#14 - Practising Gratitude

🛫 Episode 14 with Captain & TRI Mark Blois-Brooke  🛬

My ex-chief Pilot at Tag Aviation, Mark, joins me for another fascinating chat on today’s podcast.

Mark has a CV as long as you can imagine, having started flying in the 1970’s.  His first commercial roles were In the corporate/air-taxi environment, flying all types of characters to far-flung places around Europe, some of them highly dodgy. He went on to fly commercially for cargo operators such as DHL on Boeing aircraft before returning to the corporate world on Gulfstream, Challenger, and Falcon aircraft. With well over 40 years under his belt, he still flies the Falcon 7x for a private family under Tag Aviation management.

I had the unenviable position of going to Mark with my tail between my legs, having had a ramp check in Vienna a few years back.

I had come up short in some paperwork representing the correct amount of fuel on board the aircraft and had to take the need for more professionalism on the chin.

As always, the emotional discomfort of that taught me a lesson.  Not living with shame but choosing to see it as a gain is one of my mottos for success in life.  After the emotional feeling faded, that’s precisely what happened.

Mark is one of those characters who has so many fascinating stories to relate that he has put them to pen in the form of a book that is well worth reading.

‘Life In A Tin: Stories From A Flying Life’

https://lifeinatin.com/

Mark shares his impressive aviation career and insights on human factors and CRM in the podcast. Mark emphasises the importance of passion and variety in the aviation industry and the challenges and rewards of flying in the corporate world. He discusses the evolution of CRM and the need for effective communication and emotional intelligence in the cockpit. Mark also highlights the value of being friends on the flight deck and creating a supportive and inclusive environment.

Mark and I talk about the importance of resilience, learning from mistakes, and finding purpose in life. We discuss the need for professionals to work together and respect each other's ideas, even if they don't always agree. We also touch on the evolution of safety practices in the aviation and medical industries, emphasising the importance of analysing mistakes and learning from them. The conversation concludes with a discussion on the value of stepping out of one's comfort zone and embracing challenges as opportunities for personal growth.

Keywords

aviation, career, human factors, CRM, passion, variety, corporate aviation, communication, emotional intelligence, flight deck, resilience, learning from mistakes, purpose, teamwork, safety practices, comfort zone, personal growth

Takeaways

• Passion and variety are critical in the aviation industry
• Effective communication and emotional intelligence are crucial in the cockpit
• Creating a supportive and inclusive environment on the flight deck is important
• Being friends with your co-pilot can enhance safety and performance
• Resilience is essential in both professional and personal life. It allows individuals to overcome challenges and learn from mistakes.
• Even if you disagree, working together and respecting others’ ideas is crucial for achieving common goals.
• Analysing mistakes and learning from them is crucial to improving safety practices in industries like aviation and medicine.
• Stepping out of one's comfort zone and embracing challenges is an opportunity for personal growth and development.
• Finding purpose in life and being grateful for our opportunities can lead to a more fulfilling and resilient mindset.

Titles

• The Benefits of Being Friends with Your Co-Pilot
• The Importance of Passion and Variety in Aviation Finding Purpose and Gratitude in Life
• Working Together: Respect and Teamwork

Sound Bites

• "I love the industry. It's funny, I think in the corporate world, you find guys who are quite happy to go on because it's a fantastic job, but it's a very privileged job."
• "The gradients are not as vertical as they used to be. I know some guys used to fly BOAC, the old guys who were long retired now, but they said that when they were flying in the 60s and 70s, a lot of the pilots then wouldn't speak to anybody on the flight deck."
• "You may really dislike somebody's idea, but at the end of the day, your life is in their hands. So you have to respect them."
• "It's just a level of professionalism, isn't it? That you just cut above that and just get the job done based on a temporary understanding and liking."
• "Encouraging people to think making mistakes is absolutely normal. Let's work out how we can learn from something."

 

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Background

09:08 The Love for the Aviation Industry

27:51 Breaking Down Barriers and Building Inclusive Flight Deck Environments

37:45 Improving Safety Practices

46:47 Teamwork and Communication

58:38 Stepping Out of the Comfort Zone

 

I hope you enjoy the podcast. I’d love to hear your comments and reviews, so please leave them in the comments box. 🙏.

In the meantime, I wish you all the best, and please remember to:

Keep It In The Greens 😊

 

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