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Writer's pictureLyn Lindbergh

Barry Schiff - Flying Then and Now

Season four of the Lindberghs Podcast is made possible by:

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About this Episode


Hi friends, it's Lyn.


Erik and I recently had an extraordinary opportunity to talk with someone who has been in aviation his entire life, flown more than most, and is an award winning journalist who has covered aviation for over 30 years.


Barry Schiff is the perfect compliment to last week's episode because he is able to speak from the perspective of multiple generations. He has seen how aviation has changed and how culture around aviation has also grown and changed for both the good and the bad.


I hope you enjoy this special episode with Barry Schiff.


Sincerely,

Lyn



Our Favorite Quotes from this Episode


You know what they say, "History is myth agreed upon."

~Barry


Back in my day he [Charles Lindbergh] was a hero and he inspired a generation, or two, or three to fly.

~Barry


I look upon your grandfather as the man who opened the skies and pioneered aviation. If he made mistakes here or there in other arenas, frankly I don't care.

~Barry


GPS has revolutionized flying. Pilots used to get get lost. This doesn't happen anymore. In a way I feel sorry for people learning to fly today. They don't get lost. We used to have these wonderful techniques where if we got lost we'd simply land at the nearest airport and we wouldn't ask where we were because that would be embarrassing. We'd simply fill out the form and look at the receipt to see where we were.

~Barry


I don't think the pilots today are experiencing the adventure of flying before the days of GPS. GPS makes it too easy.

~Barry


Using a compass and a clock to get from point A to B; there's a satisfaction getting there. You don't get the same satisfaction following a red line on a display.

~Barry


Progress can't be denied.

~Barry


I think people should be self-motivated to fly.

~Barry


Honor your country and the flag.

~Barry



Mentioned in this Episode






Image of two men standing in front of a replica of the Spirit of Saint Louis Plane
Barry Schiff and Jimmy Stewart

Book opened to cover page from 1953: The Spirit of St. Louis signed by Charles Lindbergh
The Spirit of St. Louis signed by Charles Lindbergh

About Barry Schiff

With 28,000 hours logged in more than 355 types of aircraft, Barry Schiff has received worldwide recognition for his wide-ranging aeronautical accomplishments. He was a rated Airline Transport Pilot at 21, and has earned every FAA category and class rating (except airship) and every possible instructor's rating. Capt. Schiff retired from Trans World Airlines in 1998 after a 34-year career during which he flew everything from the Lockheed Constellation to the Boeing 747 and was a check captain on the Boeing 767.


He holds five world speed records (one captured from the Soviet Union) and has received numerous honors for his many contributions to aviation safety. These include a Congressional Commendation, the Louis Bleriot Air Medal (France), Switzerland's Gold Proficiency Medal, an honorary doctorate from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, and AOPA's L. P. Sharples Perpetual Award. Capt. Schiff also has been inducted into the New Jersey Aviation Hall of Fame and the EAA/NAFI National Flight Instructor's Hall of Fame, and was recently elected as an Elder Statesman of Aviation by the National Aeronautic Association. In January, 2012 he was inducted as a Living Legend of Aviation.


An award-winning journalist and author, he is well known to flying audiences for his numerous books and more than 1,700 articles published in 111 aviation magazines, notably AOPA Pilot of which he currently is a contributing editor. Many of his articles discuss personally developed concepts, procedures, and techniques that have received international acclaim.


Schiff also developed and worked to have adopted the concept of providing general aviation pilots with safe VFR routes through high-density airspace. In 1995 and with the direct approval of Jordanian King Hussein and Israeli Prime Minister, Itzhak Rabin, Schiff contributed to the Middle East peace process by leading a formation of 35 airplanes carrying 135 Americans, Israelis, and Jordanians from Jerusalem to Amman. As a result, he became the first pilot ever allowed to fly between those countries.


These credentials have not diminished his passion for flying lightplanes, which he has used to span oceans and continents. He continues to investigate and report to the aviation community various aspects of proficiency and safety, and remains a vigorous and outspoken advocate for general aviation.


Information about Barry courtesy of https://www.barryschiff.com/schiff_info.htm


About Erik and Lyn Lindbergh

Erik and Lyn are the co-hosts of The Lindberghs Podcast. Learn more about Erik at: https://www.eriklindbergh.com and Lyn at: https://www.couchtoactive.com



 

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The 100th Anniversary - 1927 - 2027 - Icon of the Spirit of Saint Louis

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