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Inspired Individuals

The path to innovation is sometimes lonely.

Rosie the Riveter—an image of a woman doing what was traditionally a man's job—is also a reminder of the gargantuan objectives that can be achieved by innovating and then cooperating. [Credit: Library of Congress]
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Key Takeaways:

  • Significant innovation often stems from an individual's initial idea, fueled by motivation and the desire to solve complex problems.
  • Incentives, like the $500,000 ruddervator prize, are powerful motivators that can rally individuals and even large corporations to develop groundbreaking solutions.
  • While the spark is individual, bringing innovation to fruition, as demonstrated by the V-tail Bonanza fix and GAMI's unleaded fuel, ultimately requires collaboration and a shared commitment to problem-solving.
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As an early teen I was captivated by images of Rosie the Riveter. She impacted me on multiple levels. For starters, I wanted to marry her, and alongside Linda Carter, of Wonder Woman fame, elicited my earliest feelings of…well, you know. Something about those coveralls, the rivet gun, and her ability to do what was traditionally a man’s job. But she also hit me in another way. She gave me a larger sense of wonder about human beings and our ability to adapt and work together (even though we were at war with another group of humans—my reasoning was still squarely in its nascent stages). This idea that we could achieve gargantuan objectives by first innovating and then cooperating, struck a chord. A slight libertarian streak formed in me. Innovation begins with one person. It always does.

This Article First Appeared in FLYING Magazine

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Ben Younger

Ben Younger is a TV and film writer/director, avid motorcyclist and surfer—but it’s being a pilot that he treats as a second profession. Find him on Instagram @thisisbenyounger.

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