Are you ready? This week’s snowstorm delayed my return to Annapolis, cancelled classes, then delayed classes once again today. It feels like the New Year is struggling to reach rotation speed to attain flight.
Although the delays have been several, they given me time to think. As I wrote this, I was looking out my window at the snow and ice hanging outside wondering what goals I had for this year. Then suddenly my thoughts turned to an incredible conversation I had years ago that set me on a new path for my professional life.
During my first class or senior year at the Naval Academy, I was invited to meet the first woman pilot to graduate from Navy Test Pilot School, Lt. Colleen Nevius. Not only was Colleen a test pilot; she was also one of the first women helicopter pilots in the Navy and one of the first women to complete a full deployment on a Navy ship. So, when the invitation came, was I excited? You bet!
I leaned in as Colleen spoke about how to make yourself competitive for Navy Test Pilot School (TPS), which is where the best of the best aviators go to become test pilots, test flight officers, and flight test engineers. TPS is a gateway to becoming an astronaut. In most cases, to become a pilot astronaut, you must graduate fromeither the Navy Test Pilot School, Air Force Test Pilot School, or one of the two European test pilot schools.
I had never thought about Test Pilot School before that evening.
Listening to Colleen, something grabbed me by surprise—I could combine my engineering degree with flying! In addition to possessing a solid engineering or technical background, I needed to follow Colleen’s four key points if I wanted to make it into TPS.
“First, you will need to graduate at the top of your flight school class,” Colleen shared, advising me that I needed to stand out among my peers from the beginning of my Navy careers and onward. “Then get one thousand hours of flight time and as many aircraft qualifications as you can as early as possible. Finally, tell every commanding officer you have that you want to go to TPS and that you will be asking them for letters of recommendation when you apply to the selection board.”
Colleen’s four points remain burned into my brain today. I have used them throughout my Navy career, counseling others who wanted to go to test pilot school or achieve some other goal in life. I believe four equivalent points exist for anyone who wants to excel in their field:
- Graduate at the top of your class.
- Get as much experience under your belt as possible.
- Tell your teachers, professors, bosses, and mentors what you want to do in your future (e.g., get your MBA or PhD, become a CEO, etc.) and ask them for help.
Learning to “fly” in any career or endeavor requires many hours of hard work and diligence. Follow these four points as you build your foundation, and they will serve you well.
That memorable night passed in a flash, and soon it was time to head back to the Academy. As we said our goodbyes, Colleen gave us parting words of advice. “I did it, and you can too!” As I made the drive home, my mind was racing. I went back over everything Colleen had shared and began to think about the new possibilities for my career. Pulling through the gates of the Academy, I looked at the Severn River in front of me, and in that moment, I knew what I wanted a future beyond flight school: Navy Test Pilot School.
Sometimes we need others to help us uncover our goals for our future. I certainly did. Need some help getting started or clarifying yours for the year? Connect with me at CaptainBarbaraBell.com. Of course, check out my book, Flight Lessons: Navigating Through Life’s Turbulence and Learning to Fly High.
Fly high, Barbara
