“Powering Up Your Grit” Three Tips for Keeping Your Dreams of Flight Aloft

“Powering Up Your Grit”

Three Tips for Keeping Your Dreams of Flight Aloft

By Larae Stotts

While pilots are dreamers by nature, the reality of pursuing flight is generally inseparable from the five- to six-figure price tag. Flight students also may bear the burden of periods of intermittent self-doubt, perceived regression and occasionally even failure. What, then, is a winning strategy for aspiring pilots to use against such challenges when they arise?

One of the basic principles of flight describes how an object must maintain lift equal to or greater than weight (gravity) and thrust equal to or greater than drag (friction), in order to fly. Maintaining momentum as a pilot-in-training is no different.

Simply put, one’s grit must equal or exceed adversity in order to sustain flight. What follows are a number of tricks to power up your grit when adversity inevitably strikes.

Speak as Though you Believe Your words are the sole pathway into your mind, so choose them wisely. Purposefully choose a tone of fearless intention in applications, interviews and everyday conversations.

For example, during a job interview, you might usually say, “If I am selected for the position, I would like to contribute my ideas through participation on the innovation committee.” However, changing just a few

words will instead showcase your confidence and drive: “As your new first officer, I will positively contribute my ideas through participation on the innovation committee.”

When you are running a bit late, express gratitude rather than guilt. Try, “I am grateful that you chose to wait for me,” rather than, “I’m sorry for being late,” followed by an excuse. Enacting such changes may feel uncomfortable and slightly presumptuous at first. In reality, however, they show that you are sure of yourself, and you will be more equipped to face adversity with gusto.

Different Day, Different Judges As an intern with the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) this summer, I was honored to participate as a guest panelist with NBAA’s Young Professionals (YoPro) Council to help select the organization’s inaugural “Top 40 Under 40 in Business Aviation.” This was one of the toughest tasks I was assigned to, and in reading about the candidates, I had two powerful revelations. To begin with, I realized that the business aviation industry has some seriously high caliber, competitive individuals.

Just imagine, for a moment, being tasked with awarding either Elon Musk or Nikola Tesla as the recipient of a singular award. With both individuals being highly accomplished, how do you make

such a difficult selection? After participating as a Business Aviation 40 Under 40 panel judge, I am now able to recognize that, truly, the selection simply boils down to the judges that are in the room on a given day.

Therefore, when you are not the nominee for one opportunity (or one hundred), just remember that one panel may select Elon Musk, while the next may select Nikola Tesla. Both panelists are worthy, but a single judge’s vote could be the tipping point for the selection.

Aviation scholarships, internships, mentorships and other opportunities are abundant, and the more attempts you make, the better the probability that your application will align with a panel of judges who feel compelled to select you. Time spent worrying about a panel that does not select you is really just time that you forgo investing toward the next opportunity.

In the end, your submitted applications need only outnumber your rejections. Your grit must only match your adversities in order to eventually meet with success.

Find Your Mentor American culture emphasizes the individual, and it can sometimes feel as though we must do everything on our own in order for it to be a true accomplishment. There is undeniable power, however, in sharing ideas and experiences as a path to learning and growing.

Those who are living out your career dreams right now are the best guides to illuminate a path for you to follow. A majority of individuals in aviation would be thrilled to mentor a passionate student pilot, but crossing paths with these individuals to make connections with them in the first place can be the most difficult part of the process. In order to get a chance to firmly shake hands with the right person, you really just have to show up.

As just one example – for myself and other students interested in careers in business aviation, this means trying to attend an industry event – like the annual NBAA Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition, a YoPro networking event, or a regional business aviation association chapter meeting in your area – and shaking lots of hands.

Once you have met an individual who has expressed interest in being a part of your success, think of this as a seed that has been planted and give it the proper care and attention.

Nurture your new connection by calling your new mentor and asking about their present goals and challenges, sharing yours in the mix. Hand-write them a letter thanking them for their time and support. Remember, an email will likely be deleted within moments, while a handwritten card or letter is more likely to be saved and shared with others.

As your relationship develops, this person will become an essential reference in times of discouragement. They will remind you who you are and share resources to help you turn insurmountable obstacles into small, manageable tasks. While adversities always seem like the worst possible scenario in the moment, such challenges provide important experiences that help you learn and sharpen your skills.

By choosing your words with precision, moving past rejection quickly and seeking a mentor, you will face hardships with grit. Ultimately, if you have conviction and refuse to succumb to adversity, you will fly.

Photo credit: John Harrington, courtesy of NBAA

Larae with her fellow intern Emily Tobler, who is also an aviation undergraduate student and pilot