Wind the Clock
Flying in-and-of-itself is not inherently dangerous, but it is terribly unforgiving. When the weather suddenly deteriorates, a fire light illuminates the cockpit, or a routine task runs afoul, flying’s unforgiving nature can pump a pilot’s system with competing hormones that quicken reflexes — and cloud judgement.
You’ve felt that same confluence in fight-or-flight moments where surrounding cues drive your unconscious to pump catecholamine (Caty-Cole-A-Mean) – a hormone of heated aggravation — into your system. Add the accelerant of adrenaline in to the mix and you can find yourself on the verge of a regrettable reaction on the ground, or one that leads to disaster in the air. One of those moments took hold of my jet on a clear day over North Carolina’s Dare County Bombing Range.
We were in the middle of one of the great sporting events in the world of fighter operations –dropping high 
drag bombs at low altitude. I had made the same pass hundreds of times over the course of my career – align the piper with the target, release the bomb at 600’ and then smoothly apply 5.5 Gs until the jet was pointed 30 degrees into the air. But just as soon as I hit the release button and pulled back on the stick that morning, things went south.
The pop and aural spool down were accompanied by the failure of every electrical display in the cockpit. Any sense of acceleration was drowned out by the 5.5 G recovery and as the nose pointed to what I felt was 30 degrees above the ground, I unloaded that weight. I had one shot at diagnosing the problem and knew if I got it wrong, I could lose that F-16. That thought hit me just as the numbing surge of adrenaline entered my system. “Zoom, Stores Jett, Throttle Off – then Midrange” was the boldface – the first three mandatory actions required for engine failure at low altitude. But that automated response was overridden by another. I let go of the throttle, reached for the stem on jet’s mechanical clock, and I wound it.
I could all but hear the Portuguese accent of Fernando Dias, my flight school instructor, as he doled out the advice that delivered my inane move that morning. “Veeenable, even in the biggest emergencies, there’s time to think… time enough to assess the situation and sort through your options before you make a move. Break the chain that leads to a flinch reaction and take hold of that time by reaching for the clock in the jet. In the few seconds it takes to find the stem and wind it, you’ll rise up out of the cockpit long enough to get a clear head and make the right call.”
I wound the clock, and then looked back across the cockpit. The main and standby generator lights were on, the emergency power unit had failed, and the engine instruments appeared to be frozen. Frozen. Right before I cycled the throttle off to initiate the restart procedure, I pushed it to the forward stop and I was pressed firmly back into my seat — the motor was still working! From there, recovering that jet was a walk in the park.
No matter who you are or where you work, the world will rise up to test your mettle. If you give in to the rage, fear, or passion of the moment, you could ruin a relationship, lose a job, or take a bad situation and make it worse. When an angst or pressure filled moment pumps catecholamine into your blood stream, stay off your first reaction by reaching for the gift of time. If you’ve got a watch, reach down and wind it. If your watch is your phone, put a free hand on that time piece long enough to rise up out of your cockpit, let your initial reaction pass, and then make the right call.
Few truer words ever spoken to those of us in the aviation business, JV. Actually, I often recall those words as I face a challenge in daily living as well. I find it comforting to learn to pause, to be silent and be still for I am not in control of all things….but I know who is! Makes life worth living to its fullest.
John,
Great hearing from you, and I couldn’t agree more my friend!
Blessings to you –
JV
JV,
Sage Advice ! And very well presented – Love this !
Kent.
JV, Again, your article is right in line with my student’s curriculum w/ regard to Eddie Rickenbacker’s 1 v 7 German planes and why it was important that he knew he must remain calm. Your kinesthetic action of reaching for the clock “broke the chain” of your body’s automated response. A good lesson for all of us — even those on the ground. Nice read, Veeenable!
Lynn,
Rickenbacker’s engagement that day was one for the ages… Sandwiched between a flight of Fokkers above and below him, he walked through the mental options, went on the offensive and came out on top. Thanks for weighing in with that great story…
Best to you –
JV
JV, As usual, these insights and lessons are top notch! You made me think of the excellent movie Sully–his success or failure (and the lives of hundreds) came down to making the right decision in a few seconds. The FAA computer simulations tried to skip the few seconds it took to analyze the situation, but Sully knew better.
Neal,
“Sully” was such a powerful movie for the very reason you pointed out. It didn’t just show the incredible skill set of an American hero during the biggest airborne emergency of his professional life, it showed his presence of mind in the “courtroom” beyond. He didn’t try to embarrass the FAA investigators. He listened and watched patiently as they walked through their evidence and then, when the moment was right, engaged them calmly with what they had overlooked… Really, really loved that movie and your comment my friend.
Best to you –
JV
JV, Great advice! There is always time to maintain aircraft control, analyze the situation, and take appropriate action. I had a similar experience while in F4 training in 1972 at Homestead AFB, FL. My instructor, Captain Dick Dull, and I had a night range ride to Avon Park as part of a 4 ship. The whole flight out to the range he badgered me to turn down the brightness on the instrument panel for too much glare. Of course, I complied but several of my instruments were extremely dim. On one pass, we were doing a dive toss maneuver where he would lock up to the ground at the target and we would execute a pull up. At the proper computer generated point the practice bomb would come off. On this particular pass, Capt. Dull was having trouble locking up to the ground and the computer kept breaking lock. In the front seat, it seemed like an awfully long time on the 30 degree 600 kt pass. I was having trouble seeing the altitude indicator but pressed closer just in time to see we were passing our delivery altitude and still no lock up. I began an immediate pull up off the target and pulled about 6 1/2 Gs, which drove Capt. Dull’s head into the scope. As we came back to our full vision, the ground on my right was all dark and with clouds covering that side of the sky. The ground on my left was all lights from Orlando and stars with no clouds. My first reaction was to roll left because the perception was I was in a hard-right bank. Instead, I took a second to evaluate the visual perception and I was, in fact, pulling straight ahead. That was an early lesson in taking time to analyze what was actually happening. BTW, Capt. Dull never mentioned the pass in our flight debrief…guess he knew if I hadn’t been paying attention his desire to get a lock on the target might have ended up with us at 12 o’clock to the target!
JV,
Spot on … as usual. The “Wind the clock” advice is something I talk about with my direct reports in business when they get emotional about anything. Whether it be an email response from a client or internal customer or the first reaction from a customer in a tense meeting. I remind my folks that no one is shooting SAMs or AAA at them so relax, take a breath and respond professionally. It keeps you out of trouble and demonstrates your emotional intelligence. Something clients look for in their vendors. Perhaps some the protesters currently in the streets of America could sit back and understand how their emotional response is perhaps not the answer. How about we all provide professional solutions, not emotional responses via the “Wind the clock” mentality. That way we work our country toward success versus divisiveness.
Fabulous point SHoes. It is frustrating to watch and the funny thing is, I find myself using that pause more and more on behalf of those who would rather panic early, than reach for the strength that could be found in their own pause. Panic spreads like wildfire – and you have to know I’m grateful for people just like you who are “carriers” of calm.
Thanks for weighing in my friend!
JV
Great story and very savvy words!! So glad you remember that Instructor….in my days there are times I remember my 1st grade teacher advise and it is just priceless!!!
JV, spot on, I can’t help but chuckle at the fact that millennials have no idea what “wind the clock” means. They don’t even wear a watch! Maybe plug your cell phone? In all seriousness, this mental pause is critical to evaluating a situation correctly. Happy to share that every 9 months I spend 12 hours in the chamber of horrors where only the sweat is real. The mental pause is a big part of that training.
Enjoying the lessons my friend!
Loogie
JV, this is a wonderful illustration of the admonition, “Don’t just do something, stand there!’, as well as “You know what happens when you assume…” It is amazing how many more and better solutions to a situation can surface when you take even a few seconds to assess and, when possible, test the situation at hand to understand your current reality and avoid a knee-jerk response. Thanks for sharing, and best wishes to you and your family for a very Happy Thanksgiving!