Tag: Clarity

Personal Development

Visibility

Commercial airline pilots are, in my opinion, an extraordinary group of professionals. Even before I began my flying career, I was mesmerized by their skillful maneuvering of the jet aircraft during some of the most unfavorable conditions. The present generation of highly sophisticated jetliners can practically land themselves, but a VISUAL PERCEPTION is required for every phase of flight. This is defined by the Flight Safety Foundation as, “The greatest distance under given weather conditions to which it is possible to see without instrumental assistance.” Different surroundings can affect a pilot’s ability to PERCEIVE the position of the aircraft during taxi out, take off, ascent, descent, approach, landing and taxi in. Instruments certainly were designed to assist in pinpointing an exact location, but VISBILITY (the pilot’s ability to SEE where he/she is and where he/she is not), is key to a successful flight. Some specific influences that decrease visibility are forest fires, dust storms, fog, heavy rain, haze and snow storms. Even on a clear night, the environment can simulate an entirely different position.

Have you been dreaming lately and have you visualized yourself doing something or being somewhere you never thought possible? Do you have a CLEAR VISION of how to accomplish your intended goals? I know things can get a little blurry and at times we can be blinded and miscalculate where we are and where we need to be. Then sometimes, we have no idea! Helen Kelle, acclaimed author, disability rights advocate and lecturer, lost her sight at a very young age. One of her thought provoking statements alludes to the the ability to see from a different perspective. She said, “The only thing worse than being blind is having sight but no vision.”

When visibility is low during a landing approach, pilots must rely on all resources available to them to hit their target, the runway, to successfully touch down without any mishap. However, being able to see with their eyes, confirms their position. What if there is zero visibility? Well that produces another set of challenges. I’ve been on a flight when the pilot was on initial descent and the CONTROL tower suddenly routed the captain to land at another airport, or DIVERT as it is referred to, because visual contact was not possible. In other words, there was no clear vision that permitted him to land on the assigned runway.

Perhaps you and I lose sight because we have not connected our DREAM(S) with our VISION. Dreams precede vision in that they motivate us to get a clear picture of our life’s purpose. Keep in mind that If all we do is dream, nothing really happens! Consider that dreams provide the PATH to position us at a precise moment in time intended by God. Even if we are suddenly diverted to another place , we will still ARRIVE.

In addition to what we see with our physical eyes, we have been granted intrinsic values of love, compassion, determination, persistence, mercy, faith, and many more instruments that lead and guide us to vision.

Habakkuk 2:2 declares, “Write what you see. Write it out in big block letters so that it can be read on the run. This vision-message is a witness pointing to what’s coming. It aches for the coming— it can hardly wait! And it doesn’t lie. If it seems slow in coming, wait. It’s on its way. It will come right on time.” MSG

Take the first step by writing the vision so that you can SEE and absorb it everyday. Wherever you are, whatever POSITION you are in, know that your vision will come to pass and deliver you to where you are destined to be.

Overcoming Challenges

Weight and Balance

How often have you observed an airport baggage handler load luggage/cargo into the cargo hold of a commercial jetliner? Maybe you were in possession of a boarding pass that gave you the distinct honor of a window seat assignment. If so, watching this important phase of preparation for flight departure, is quite intriguing . Each item is strategically placed inside the compartment according to WEIGHT and BALANCE which must be secured properly, to prevent its movement inflight. The correct POSITION of each item is instrumental in determining the influence it may have on the operational efficiency of the aircraft.

According to the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration), there are specific effects of weight on a jetliner. Excessive weight reduces the flight performance in almost every aspect. For example, the most important PERFORMANCE deficiencies of an overloaded aircraft are: Reduced maneuverability, excessive weight on the nose wheel or tail wheel, and higher/slower takeoff speed, just to name a few. There have several fatal crashes in recent years because of weight distribution errors. The pilot in COMMAND of the aircraft has the responsibility of knowing the maximum allowed weight and its CG (Center of Gravity) limits. The CG is not a fixed point ; its LOCATION depends on the distribution of weight. In other words, the CENTER OF GRAVITY determines the correct BALANCE.

As a new flight attendant, I was very inquisitive about cockpit instruments more than I was about serving coffee, tea or milk. I can remember on one of my flights the captain explained to me that the ATTITUDE gauge displayed the position of the aircraft relative to the horizon. The jetliner’s position determined the ALTITUDE, or how high or low it would fly, taking into consideration weight, balance, traffic or weather conditions.

How does this relate to LIFE’S JOURNEY? So many times we are weighed down with challenges that interfere with the balance we need to continue on our ordained path. The center of our focus is shaken or even destroyed all because we don’t take the right attitude (position) of WHO IS IN CONTROL! We dwell on past hurts and disappointments which can be heavy burdens that will suppress our altitude.

To correct insufficient weight and balance data, the cargo on a jetliner has to be REPOSITIONED for flight safety. As mentioned earlier, too much weight will effect performance. WE must reposition our mindset to allow the One who is in total command to refocus and recenter.

The writer of Hebrews puts it this way: The preceding chapter 11 gives us a history of all the confrontations that God’s people experienced who possessed great faith. Chapter 12:1, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every WEIGHT that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us”. NLT