Earning a Good Conduct Medal

FLYING Staff

Friday, February 09, 2007 at 10:00 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

The article advocates for "aviation citizenship," encouraging pilots to practice good conduct by being considerate of airport neighbors, other aviators, and passengers to enhance safety, enjoyment, and community relations.
It highlights that pilots often exhibit "klutzhood" unintentionally due to task focus or lack of specific training, leading to issues like noise complaints, inconvenience, and increased accident risk.
Key actions for pilots to demonstrate good conduct include minimizing noise through appropriate climb profiles and prop RPM management, maintaining courtesy in traffic patterns and on the ground, and prioritizing passenger comfort and safety.

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I recently signed up for Social Security and had to dig out my DD214, the military service record that summed up my two years in uniform. Reading through the form, I was reminded that I’d actually earned the Good Conduct Medal. No big deal, really, it just meant that I’d toed the line and curbed my rebellious streak.

But I got to thinking about what “good conduct” really means. At a time when civility seems to be a lost personality trait I’m frequently reminded that good conduct is simply a matter of being considerate of others.