A Great Morning with Bell

Aug. 20, 2014
Bell Helicopter, Piney Flats, TN, put on a program to introduce general aviation to local educators, public servants, media and other important people. It was a great program.

Guess what, y’all? I have an official “Rosie the Riveter Award” and the suitable-for-framing certificate to prove it. (Reminds me of the time I received an empty frame that was “suitable for certification.”)

Today Bell Helicopter, Piney Flats, TN, put on a program to introduce general aviation to local educators, public servants, media and other important people. It was a great program. We met at the Bell factory at nine this morning, took a tour of the Bell facilities, then took a course conducted by the Bell Helicopter Training Academy. Our course covered ”Sheet Metal and Electrical Fundamentals,” in which we were taught by Bell craftspeople to strip wires, crimp the ends and properly insert them into an electrical connecter. In another workplace we were taught to join two pieces of metal by riveting them together.

Then we took the test!

I thought I did OK on the test, but noticed that Bell did not keep my finished work to install in a real helicopter.

The program stressed the impact of general aviation in America and the craftspeople who make it all work. Let me tell you that a lot of people—some of them PhDs—left there today with a great deal of newfound respect for those craftspeople.

The final portion of the program was a wonderful lunch during which we saw a terrific explanation of FAA regulations (FARS) that was actually understandable!

All in all, it was a top-drawer morning. I appreciated Bell inviting me.