WALKING UP TO my airplane on a warm Saturday in October on Catalina Island off the California coast, and after devouring one of the airport's famous buffalo burgers, I noticed a beat-up Cessna that I recognized as belonging to one of the flight schools in Santa Monica. The pilot was young, mid-20s, and he had three people with him-two of which looked like they might be his parents. He stopped his pref light and approached me. "Are you a CFI?" "No, I'm not. Why? What's going on?" "I'm trying to figure out which runway to depart from." First off, I was flattered that he thought I was a CFI. Quickly moving past that, it occurred to me that it might be because I looked old. Slowly moving past that, I realized I needed to be careful in advising him. Cata-lina is tricky in that the single runway has a pretty good slope to it. But departing downhill on Runway 4 during a busy weekend when everyone is landing on 22 has its own risks. When winds are calm, it's worth waiting for a break in traffic. With a 6-knot quartering tailwind, it's not so clear. His passengers were eagerly watching this exchange as we discussed the pros and cons of both. I found myself smiling widely and trying to sound as casual as possible so as not to worry them. They simply didn't have the knowledge to weigh in on the decision. They could only hope their pilot made the right one. The balance changed the moment the young pilot asked me for help. I could see it on their faces.
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