FPP223 - The Human Factor

You know, it actually kind of rings true to me.

I wrote a book recently, uh, not here to promote that, but I think the reality was, as I'm telling my aviation stories, and I'm talking in my book about kind of potential, like how do we optimize our human potential, and I talk about balance.

And I actually discuss, and when I say balance, there's like four pillars for a person, a mental, social, physical, and spiritual pillar, and staying in tune with that harmonized across those pillars allows you to be most effective.

And I do think that, you know, when I look back to some of the most harrowing, challenging situations that I found in a cockpit, it came down to more than just, like, being physically fit, right? It came down to being aware of my surroundings and being focused with what's going on, being present.

But that goes all the way back to, like, what did I eat the night before? How did I sleep the days up to? How was I not distracted or centered so that my mind is not distracted by anxiety from the world or the situations that I have at my home or other challenges that we face? Like, compartmentalizing in the moment actually requires this awareness, and I think this balance of these different pillars, which then speaks to human performance more broadly, which I feel like you're getting at.

It's not just being able to pull G-forces 'cause you did a good leg workout.

It allows you to be most successful because it doesn't just myopically look at one aspect of what it is to be a fighter pilot.

A hundred percent.

And it really is getting after every-- And it's already evidence-based, it's already in the literature, and it's throughout medicine right now, lifestyle and performance medicine.

It truly gets after all of the pillars you're describing, including spiritual, including the social connectedness.

But what you were describing is a lot of the rehearsing and visualization and mindfulness and centering, which, like you said, is more than just a leg workout.

It really is getting every single lifestyle pillar in alignment, centered, so that when you have to put yourself through all of those stressors, cognitive stressors and physical stressors, you have the capability from a mental and cognitive standpoint to withhold all of that.

Because let's be honest, when it comes down to it, a lot of people are physically fine to be able to take on whatever they're about to take on, but it really comes down to the mental grit and the cognitive ability to get through it, especially when you're looking at prolonged operations, overnights, things like that, where there are significantly more stressors on the body, and just having that true mental grit to get through it.

And that really takes all of the lifestyle pillars firing on all cylinders.

Yeah.

You know, and I think fighter pilots tend to think, "You know, I'm healthy.

I passed my flight physical.

I can pull G-forces.

Why do I need human performance program?" And I think that we're kind of alluding to it now.

We're talking about it because it, it takes more than just being physically fit.

But there is this really important physical aspect, right? Like, I'd say, yeah, there are challenges that fighter pilots face because it's a very strenuous job.

It demands a lot from you.

It demands a lot from your body as well.

So there is an important physical piece to this, as most of my friends are damaged from being fighter pilots with- through their neck and their backs being, you know, destroyed and what have you.

So let's discuss, you know, some of the different occupational exposure that a fighter pilot has to deal with.