fuel, instruments, safety equipment and the like – have to happen. “There’s an old adage, ‘If it’s not right on the ground, it doesn’t get any better in the air,’” Grissom said. “As much as I want to get airborne, I would rather be down here on the ground wishing I were up there in the air, than being up there wishing I were on the ground. “When a pilot – rotary wing or fixed – does not do proper pre-mission planning, preflight and post-flight inspections, he risks his life, the lives of his crew, the aircraft, and maybe even some innocent people on the ground,” he said with a look of conviction on his face. “This isn’t Vegas,” Grissom solemnly added. “There’s no rolling the dice here. Every flyer knows he’s taking a risk when he climbs into that cockpit, so there’s no reason to give fate any more reason than it may already have for bringing that ship down when the risk could have been reduced – or even avoided – before you ever took off.” As adamant about flying as he is, Grissom says he would encourage anyone with the same love for the sky
to take hold of that dream and take hold of it, “with both hands.” “There’s nothing like it, and it’s worth every ounce of pain that it takes to get your wings,” he said proudly. “To get there, of course, you have to be a warrant officer – a specialized expert in your field who’s doing the job they love to do… and it’s just plain fun.” As for the important role those thinking about becoming an aviator play in the total Guard mission, Grissom points out that every aircraft in the Guard inventory, and the crews who fly and maintain them, has a different role to play, whether that mission is in support of civil authorities in times of crisis or supporting the warfight overseas. “That motto we have, ‘Always ready, always there,’ is more than just words,” he said. “It’s what we live by, and without aviation, we would be very limited in how we would make – and keep – that commitment. The Guard as a whole is relevant and will remain relevant no matter when, where, or who we serve.”
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