Pre-Flight Checklist

A newspaper reporter for the Los Angeles Times had received instructions from his senior editor to get photographs of a brush fire in the foothills of northern California. The instructions included hurrying to the Santa Monica Airport to board a small plane, taking some photos of the fire, and hurrying back by noon with the story. (Reporters are always in a hurry to meet their deadlines.)

The reporter dressed quickly, rushed to the airport, saw the small plane waiting on the runway, drove his car to the end of the runway, parked, and climbed on board. Off they flew into the clear blue skies.

At about 5,000 feet, the reporter took out his camera and said to the man flying the plane, "Bank right and I’ll take some pictures of this fire."

Then he heard the most frightening questions of his life, "Bank right? Why don’t you bank right? You’re the instructor, aren’t you?"