Flying has been a dream for human kind since the beginning of time, but you won’t fly unless you acquire the necessary piloting skills.
Is that the reason so many people are afraid of flying and have no interest in the aviation world?
I am one of the few Latina pilots in the United States and I ask myself that question everyday. As I embarked on this journey, I was not sure exactly what it would take to become a pilot or how I was going to have to challenge myself repeatedly to hone my piloting skills, redefine my way of thinking and absorb the knowledge needed to fly.
In the end, I did it and I’d like to share the fascinating, unconventional piloting skills I have developed. I have found they not only help me in the air, but on the ground with my business as well!
COMMUNICATION SKILLS
No place else is communication as important as it is when you are navigating an aircraft. Part of every pilot’s routine is identifying who you are, your location, what you need and your destination. Also, becoming a pilot involves learning an entire new language with acronyms, short phrases and codes. Gaining these skills is especially difficult when English is the pilot’s second language. For me, learning English as my second language, German in high school and training at Toastmasters definitely helped me learn this “pilot language.” The more competent you become at communication, the easier you can communicate as you are navigating and discovering new places.
Are you communicating effectively in your business to your staff, clients and strategic alliances or are you leaving things open to interpretation?
NAVIGATION SKILLS
One of the most important piloting skills is knowing where you are in relationship to your surroundings. For those that have difficulty recognizing directions like North, South, East and West, becoming a pilot can be difficult. You see, you must know and understand magnetic headings when you fly an aircraft. Runways, winds, direction on a flight–all have to do with magnetic and true headings. It is a life or death skill in aviation. Imagine you are flying on a magnetic heading of 270 degrees (West) and the tower tells you there is another aircraft approaching at 3 o’clock. Imagine the position of the 3 on a clock. Where would you look to ensure you are out of harm’s way? Hopefully, you said North, or to the right. This can get very technical, especially when we look at the location of a runway in correlation to the wind and speed and of course, the traffic pattern of the particular airport where you want to land.
Are you clear on where your business is heading? Do you need to deviate from the business plan to take a faster or safer route?
PLANNING SKILLS
In aviation, taking off is an option and landing is mandatory. This is why planning is very important as a pilot. I always say, if you don’t know where you are going, you are already there. In the case of a pilot, if you don’t know where you are or where you are going, you should not be flying at all. I am a master planner, but also flexible enough to accept necessary deviations to the plan.
Planning in aviation means having all the pertinent information about the departing and destination airport (diagram, weather, services, runway directors, and other last-minute notifications such as runways out of service, etc). You also need to have any and all pertinent information about the route, such as the location of other airports, the weather forecast, obstacles, etc. It is also of the utmost importance that your aircraft is prepared for the trip with a well-maintained engine, enough gas in the tank, all inlets open, wings properly attached, wheels inflated, etc. Safety always comes first.
“You save 10 minutes of execution for every 1 minute you plan.”– Brian Tracy.
How can you apply the meticulous planning approach of a pilot to your business? Just imagine the result!
WEATHER SKILLS
I am not suggesting you become a meteorologist… OK, almost a meteorologist. In aviation, weather is the single most important factor. It affects everything…the visibility (from the ceiling height of the clouds), the runway you use, takeoffs, landings and whether or not you can actually fly. Before I became a pilot, I never thought about the weather. Now I know what the clouds are called based on their outer shape, how turbulence is created, how a thunderstorm originates, or what the dew-point is and how the outdoor temperature affects the altimeter setting. Having to learn all this is complicated and demanding enough to make aspiring pilots give up. But for me, the passion I feel when I’m flying like a beautiful, free bird was worth it all.
Do you know how to prepare for a thunderstorm in your business or how to recover from a disaster? How about surviving the abrupt “temperature changes” that may occur in your business? Is your visibility clear for the future?
THERE ARE MANY OTHER PILOTING SKILLS NECESSARY TO FLY AS WELL:
- Knowing how the aircraft engine operates
- Knowing when to say “no” when you are not fit to fly
- Knowing when to change your plan to avoid an accident
- Knowing how to deviate from the plan to keep everyone safe
- Knowing and recognizing hazardous thoughts and the antidote for them
- Knowing how to effectively multi-task
I can go on and on about this fascinating world and the piloting skills you need to be able to fly, but the most important thing to remember is that you must first feel the “passion” to accomplish a dream. Then the inertia of your passion will move you forward!
Are you passionate enough about your business to dedicate your time and effort?
Jacqueline Camacho-Ruiz is the CEO of JJR Marketing (www.jjrmarketing.com) and Fig Factor Media LLC (www.todayslatina.com), founder of The Fig Factor Foundation (www.thefigfactor.org), author of eight books (www.jackiecamacho.com) and an international speaker and pilot. Jacqueline has addressed hundreds of audiences about marketing, servant leadership, finding your passion and achieving success in business. She has shared her knowledge and inspiration in presentations and keynotes to the United States Army, BP International, United Airlines, Allstate Insurance, Farmers Insurance, the Girl Scouts of America and other corporations and non-profit organizations.
If you know of an organization that could use Jackie’s inspiration, get in touch with us at http://www.jackiecamacho.com/contact.
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