“You’ve got to Push it up to take off. And you have to take-off to fly!” I’ll never forget the first time I flew the F-16. The rush of adrenaline was amazing. The tower controller cleared me for take-off and from the back seat my instructor pilot, Captain “Deke” Slaton, called out over the intercom, “Push it up, Waldo!” “Yes, Sir!” I replied. I nervously pushed up that throttle to full power and felt a kick in the seat unlike anything I’ve experienced ...
So, how do you get a 35,000-pound F-16 jet fighter to fly? It’s no easy feat. To overcome the force of gravity, you have to create a force that is greater than gravity’s grasp. That force is lift. As the F-16 blasts through the sky, there is an “enemy” of lift that must be overcome known as drag. There are two kinds of drag – Induced and Parasite. Induced drag is a “good drag’ in that it is a bi-product of lift and ...
“We’re each of us Angels, with only one wing, and we can only fly embracing each other” Luciano de Crescenzo It’s 25 April at 1:30 am and I just turned 39! As I celebrate the start of my birthday, I can’t help but think about how awesome of a year it’s been for me. So many great victories and exciting opportunities that were a direct result of you…my wingmen! You’ve supported me, instructed me, and most of all, encouraged me. You gave ...
COMMIT COMMIT! December 21st, 1998 – a brisk winter day in Saudi Arabia. I was stationed on my first combat deployment, flying missions enforcing the Iraqi southern no-fly zone. I was scheduled to take off on only the fourth combat sortie of my career, inexperienced and quite nervous. It was a mission I’ll never forget. I was flying that day with my flight lead Lt Col “Hos” Hyatt, the commander of the 79th Fighter Squadron Tigers. Our “2 ship” of F-16’s were ...
We have a saying in the fighter pilot world, “lose sight, lose fight.” Lose sight for just a second of the ground or aerial target, and chances are you’ll lose the fight (i.e. miss the target or get shot down). It takes intense concentration, discipline, and focus to keep sight. Your vision is only as good as how well you see the immediate target. We’ve all heard the experts talk about vision. Vision paints an inspiring picture of what an organization ...
I just started re-reading certain chapters of one of my favorite books…Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill. It’s an amazing book that emphasizes the power of our thoughts in creating our reality (in particular when it comes to business). I definitely believe in the power of our minds, and the control we have over our success. But as I read through certain chapters I started thinking of the most successful people I know and what created their success. If I ...
