Hold on tight | A story about skill development

In the spring of 2011, I was taught something that I’ll never forget. It happened mid-way through the Army’s Blackhawk helicopter qualification course, and it permanently affected not only how I flew but also approached learning anything new.?

For context, I went through flight school during a period when most of the instructor pilots (IPs) had spent time in combat and some had a few edges to show for it. The guy I flew with had one when it came to a specific type of hydraulic failure called “boost hardover.” Sparing the details, it makes it really important to keep both hands on the flight controls at low altitude – something my IP knew from experience and never failed to remind us of before taking off.?

During a training flight one day, we were circling around a small airfield when it became my turn to fly and so I took control of 3500 horsepower with a confidence I had not yet earned. Eventually a call came over the radio for an altimeter adjustment and without a second thought my left hand moved to twist the appropriate dial.?

Instantly, the helicopter began a rapid dive toward the ground. In a panic, I attempted to pull up, but felt resistance in the flight controls - the same as you might feel in a hydraulic failure. That, combined with the negative g’s, put a feeling in the pit of my stomach that I can still feel today... pure terror.?

After a few seconds (which felt like a lifetime), the resistance disappeared, and we leveled off. On the climb back up to altitude, my instructor’s voice very calmly perked up over the intercom and asked me what I thought had just happened. It then became painfully obvious that he induced the dive from the co-pilot seat and held the flight controls while I tried to recover.??

The point was I had a bad habit that needed to be corrected immediately and instead of telling me what I did wrong, my instructor showed me the potential consequences of my actions. To date, it was the most effective minute of instruction I have ever experienced.?

I often think about that moment in Alabama when trying to master a new skill. It reminds me that uncomfortable experiences have the power to teach lasting lessons and are often an inescapable part of learning anything challenging. Every success I’ve had seemed to come after countless similar failures, which, while painful to remember, created the opportunity (and urgency) to improve in ways not apparent beforehand.??

So if you find yourself with a similar opportunity to learn, try to be grateful and embrace the consequences of your mistakes. The hardest won lessons are usually the most valuable. And for f*ck sake, don’t take your hands off the controls.?