True Colors

Hi! This is my very first blog. I intend to write about my experiences in aviation and in life. I look forward to the feedback I receive from anyone who might happen across my ramblings.

Thank you for reading.

  --  Brian

True Colors

Not long after being recalled to American Airlines from a four-year furlough, I was performing a pre-flight  inspection of the outside of an MD-80 on a cold, clear, windy winter morning. I took note of the shiny, silvery airliner reflecting, no, glistening in the sun. I had not yet become accustomed to the paint-less aluminum livery of American Airline’s jets. I come from a legacy of looking at white airliners with red trim. As I looked up at the American Airlines logo I wondered if I ever would have the same pride that I felt when I saw the TWA logo. Not likely, I thought. My father was a TWA captain. I grew up around TWA airplanes. Plus I was still bitter about being furloughed as a result of the TWA-American Airlines merger.

 

As I approached the tail section I noticed that the brisk winter wind was blowing the rudder to one side. This revealed a section above the rudder that wouldn’t normally be exposed. What I observed gave me pause. It was a tiny section of red paint on the leading edge of the rudder—again not normally exposed but for mother nature kindly displacing the rudder to reveal a little bit of this airplane’s inner beauty and former self. The red paint is left over from when the airplane used to wear TWA’s colors. Immediately Cyndi Lauper’s “True Colors” song came to mind. And I heard that song in my mind for the rest of the pre-flight. This stirred up a hornet’s nest of emotions for me, but most prominent was pride. I’ve never been a big fan of the MD-80 because I flew Boeing and Lockheed for most of my flying career. Now—after sighting the red paint—I was more proud of this airplane than ever. It made the transition with me, and somehow took on a majestic stance. This little peek at the airplane’s true colors changed my outlook that day. I started out cold and bitter, and then I became proud with song in my step.

I don’t know what was more prominent—the upturn in my mouth or the tear in my eye.

I like to take lessons from my experiences and draw parallels to life. I am not a very spiritual man, but I think a lot and always am looking to better myself. Sometimes I look at people the same way that I initially looked at this airplane. I see what’s on the outside and immediately judge them for what I see. Then upon closer inspection I see a hint of true colors and have an entirely new image of them. This encounter reminded me not to judge until I see what’s inside. 

So next time I am about to form an opinion, I’ll wait until I see—even if only a hint of—true colors.