Riiiiiiiiight.
We've sort of drifted off thread majorly here.
But anyhoo...
Most of the guys on my course were engineers.
There were people from the dairy industry.
There was a consul general's wife who's now back in Washington.
And - I love this - a few were from a certain nearby airline that you guys look at with envy that has turned itself around.
MBA = bad short termist balance sheet driven management?
No - not necessarily.
An MBA is simply a masters degree.
If the person gaining the degree is fundamentally commercially inept, it's not really going to change them - they can still screw up a business.
You know - we tried something really intriguing at NZ.
We took some of the most senior wide body guys, gave them all the input costs and a crash course in accounting and basic financial management.
We then asked them to balance the books... and most importantly... turn a profit.
Very chastening exercise for many of them... it is not easy at all.
Simply put - each long haul aircraft in an airline is in effect a small company.
You want above bank rate RoCE on an investment of a coupla hundred million at margins between 3 and 5 per cent.
The sums of money are eye watering, and if you fvck up any of the input costs, you're toast.
Oh, and by the way, I love aviation; everything about it.
Especially the science of aerodynamics, but also the people.
The Kelly Johnsons and John Boyds of this world are an inspiration.
I just don't make a living out of it anymore.