I was talking with a pilot the other day that had flown up from HPN to see our FMX and discuss what we do around here. John owns a late model Cirrus SR22 with the Perspective system and he wanted to see how closely the G1000 simulators we run would match up with his Cirrus. As we were discussing this, another pilot with him was listening intently. When his friend received a cell call he excused himself to take it outside.
Once the other pilot left, John explained to me that the man outside was his flight instructor. His thinking is that while he owns and fly’s a high performance technically advanced aircraft, he only uses the airplane 85 hours a year. And although he is an instrument rated commercial pilot his belief is it is worth the expense of hiring a professional pilot/instructor to fly with him.
“When you figure the cost of the airplane, fuel, storage and maintenance, the expense of having a professional pilot/instructor along is inconsequential. Plus it gives my wife peace of mind whenever we use the Cirrus on business trips.” John explained , "85 hours a year is less than 8 hours a month, I'd rather have someone with me who flys everyday, teaching me things, keeping me honest and safe"
After he left I thought about how much sense that made. I then realized it was the same reason I have trained consistently and acquired additional ratings since first earning my Private license in 1987.
By hiring another pilot/instructor to fly with I’ve managed the risks inherent in my passion and indemnified my family from elements training can control. Performing at a high level in aviation requires a higher degree of preparation than the other activities we participate in.
Consider this, the first part of learning how to demonstrate convincing magic tricks is learn to think like a magician. Likewise the first part of learning how to fly like a professional is to develop a professional’s mindset. This is true with any skill we wish to master.
Michael Jordan, arguably the one of the greatest basketball players in the sport, was once asked by a sportswriter how he became such a great basketball player. He answered “by playing with people who played better than I did”. What MJ had realized was his competitive nature and natural talent would only take him so far. By working with coaches and trainers while studying and playing with people “who do it better” elevates your skill level.
