By Henry Kisor, Newsletter Editor

“Why has the IDPA newsletter been only eight pages long the last couple of issues?” a member recently asked me. “Isn't it supposed to be 12 pages?“

“Yes,” I replied, “but when guys like you don't send pictures and stories to me, what am I supposed to fill the newsletter with?”

“Me? Write for the newsletter?” he said.

“Yes, you!” I replied.

“But I can't write!” he protested. “I'm not a professional writer.”

“That doesn't make a bit of difference,” I said. “That's why the newsletter has an editor. All you need to do is send me stories and photos to go with them. Write the story in any way you want, and don't worry about grammar and spelling and organization and that stuff. Just worry about the facts.”

“I'll put the story into publishable shape, and then send you a copy of the story so that you can OK it before it appears.”

“Is that all it takes?” he said in surprise.

“You bet!” I said.

“But what can I write about?” he said after a while. “I don't have any ideas.”

“I'll just bet you do,” I said. “Did you fly anyplace interesting last summer with your family?”

“Well, sure,” he said, and told me about a lakeside summer resort in Wisconsin that has its own airport. “We had a great time there. We played golf every day, and the kids went swimming in the lake, and we went sailing in the evening. The people there were really nice to us.”

“There you go!” I said. “Just sit down with a piece of paper and tell me all about it in your own words. Dig out those old snapshots of your trip. Other pilots are going to want to know all about this resort--they might want to go there someday.”

Pilots, even if all you have to report is that you got checked out in an airplane you'd never flown before, let me know about it. Or did you have a special passenger, or maybe speak at a school for the deaf somewhere? Tell me about it, too. We need tidbits like this for our Pilots column.

Your newsletter is going to be only as good as you make it.