7/31/2019 The Top Ten Characteristics That Every Good

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The Top Ten Characteristics That Every GoodFighter Pilot Emanates#1. They Are MotivatedPlain and simple fighter pilots have a level of drivethat the average person does not. I mean really,who gets an F-18 slot after screwing off in flightschool and not studying? No one, that s who!The people that get these selective positions knowwhat they want and go after it. They bust theirbutts, study hard, and dont let obstacles get in theirway. You will ALWAYS face challenges, and onceyou crush one, there will be another ready to attack.For every challenge you defeat, someone else will hit that challenge and will subsequentlydrop out of the race. Take it one step at a time and remember the greater goal.#2. They Are ConfidentCome on, if you fly a jet, this is pretty obvious. Ok, ok, in all reality, people that fly jets haveto possess an extreme level of confidence because they HAVE TO.You cant strap yourself into your ejection seat and be unsure of yourself. These folks have

to trust themselves and trust in their abilities and training, because second-guessing thosethings could mean the difference between life and death.#3. They Possess Self-ControlSelf-control is essential. Fighter pilots cant just fly off the handle or flip out at the O Club ifhe gets shot down by a pretty girl. Now, we all know that we have our moments, maybe weare experiencing relationships problems, our beloved dog just kicked the bucket, or we didn tsleep the last few days due to a late night out at the bar.Those things are not excuses for bad behavior. Because guess what, when you re in themilitary you are representing the United States government, and they take that veryseriously whether that be out on the town, or in combat over Afghanistan. Check yourself.#4. They Are OpportunisticFighter pilots tend to be opportunistic. They always looking for ways to learn new things andimprove themselves.Why? The better question is, why not?If you are happy sitting on your butt, eating Cheetos and thinking your going to learn

something, you better reevaluate your expectations. There are people that assume thatopportunities will come knocking if they get that fancy degree, or go to the right ivy-leagueschool. In the real world, most people don t care.They want to see a person that goes after what they want, and jump on opportunities thatothers are too afraid to pursue.#5. They Dont Accept The Word CantI would venture to guess that weve all been told the word cant. I have been told you cantmore than I care to admit, but its how I handled it that has made all the difference in theworld. Heres a story for you.I contacted a Navy recruiter a few weeks back and told him my plans of pursuing psychologyin the military. Im sorry, but it appears that we dont recognize your degree at the masterslevel. Basically it was a big fat, you cant.OUCH!! What do you mean? I have a masters degree, graduated with a 3.9 GPA, andpresented at real life adult psychology conferences all over the United States!!! What theheck?!

Turns out there was something greater out there for me. I did some more research andfound out that ALL branches of the military offer scholarships for those who pursue their PhDand offer their services to the military upon graduation. Holy cow!!!So my point there is ALWAYS other avenues, and it often depends on who you talk to andhow much youre willing to find another way. Be a can do person.#6. They Are PersistentPeople in this line of work never give up. Think about this, could we have won world wars if wegave up when things got tough? No way!!!Im sort of a history buff. Back in WWII the German military set up their bunkers overlookingthe ocean at a place called Pointe du Hoc, located in Normandy, right above Omaha Beach.

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The Army was instructed to take the position as quickly as possible.So what do you think the Army Rangers did? Did they attack from behind? Call in an airstrike?No.They scaled the cliff and scared the crap out of the Germans, pushing them back and takingthe position.The moral of the story; you can do anything you put your mind toeven scaling a cliff with

machine guns staring you down.#7. They Are Risk TakersFighter pilots feed off adrenaline. They like taking chances, pushing the envelope (or thesound barrier), appreciate independence, and need to make very quick decisions.All of these characteristics are necessary in this field, and without them, we would not havethe best air force in the world.#8. They Are LeadersPilots need to be leaders. They need to be able to think under pressure, and lead otherswith confidence and skill. Theres no room for indecision or second-guessing. This is true fortop positions in the military in general.Do you think that General Eisenhower was a push-over?! Ha, think again!#9. They Are PatientEvery aviator knows this phrase well, hurry up and wait.Luster tends to be lost whenpeople jump too quickly. This happens in relationships, in work, and with flying. Sometimeswaiting can make all the difference in the world. This is true in combat as well.

A fighter pilot cant fire missiles at anything and everything. They have to be patient andevaluate all possible stratagems.#10. They Are Self-Aware.They know themselves, and how they react under pressure. Pilots need to know theirsurroundings, and how their brains and bodies function. This leads to a sense of control,calmness, and confidence.

I recently met Lt. Colonel Jeep, who is a very accomplished helicopter pilot for the UnitedStates Marine Corps, and Commander of the infamous HMM- 364 Purple Foxes.I asked

4 Things That Will Get in the Way of Becoming a Fighter PilotTuskegee Airman: A Lesson In Overcoming BarriersLike 19 TTweeeett 0

him what qualities he sees in his Marines that succeed.

His gracious response was the following;1. A Fighting Spirit - Never give up just because things feel or look bad. Keep going, keepflying the aircraft, keep thinking, and punch hard.2. Be Calm Enlightenment, insight and good ideas never come to those who arewhimpering or panicking.3. Adventure - There is some in every flight, every landing and every minute. Learn to seizeit and you will learn through adventure, and you will be a better and wiser person and pilot.4. Be Smart - You are definitely a better pilot when you are a keen student and avidprofessional. This means taking the aircraft and its requirements seriously.There are a few things that help these develop, like athletics and good teachers. Finally,these all lead to confidence which each of the above are really subsets of.Confidence and capability and willingness to use them till the end, these three thingsdescribe the military aviator born for the fight.-Lt. Colonel Jeep(Id pay attention if I was you, the guy must know something; hes a squadron commander for

goodness sake!)So with that, future pilots, I leave you with this; Keep focus, and dont let anything get inthe way of doing what you were meant to do.Speed is life.