Beyond The HUD?

What does that even mean?

A phrase is born…

For a decade, the phrase “Beyond The HUD” has been a whisper of a thought in the white noise of my aviation consciousness.

During the early part of my career as a simulator instructor in the C-17 I observed a pilot struggling to get all the things on the things in order to pull off a successful short field landing. While this falls shy of providing you with a technical and nuanced explanation of an assault landing, you get the idea.

The student was utilizing a Heads Up Display (HUD). An amazing aircraft component designed to expand our situational awareness, promote engagement with what lies ahead and aggregate critical data for pilot consumption.

Sounds like a perfect application for any business platform, and definitely a must-have for any pilot shopping spree. Yes, the HUD has aviation super-powers but it also can prevent us from seeing the entire picture in front of us. It can cause us to fixate on a snapshot of the present moment. Beneficial in so many ways but not without drawbacks. For this student, my instruction was brief: “Look beyond the HUD.”

Upon closer inspection…

A simple and relatable suggestion to achieve the maximum return on instructor investment. It was at that moment I realized this phrase was going into my lexicon of great sayings. In order to make room I had to let a few dated but well-worn penguins slide off the iceberg.

“I know you are but what am I?” and “Up your nose with a rubber hose!” had been teetering for years. Time to make room gents. Big Lebowski lines were naturally not up for consideration. “Yeah, well, that’s just like, your opinion, man” will never be supplanted by a catchy instructional phrase.

Rejected takeoff…

My initial plan for Beyond The HUD was to write a book chronicling the development and employment of the C-17 using war stories, vignettes and anecdotes from my vast network of Moose pilot friends in the community.

Still a great idea but one that unfortunately never materialized. Fast forward a decade later.

Divert options…

The phrase is still in my mind and my life was approaching airspace with several possible sectors. I had just transitioned away from the most rewarding role in my Air Force career as the Chief Pilot of the 313th Airlift Squadron and was looking towards retirement in a few short years.

I knew I would miss mentoring, recruiting and hiring amazing pilots. “Look Beyond The HUD” I said to myself at a particularly low point of my day several months back.

The advice produced a solid radar return. I had been so focused on what was going on in my near vision that I wasn’t focusing on the flight path beyond the immediate data in my figurative HUD.

Check your radar tilt…

Out of the contrails of life’s uncertainty came Beyond The HUD. A consulting firm providing career vectors to future aviation professionals in today’s complex airspace.

We advise and mentor aspiring aviators through their decision tree of aviation pathways. Whether it’s advising a middle school student on the nuances of service academy preparation, guiding the high school senior through their academy or ROTC personal interview or prepping pilot candidates for the convoluted Air Force Reserve pilot hiring process, Beyond The HUD ensures our clients are on glide path and course.

My aircraft and radios…

This endeavor has pushed me into new airspace and areas of responsibilities. Riding alongside the excitement of starting something new is a copilot of fear and doubt.

As Capt Eddie Rickenbacker stated, “Courage is doing what you’re afraid to do. There can be no courage unless you’re scared.”

By looking past the jumble of data staring at me in the form of filings, slide decks, advertising, production and collateral, I can formulate strategy and courses of action for the long term (hopefully) success of the firm.

Sometimes you need to abide by the advice you give others…Look Beyond The HUD.