The Corner Stone of a Great Pilot

As I begin this blog, which will undoubtedly be a tremendous challenge, I would like to address what is perhaps one of the most fundamental questions; what makes a great pilot?

A humble heart and the eternal pursuit of perfection will shape your attitude towards flying and steer you in the right direction for the entirety of your career. 

The answer – attitude. This attitude can be broken down into two personality traits. The greatest pilots that I have ever worked with are utopian and humble. Traits that only a few embody.

The utopian trait comes from the eternal pursuit of perfection. Perfection in every sense of the word as it applies to our profession: an impeccable uniform, a thorough understanding of the aircraft, a deep understanding of all physical laws and the scientific principles that govern aviation, a wide range of managerial skills to lead your crew, an approachable personality to persuade everyone, to list just a few. The best pilots are truly multi-talented powerhouses with a single objective: to fly as safely as possible from A to B.

The humble trait comes from deep within an individual’s soul; independent of each pilot’s professional competence, however impressive that may be, the pilot must have a firm conviction that his next mistake may be the one that kills him and everyone aboard his aircraft. As an aircraft commander or captain, pilots must always have a heightened sense of the potential for a deadly mistake. It certainly becomes increasingly challenging over time, as a pilot accrues several thousand flight hours, and conducts several thousand uneventful flights over the years. It becomes extremely easy to forgo the disciplines of the past and to simply loose the edge.

A humble heart and the eternal pursuit of perfection will shape your attitude towards flying and steer you in the right direction for the entirety of your career. 

Rod