Impulsive Behavior

The second hazardous attitude in aviation, after “Anti-Authority”, is “Impulsivity”… the attitude of people who frequently feel the need to do something—anything—immediately. When you are impulsive, you do not stop to think about what you are about to do; do not select the best alternative, and do the first thing that comes to mind, even if it is wrong. In From Woodstock To Eternity, Dustin Morgan showed a lot of impulsive behavior in his decision to fly pot, at night, at low altitudes, etc. We’ll look into why later in this article.

Impulsivity vs. Caution

In military history, there has always been a contrast between generals who have been impulsive or cautious. In World War II, British general Montgomery was frequently criticized for always preparing, but too hesitant to go into battle. The American general Patton, however, was constantly engaging the enemy, moving forward beyond the supply lines. In the Civil War, the Union general McClellan was accused of the same overabundance of caution, thinking he was outnumbered when he wasn’t. Confederate general Jackson was quite the opposite, striking suddenly with overwhelming odds against him.

Plan B

What does all this have to do with Aviation? Pilots often find themselves in situations where they feel compelled to act first and think later without a Plan B. This violates all safety considerations, and everyone should have a Plan B for everything. As part of normal pre-flight planning, pilots are trained to exercise NWKRAFT, which stands for Notices to Airmen, Weather conditions, Known ATC Delays, Runway Lengths and conditions, Alternates Available, Fuel Requirements and Takeoff and Landing Distances. So, why would any pilot ignore their planning and go ahead anyway?

External Pressure

The recent NTSB report on the Kobe Bryant crash is a prime example of external pressure. The helicopter pilot flew into marginal conditions to get his client to his destination, experienced spatial disorientation and crashed. External pressures are the nemesis of common sense. They are the influences that create a sense of pressure to complete a flight—often at the expense of safety.

External pressures can include the following:
• Someone waiting at the airport for the flight’s arrival.
• A passenger the pilot does not want to disappoint.
• The desire to impress someone. (Probably the two most dangerous words in aviation are “Watch this!”)
• The desire to satisfy a specific personal goal (“get-there-itis,”)

I Don’t Want to Hear It!

External pressure is the one risk factor category that can cause a pilot to ignore all the other risk factors. This is a warning to all of us. Whenever there is some irresistible motivation to “damn the torpedoes,” we ignore other voices shouting in our heads with facts and warnings, and we say, “I don’t want to hear it!” These are our inconvenient truths that would require us to not jump into what we are determined to do. We exchange that for the reassuring lie that we can pull it off and say, “I told you so.”

No Guts – No Glory

Why did Dustin Morgan fly his pot? To see what was on the other side. What did it require? Guts. No Guts – No Glory, and glory was the prize. Like the pioneers of old, he wanted to jump into the unknown, experience the adventure, and prove to himself he could do it. However, he was not impulsive. Like the pioneers, he prepared and weighed the costs and always had a Plan B. Was it a noble cause? Not really. Did his risks catch up with him? You’ll have to read the sequel, The Steel Wall to find out.

Therefore, there is a distinction between Impulsivity and Daring Ambition. The former is mindless, the latter is a mixture of planning, fortitude and courage.

Do you have guts? This is the difference between those who stay where they are and those who go after their dreams. If you don’t have a dream, get one. If you do have a dream, get up and make it happen. Don’t be impulsive… take care of your business, but plan for it, work for it and go for it!

The next Hazardous Attitude is Invulnerability – “It won’t happen to me.”

Hank Williams Jr. wrote the song, “Attitude Adjustment” about methods used in the South to change someone’s perspective on life.

And just about the time he got the words out
An ‘ol boy jumped up and closed his mouth…
It was an attitude adjustment
I guess it was his first time
An attitude adjustment
Now he understands just fine. Hank Williams Jr.

Now, we don’t encourage these tactics in the field of flight instruction (as much as some instructors would like to), but the FAA addresses the issue of attitude nonetheless.

Attitude and Attitude Management

According to the Aviation Instructor’s Handbook, “Attitude is a personal motivational predisposition to respond to persons, situations, or events in a given manner that can, nevertheless, be changed or modified through training as sort of a mental shortcut to decision-making.” This means we have an inner mindset based on life experiences and character that affects our motives and the ultimate responses we have to things that happen to us. This is how we are predisposed to react. It can be a victim mindset, a defensive mindset, a selfish attitude, high esteem or low self esteem.

However, all of this can be changed. “That’s just how I am” is not an excuse. “Attitude Management is the ability to recognize hazardous attitudes in oneself and the willingness to modify them as necessary through the application of an appropriate antidote thought.” Aviation Instructor’s Handbook

Antidote Thoughts

What in the world is an “antidote thought?” Our way of thinking about things is “That’s just the way I am,” but there are other thoughts if we are willing to apply them. So, if there is another way to think, and that other thought prevents us from making a bad decision, that thought becomes an antidote to change our response. In aviation this is critical, because a wrong attitude can lead to disaster.

In the Christian life, we have many antidote thoughts to counter bad attitudes. They are found throughout the Bible. One antidote thought is in 2 Corinthians 10:5, “casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,“

Antidotes for Real Life

In real life, as in aviation, bad attitudes compromise safety, hinder success and destroy prosperity. Therefore, if we overcome bad attitudes, we increase our chances for these benefits and many more.

Victim Mindset: “Everybody’s picking on me.” The goal of this attitude is to take the spotlight off your actions, get some sympathy, and maybe get some preferential treatment. The result is bitterness, anger and self-pity. The antidote is to work harder with integrity so there is nothing for others to pick on you for. Colossians 3:23, “And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men.”

Defensive Mindset: “I didn’t do it. It’s not my fault.” The goal is two-fold here… deflect the blame and get praise for what you did right. The result is to never improve, because you don’t think you need to. The antidote is to take the rebuke and learn from it, even if no one notices. Romans 2:29 “whose praise is not from men but from God.”

Selfish Mindset: “I’m the best. Me first. Look at me. I want it all.” The goal is to draw attention to yourself and to fulfill your needs first. It produces an inflated self esteem, greed and covetousness. The result is to actually look bad in other people’s eyes, causing damaged relationships and a bad marriage. The antidote is to see yourself as a servant and try to bless others. Jesus told us, “But he who is greatest among you shall be your servant.”

Best Antidote Thought for Everything

And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” Matthew 23:11-12

5 Hazardous Attitudes

First on the list of hazardous attitudes in Aviation is anti-authority – the rebel attitude. So why is a rebel attitude a bad thing? Can you imagine a controller saying, “You have traffic at 12:00, turn right ten degrees,” and the pilot saying, “Don’t tell me what to do. I want to keep flying straight ahead.” That, in aviation terminology, is a hazardous attitude.

The Rebel Attitude

Modern culture glorifies the rebel attitude, and in fact, the American experiment is built on the foundation that we will live free or die. This would be called “Rebel With a Cause.” In “From Woodstock to Eternity,” the hippie mindset promoted the cause of brotherhood, peace and love while rebelling against straight society. Dustin Morgan imagined that the rock festival in Bull Island would be an example of how it would be if Woodstock Nation took over. That is, until the whole thing fell into a quagmire of narcotic drug use and filth.

As for rebellion in general, in the many and varied ways we function in life, the devil is in the details. Defying society, the police, the teacher, or whatever is one thing. Refusing to comply with instructions while operating high precision industrial equipment is another. One may make you feel like you’re the man, while the other can get you killed.

Born a Rebel

What is the first word out a baby’s mouth? All parents know this one… NO! The truth is, we are all born with rebellious spirits, to one degree or another. In fact, all these hazardous attitudes are inherent in our nature, and it is up to us to take control of them and manage them. That is why the FAA includes the study of hazardous attitudes as part of pilot training. You have to know they are there before you can overcome them.

Rebel Without a Cause

This is the one that gets us in the most trouble. It makes us feel independent, cool, and self important, because it is based on pride. Unfortunately, pride and self exaltation ruin marriages, cause problems at work, and make us look like egotistical jerks to everybody else. It seems the only rebels who think they look cool are the rebels themselves. Also, rebels for rebel’s sake think they are on top of their world, but in reality, they seldom reach their full potential. This is due to the fact that rebellion, by definition, refuses the instruction that guarantees growth. It is a huge boulder on our path to success.

Rebellion Stifles Growth

The anti-authority – rebel attitude actually strips us of warnings and information that keep us safe and improve our lives. Proverbs 1:5 says, “A wise man will hear and increase learning…” So what is the definition of a wise man? A wise man hears, meaning he is open to instruction. Proverbs 10:8 “The wise in heart will receive commands.” A wise man also fears the Lord and departs from evil, according to Proverbs 14:16. These qualities are essential to grow and achieve heights people could never imagine. Those who reject these principles pass on towards their own destruction.

Rebels Reap the Consequences

Rebels are called Fools in Proverbs, and the Scripture has plenty of practical insight into the mindset of a fool. In contrast to the wise who receive commands, the fool “despises wisdom and instruction,” (Proverbs 1:7). The consequences for despising instruction are spelled out in Proverbs 13:18 “Poverty and shame will come to him who disdains correction.” Poverty is not always lack of money. It also shows itself in quality of life and self image. You can be poor in marriage, poor in attitude, or poor in life experiences. Shame comes in jail, in divorce, in rejection, and in lost opportunities.

Make 2021 a Year of Wisdom

In every ground school class I have taught, I end with a life lesson to build three things in their character that will ensure their success. Knowledge, Discretion and Humility. You build knowledge by receiving instruction. The definition of discretion is knowing what not to say or do. Finally, humility is the foundation of servant leadership. More on these attributes to come.

Happy New Year 2021!