Jeff Olsen and I had just settled when the pilot announced we would have to deplane.

We’d wrapped a speaking engagement in Austin, Texas, and were headed home. The pilot explained a preflight inspection had revealed a small area of damage in the nosecone.

About an hour later, we got an update. They’d called in an expert to examine the area, and communicated with corporate and regulatory officials, all of whom authorized a temporary repair with an adhesive fabric patch.

The farm-boy roots common to Jeff and I surfaced simultaneously. We looked at each other and said in unison, “Duct tape,” and laughed.

There’s a well-worn aphorism on the farm. You can fix anything with duct tape and bailing wire. If they had just asked us, we could have saved everyone a lot of time and trouble.