Fighter pilots are a special breed. Last fall, a former Navy F/A-18 pilot, who was teaching an Aeronautical Engineering course at the US Naval Academy, shared some personal insights with his class regarding flight school and what it takes to thrive there. My son, who was an exchange cadet there that semester, jotted detailed notes from this rare opportunity and recently shared them with me.

The Commander’s comments centered on these 12 actionable elements of Attitude and Aptitude that drive success:

• Attack every flight as a chance to excel and learn.
• Check ego at the door.
• Be a sponge; absorb everything.
• Take notes at every debriefing, furious notes.
• You can make almost every mistake once; only make new mistakes.
• Don’t let a mistake in one portion mess everything else up.
• The Instructor Pilot is never wrong in the debriefing.
• Post short-term and long-term goals where you can see them every day.
• Respect your buddies; your reputation comes down to one sentence.
• When the workload gets high, aviate, navigate and communicate.
• Nail the admin portion of the flight every time; it’s hard to get the tactical portion if the admin is weak.
• Any extra time spent on (simulator) training will be huge; “a sim a day keeps props and helos away!”

These qualities are expressed through three Flight Rules when in your Squadron:

1. Listen and learn.
2. Fly good formation.
3. Stand a good duty.

Just as these Flight Rules will guide an aspiring military pilot to achieving success in the air, so can they positively impact the altitude, speed and progress of your own life and career. Wishing you Blue Skies!