Last month I stored the body armor on the top shelf of the closet for the last time, unloaded the gun and put it away, turned in my badge and gave up the donut and free coffee at Dunkin’ Donuts. After 20 years as a part-time county deputy I certainly had doubts about pulling the plug--it’s a mindset, a way of life. The world is composed of sheep, wolves and sheepdogs: I’ve always been a sheepdog.
It's been countless hours of directing traffic and providing security for county fairs, charity events and the like, interspersed with moments of domestic violence, home invasions, grisly murder scenes, drugs busts and arrogant gang bangers. During all this was an ever-increasing realization that average citizens truly don’t know how dangerous the world really is; perhaps they don’t want to know.
Lombardo covers business aviation maintenance-related issues. He is also a writer and on-air reporter for AINtv. He has over 3000 articles published and is the author of several books on aircraft systems for pilots and on the topic of flight simulation.
He holds undergraduate and graduate degrees in education from the University of Illinois, has taught aviation for over 35 years in industry and as a university professor and academic dean at three different universities. He is also a frequent seminar and after-dinner motivational speaker.
Lombardo holds an A&P Certificate, ATP, CFI and Ground Instructor ratings. He was a corporate pilot and was a research pilot and flight instructor at the University of Illinois. An FAA Safety Counselor for over 25 years, he was one of the original 13 Counselors appointed to the FAA’s Airworthiness Safety Program for maintenance technicians.
