I know a young man who is a US Navy fighter pilot. He’s an elite aviator who engages in high stakes work, under imperfect conditions, at great risk to his personal safety. Sound familiar? I asked him to share some cockpit wisdom that might be helpful for us as we engage our enemy, the COVID-19 pandemic. These are his cockpit pearls (followed by my comments in italics):
“No fast hands in the cockpit.” A misconception in the public is that the best fighter pilots must be those with lighting fast reflexes. However, in reality, our training emphasizes just the opposite. During an inflight emergency, when the Master Caution light is flashing in your face, the urge to impulsively flip a switch or activate a back-up system can be overwhelming. It is during these moments that we fall back on our training, find the checklist that is the best fit for the scenario, and execute with deliberate focus. When things get ugly, take a deep breath, and fall back on your training. Stick to the fundamentals. The 4-P’s mantra comes to mind: “Keep them puffing, pumping, perfusing, and peeing.”
“Bounce Back.” Fighter pilots make mistakes all the time. Whether in dynamic training exercises or in actual combat, there is no shortage of threats that hinder perfect execution. The best among us are those who are able to acknowledge the mistake, mentally compartmentalize the error for the debrief, and continue the mission with a focus on all the other opportunities left to succeed on that sortie. Rapid sequential tasking interrupted by generous self-affirmation is what our patients need from us.
“Show of Force.” Unfortunately, in combat, the enemy gets a vote. This reality can produce moments of intense frustration when the circumstances of the engagement feel dictated by the adversary. In a tactical jet circling overhead as a chaotic ambush below unfolds, our most requested response is a “Show of Force.” This maneuver calls for an extremely low, fast, and loud pass over the engagement and is intended to display to the enemy what a poor decision they just made. Although the desired response is a retreating enemy, often the feedback we receive is that of the uplifting effect the maneuver had on our friendly forces during their time of need. There is no greater show of force than our dedicated teams of health care professionals bringing their best to the fore as we fight the battle of our lives.
“No fast hands in the cockpit.” A misconception in the public is that the best fighter pilots must be those with lighting fast reflexes. However, in reality, our training emphasizes just the opposite. During an inflight emergency, when the Master Caution light is flashing in your face, the urge to impulsively flip a switch or activate a back-up system can be overwhelming. It is during these moments that we fall back on our training, find the checklist that is the best fit for the scenario, and execute with deliberate focus. When things get ugly, take a deep breath, and fall back on your training. Stick to the fundamentals. The 4-P’s mantra comes to mind: “Keep them puffing, pumping, perfusing, and peeing.”
“Bounce Back.” Fighter pilots make mistakes all the time. Whether in dynamic training exercises or in actual combat, there is no shortage of threats that hinder perfect execution. The best among us are those who are able to acknowledge the mistake, mentally compartmentalize the error for the debrief, and continue the mission with a focus on all the other opportunities left to succeed on that sortie. Rapid sequential tasking interrupted by generous self-affirmation is what our patients need from us.
“Show of Force.” Unfortunately, in combat, the enemy gets a vote. This reality can produce moments of intense frustration when the circumstances of the engagement feel dictated by the adversary. In a tactical jet circling overhead as a chaotic ambush below unfolds, our most requested response is a “Show of Force.” This maneuver calls for an extremely low, fast, and loud pass over the engagement and is intended to display to the enemy what a poor decision they just made. Although the desired response is a retreating enemy, often the feedback we receive is that of the uplifting effect the maneuver had on our friendly forces during their time of need. There is no greater show of force than our dedicated teams of health care professionals bringing their best to the fore as we fight the battle of our lives.
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