches out to our non-traditional partners and to the younger generation to try and help inspire them towards a career in aviation.


The Kansas Aviation Expo is about take-off in exactly one month from the day I write this post.  We're not just building another industry conference.  Oh no.  We're doing much more than that.  We're going to fly around the state with a group of pilots to talk to kids about aviation careers, educational programs and scholarship opportunities.  We're trying to inspire the next generation of aviation leaders!




The Fly Kansas Air Tour will allow students from across the state to experience portions of the Kansas Aviation Expo that they wouldn't have otherwise experienced without having to make a trip to Wichita.  This is important outreach as aviation is the second largest economic driver in the state, second only to agriculture.  Speaking of, Kansas farmers can attribute over $1 billion in crop value to the efforts of aerial applicators so we're going to have an ag spraying demo at our first air tour stop.

We'll also have Amelia Rose Earhart and Barrington Irving come out to talk to the crowds.  After talking with Amelia in Oshkosh I sat with some friends and we started discussing how we could fly around the world.  We didn't realize it until later but hearing her stories inspired us to think about pushing our own limits.  These are great opportunities for kids to learn about all that aviation has to offer.

Sometimes it's hard for me to think about myself as a career role model and I'm pretty sure I'm not alone.  But more of us need to think about that passion bucket that we have, the one that drives us to take on the tough challenges of our industry and continue to persevere with our dreams.  We need to think about sharing that passion and helping fill someone else's bucket.

I was recently watching the old John Cusack and Kate Beckinsale movie from 2001 called Serendipity.  At the end the main character's best friend tries to support his decision by stating that the Greeks never wrote obituaries.  Instead, they just asked one question after a man died: did he have passion?  This is totally fabricated by the way as the Greeks wrote pretty extensive eulogies, but for the sake of my blog post I'm going to go with the underlying message.

As you look back at your career and life, can you answer that question affirmatively?  Did you live with passion?  Did you follow yours?  Did you share it with the next generation to help carry on the legacy?  When you were a kid, who inspired you?  Where did you find your passion?  

We're hoping that with the Kansas Aviation Expo we help these kids make fortunate discoveries by accident.  That after all, is the definition of serendipity.  Some of these kids may not know they have a passion for aviation unless we show them what it has to offer.  

Don't forget this message: there is something for everyone when it comes to aviation.  It's not just about being a pilot, a mechanic or riveter.  There are so many more options than that.  

Getting kids to the airports, interacting with passionate pilots and learning about aviation, hopefully, will put them in a position to make a very fortunate discovery.  

Aviation is cool and you can do it, too!