While visiting the Apple store the other day, I came to the full realization of just how connected the modern world is today and what that means for professional aviators. It both amazed and terrified me.

My wife was computer shopping and I tagged along. After the store employee answered her questions, he invited us to try the Apple Vision Pro, the new Apple VR device. We were both curious and agreed to participate in the demo. During the demo I pulled up an application connecting me to the air traffic surrounding an airport of my choice. Naturally, I chose my home base of Phoenix and quickly had a god’s-eye view of all the flights arriving and departing. I could see their call sign, altitude, speed, type of aircraft, and other performance information. I could even monitor the live chatter on specific radio frequencies. Short of sitting on the jumpseat of the aircraft to watch the crew performance, modern technology had given me a front-row seat in real time.

How many other professionals have their work performance scrutinized in real time? Can you imagine being able to watch a surgeon during every operation? Imagine being able to follow around an elected leader to every meeting or watch your children’s classroom with a click of a button. How would having a live-stream camera over your shoulder impact your job performance?

This is the modern world we live in as professional aviators, and it is both amazing and terrifying.

Professionalism in its most basic form is the competence and skill expected of a professional. Professionals are expected to look a certain way; behave a certain way; perform a certain way; have special skills associated with their chosen profession. Professional aviators are expected to have a uniform appearance, behave in manner that engenders trust, achieve performance above and beyond the standards of performance, and constantly strive to improve. Professional integrity requires professionals to perform above and beyond the standards of performance even when no one is watching. However, we can always assume in this modern world of ours, someone is definitely watching.

How does that change the way we perform our job as professional aviators? Theoretically, it shouldn’t, but that is not the reality. We all behave differently when we know our every move may be scrutinized in real time. The public has access to flight data, weather data, and personal data, with minimal detective work. We are under a microscope, and that can be terrifying.

What is NOT seen in all the publicly available data is the real-time communication and decision making on the flight deck. We can readily see WHAT is happening, but we have little to no information on WHY it is happening. We may feel empowered to pass judgement on the performance without having any context or understanding the root cause of the breakdown. We are data rich and information poor.

May I offer three suggestions for coping with the modern working environment of the aviation professional?

1 – Always assume everyone is watching what you do.

Yes, professional integrity requires you to behave the same way both in public and private, but very little of our performance is private anymore. Everything you do is public. When you leave your house in uniform and drive to the airport, someone is watching. When you arrive at the airport and walk to the gate, people are watching and judging you on your appearance and attitude. When you board the aircraft and begin your preflight checks, coworkers and passengers are watching you. When you close the cockpit door and push back the aircraft, the other crew member and the rampers are watching you. From the moment you release the brakes to the moment you shut down the engines at the destination gate, the aircraft is sending data to both the company and to the public forum to be viewed and scrutinized. When you shut down the airplane and go home or to the hotel, people are watching you. Like it or not, you are constantly being watched.

Assume everyone is constantly watching you and behave in a way that can stand the scrutiny. Wear the uniform correctly. Be courteous. Follow policies and procedures. Follow flight rules and guidelines. Behave like a professional, not because everyone is watching, but because you ARE a professional. If you do that, you can withstand the scrutiny of constant monitoring.

2 – Promote open communication.

In a data-rich world, open communication on the flight deck, with ATC, and with other external resources creates an environment of trust and enables a secondary layer of protection to trap any personal errors. Verbalize intentions. Explain your risk decisions. Solicit feedback on your performance. Conduct meaningful briefings. Show grace and gratitude when your coworker corrects you. Creating open communication will not ensure that your flight is error-free, but it will create an environment conducive to trapping any errors that do occur, keeping your passengers safe, and keeping you out of the news cycle.

Promoting open communication can provide the transparency needed when questions arise from both internal and external sources. Your communication on the flight deck and with ATC will provide a context to the situation and may save you, and your passengers, from catastrophic failure. Stay out of the news cycle with open communication.

3 – Make risks decisions at the right level.

Professional aviators are essentially risk managers. We are empowered to assess risks and choose the best course of action within the risk tolerances established by flight rules, policies, and procedures. When we choose to ignore those flight rules, policies, or procedures, we are taking all the risk on our own shoulders. If we choose to do that, we better have a good reason (one that we are comfortable explaining in a court of law or accident investigation). We can withstand public scrutiny only when we choose to accept the risk restrictions placed on us by both the company we work for and any governing body. Professionals do not make up their own rules, especially when it comes to risk.

The public can clearly see when we deviate from the assigned risk level. If we choose to deviate, we better have a good explanation. Professional aviators make risk decisions at the right level.

We live in a data-rich world connected in ways we barely comprehend. Our every move is subject to scrutiny, especially when we put on the uniform of an aviation professional and slip the surly bonds with passengers. This level of connection is amazing. The level of scrutiny can be terrifying. However, if we strive to be the professional aviator with integrity, we have no reason to fear. Assume everyone is watching. Promote open communication. Make risk decisions at the right level. Be the professional aviator your passengers hope and expect you to be and you will be comfortable with someone constantly watching your performance.

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