Are Pilots Born?

[jed04]

I am a prior enlisted Marine 0311 and am trying to decide between an air or ground OCC contract. I know how the ground side lives and enjoy the mission very much, but the grass is always greener on the other side of the tracks. I am considering entering into an air contract with the USMC, but I have a lingering doubt about my dedication to the air mission. I have no doubt how much fun it would be to fly but I cannot seem to make a firm decision.

My question is this, are pilots born? By this I mean did the Pilots on this site (and those still on the road to become) always know they wanted to be pilots? Was there any doubt? I have no doubt that flying would be exciting, but does it get redundant? Any input would be very helpful.

 

[Banjo33]

My parents tell stories about me telling people I was going to be a pilot at 4 years old. As long as I can remember, it's been something I've wanted to do. As a prior reservist grunt, some of the most exciting times I had was working combined arms with air support over head and being able to see them "work their magic."

However, it has been and still is A LOT more work than I could have EVER imagined! Studying tactics, NATOPS, reading the RED books, working up for advanced quals...all of it has and still requires more effort and time than I could have dreamed. Not to mention, most of that time comes from my personal time, since I have a ground job that requires my undivided attention at least 8-10 hours a day. Unfortunately, sometimes I even get aggravated because the flying gets in the way of my ground job...which is ludicrous if I really think about it.

I love what I do though! Once you get to where you can take a few moments to actually enjoy the act of flying (instead of focusing all of your attention on merely pushing buttons and working the controls while executing your mission), I can't imagine doing anything else. Sometimes it's not until after I've landed and shut down the aircraft that I can look back at the flight and realize how much I've enjoyed it!

I think, as a pilot, you have to be 100% committed in order to be successful. Be it success in that you completed the training command and earned your wings, or success in that you are an asset to your squadron and the people that really count on the support that you can provide. That commital is going to be challenged every step of the way though and that, I believe, is where your LOVE for being in an aircraft is going to come into play. For me, MANY times I've been challenged and it was only that feeling that has kept me going.

I'm interested to hear other peoples thoughts on this as well. Their methods may vary. Good luck!

 

[TheBubba]

Not a Marine, not a pilot, but since I wanted to be both at one point, here's my $0.02:

Like jboomer, I was telling people I wanted to be a Marine pilot since I was like 4 or 5.

My take on it is that you may not be like jboomer and I, knowing from an early age you want o be a pilot. However, the work ethic, drive and the personality will be there. What makes us who we are isn't the fact that we're winged pilots & NFOs or that we wanted to be pilots since we were still in the womb. Its the drive to go after our goals and work our asses off to get to and through flight school. Its the work ethic needed to put in 4 hours of work for 2 flight hours. Its the personality that can take getting made fun of and dish it back, that can stay calm when the jet does its best to try to kill you.

So to answer your question, yes, pilots and NFO's are born... not so much that we come out knowing we want to fly, but that we have a certain personality that will allow us to succeed should we chose to go into aviation.

As for if you should try for a SNA billet, do you look up to the sky everytime you hear an airplane of helo go over and wich you were up there rather than down here? The answer to both questions is the same.

Being that you are an 03-whatever, you probably do have the personality, drive and work ethic to succeed inaviation.

-Bubba

 

[bottlenose]

This is just my opinion but, Im a CFI at a University and I have seen students from all various backgrounds. I truely believe that there are certain types of people who "get it" and those who dont. I have had some students who thought it would be cool to become a pilot just because, and most of those students dont succeed through the program. The students who tend to do quite well are the ones who have a true passion for aviation somewhat a type A persona. I think I fit into the latter category.

Alot people have the capability to be trained and earn a PPL. It doesnt mean though that they will be "good" pilots however. IMO a good pilot is one who has the ability to multitask very well and above all maintain situational awareness and stay ahead of the airplane all while using good judgment and being safe. Then you have the pilots (I've seen too many of these) who like to cut corners in all aspects of flying... those are the ones who may not even realize how hazardous they can be.

Yes, I believe pilots are born, especially the good ones.

 

[desertoasis]

I'm an exception. I've been around aviation my whole life. Dad's a private pilot, and piling into his P210 was our method of choice to get around the nation, not jetting around on the airlines. For me, growing up, going airline was a rare treat.

That said, I NEVER wanted to do it myself. My dad flew early mornings every Monday, and he'd always ask if I wanted to go with him, and I'd alway throw something at him and go back to sleep. This was not something I've 'wanted to do since I could walk'. It came relatively late in the game, and while I have zero regrets now that I'm here, I won't lie and say that I was always motivated to do it.

What seriously did it for me was realizing that a surface career was never going to seem as fun as being up in the air, because I realized that while I didn't have the insane interest in flying, I did enjoy being in the air. I love the Navy, I love the traditions and I love my job (low-on-the-pole though I am), but it was not something I have wanted to do my whole life. It grew on me.

So in a word...no.

And PS this is the opinion of a SNFO, so my thoughts may vary from the pilots 'round here. Not to say I wouldn't have gone SNA, its just how the dice fell for me. Again, no regrets for being 'FO though.

 

[A4sForever]

...Are Pilots Born?...

At some point in time .... hopefully, yes.

 

[brownshoe]

I'm a bit curious.

From your profile:

Occupation
USN Contractor

Latest news
“Fixing the Navy one Sailor at a time.”

What does 'Fixing the Navy one Sailor at a time' mean?

Steve

 

[Hubble]

Apparently one of my first actions as a toddler was to look up at a C-9 flying overhead and "fly" my hand while making jet noises...

 

[BlackBearHockey]

My first few years in college I would rig a hockey helmet with a makeshift mask or mic and sit in front of the TV with Top Gun on and a computer joystick. Wait, I mean I did that when I was 5 or 6...

 

[Makk85]

This is just my opinion but, Im a CFI at a University and I have seen students from all various backgrounds. I truely believe that there are certain types of people who "get it" and those who dont. I have had some students who thought it would be cool to become a pilot just because, and most of those students dont succeed through the program. The students who tend to do quite well are the ones who have a true passion for aviation somewhat a type A persona. I think I fit into the latter category.

Alot people have the capability to be trained and earn a PPL. It doesnt mean though that they will be "good" pilots however. IMO a good pilot is one who has the ability to multitask very well and above all maintain situational awareness and stay ahead of the airplane all while using good judgment and being safe. Then you have the pilots (I've seen too many of these) who like to cut corners in all aspects of flying... those are the ones who may not even realize how hazardous they can be.

Yes, I believe pilots are born, especially the good ones.

Like bottle, I was also a CFI for several years and like he said there is definately a certain type of person that makes a great pilot, but it is not always the guy who has wanted to fly since he was in diapers. It is not always the smartest guys that make great pilots either, not saying pilots are slow, but there are more important things than being an an egghead. The most important things I have seen are a person's attitude and common sense.

There are some guys who need to be spoon fed all of the not to do's, but the best pilots are the ones who can figure thier way out of a sticky situation without neccesarily having been there before. Type A personalities tend to have the decisiveness and confidence (not cockyness) that is needed in the cockpit. Gamers and athletes tend to make good sticks, probably because of thier hand-eye coordination. The ability to keep a cool head when shit hits the fan is also important.

The worst pilot I ever trained was a certified Mensa club genius multi-millionaire who had won an award for getting a 4.0 in every college class he had ever taken from his bachelors through his second PhD. While brilliant on the ground, he was the type of uncoordinated nightmare that would trip on himself if he tried to do jumping jacks. He would freak out anytime he had to do more than one thing at a time. Guess all that extra brain ate his motor skills.

Good luck with your decision.

 

[picklesuit]

No...I wanted to be a veterinarian since I was 4...Then 9/11 hppened; at which point I wanted to kill for a living...the Pilot thing came to me later.

Of course I also don't try to fly in my spare time (I'm not even a huge adrenaline junkie) My definition of "fun" usually involves hauling ass around a ring on a horse jumping over inanimate objects.

I think I am in the minority, however, and most of the guys I fly with have wanted to ddo this since they wore Huggies...

That being said, I DO have a copy of Top Gun. and I DO love military flix...

 

[Bevo16]

When I was growing up in South Texas, I would run out into the yard any time I would hear anything from a crop duster to an F-14. And back when Beeville and Kingsville were both open, there plenty of Naval aircraft to run out and look at. I think that my house was really close to a low level route, because they would come over really low on a pretty frequent basis.

The only other thing that I wanted to be than a pilot was a football player and a dad. Luckily, I got to do those too.

 

[Bevo16]

No...I wanted to be a veterinarian since I was 4...Then 9/11 hppened; at which point I wanted to kill for a living...the Pilot thing came to me later.
..

...and then came the P-3 selection, which pretty much eliminated your reason for joining the service.

Bummer.

 

[grant_davis]

Thanks for asking the question Jed.. I have been trying to decide all month if I am "meant" to be a pilot.. I have spent my whole life around planes and love flying. My father works for Delta and my mom worked for American but they both seem to think that I don't have the personality of a pilot (I like to have too much fun and am too much of a family guy). Granted commercial pilots are probably a bit different than Naval Aviators I don't want to commit to a culture that I "clash" with.. My original plan was to just do the Air National Guard or something but the idea of being a Naval Aviator is one that is hard to pass up.

 

[MIDNJAC]

^^ I dunno my friend, but I wouldn't take what a bunch of wannabes who haven't logged an hour in a military/Naval aircraft have to say about this topic that seriously. Before someone flames ME for still being a stud and trying to be salty, I will qualify my statement by saying that I was one of those guys who always wanted to do this, did the civvie flying thing for a good few years, and found in hindsight that things are way different flying in the military than I had imagined. Hard to put my finger on it, but I think jboomer put it better than I can (with a whole lot more experience as well of course). It's a lot more "job" and a whole lot more humbling than I would have thought, and I've learned more about myself, my abilities, my (cockpit) shortcomings, and flying in general in the last year of military flight training than my previous 7 years flying as a civilian combined. Things I would have thought made a good pilot based on my civilian experience do not really jive with what I would list now.