Have you ever had your doubts about whether you had the “right stuff” to be a pilot? Or maybe you’ve had a close call that shook your confidence in your ability to fly? On the other hand, perhaps you think you’re the best aviator on the planet and nothing wrong will ever happen on one of your flights? How we handle our heads as pilots is arguably the biggest factor in our safety. Kennan Rossi, a pilot from the San Jose area, recognizes the importance of the mental game in aviation. I had the good fortune to meet him and his wife at the recent Minden Aviation Roundup, when they stopped by at my booth. He writes a blog and is working on a book, both of which are entitles The Confident Pilot. His posts are excellent reads—a look into the pilot’s psyche through thoughtful discussion about the effect our experiences can have on our confidence levels in the cockpit. And they’re fun to read, too! They definitely whet my appetite for his upcoming book.
When I met Kennan and his wife in Minden, we had a great time chatting about flying and writing books. He recently wrote about our meeting and my book Flight Emergency in a blog post: “Reya Kempley.” I sincerely hope both our books help to make the future of general aviation a little safer.