It all started with a phone call from Dwayne, a big wheel at one of our smaller local charter schools. “Do you remember when you donated a flight in your airplane for the animal rescue people?” he asked ebulliently. “Do you think you could do that for our charter school?” I replied I was out of the fund-raiser business. I have donated a dozen flights over the years and few have turned out well. Passengers don’t understand the weather, schedules, or the nuances of weight and balance. Dwayne was neither discouraged nor dissuaded. “We’ll make your flight the most glamorous donation of the evening,” he explained glibly. My almost-sainted wife says I’m a slow learner. She may be right.
