As a Drone Pilot What Does Failure Mean to You?

Hello fellow pilots! Today is a rainy morning here in Quito, Ecuador. And it’s going to be a few more weeks like that. You know what a “rainy morning” means in Quito, New York, Istanbul, Tokyo, Barquisimeto, or Québec: no flying. Kind of a failure in the system.

And in those rare moments where I really want to fly, but at the same time I’m not in the FPV simulator mood, I have no option but to… stay grounded. During these times, I think a lot. Maybe more than I should. Sometimes it helps me see my position in life, how far I am from the goals and dreams I have, or how lucky I am to be where I am now.

I think it’s a matter of perspective.

And that kind of introspection is what all of us—drone pilots, FPV pilots, SAR pilots, pilots… humans in general—should practice every once in a while.

Let’s see, we are not normal persons. At least I myself do not consider myself a “normal” person. For me, normal = boring, warm, bland. And I think that to fly the way we do, under the circumstances that we confront—no, we are just not normal. I bet there isn’t a boring drone pilot out there. At least not among those who read these articles.

And you want to know why? Because of the way we see failure. The way we accept it. …and the way we deal with it.

And here I ask: What is (to be) a failure to you?

Is this the kind of failure that we are used to?

Failure could be a flyaway that could have been avoided. Maybe one job that you really wanted but didn’t get. Or perhaps not being able to provide for your family at home.

It hurts, because (usually) the truth hurts.

Are we getting personal in this article, Rafa? Perhaps too much. But aren’t my articles a piece of me? All that I write is based on my life, my anecdotes. Maybe they’re interesting because I’ve had an interesting life and have said “yes” far more times than “no.”

I’m the kind of man who, since boyhood, used to say, “I prefer to ask and get a ‘no’ as an answer than live with the doubt of what the answer might have been for the rest of my life.”

Are you dealing with failure right now?

So, my mellow flyers, how do you deal with failure? Have you been struggling with life lately? Do you feel that life is laughing with you or at you?

Let me tell you my point of view, from this cold spot in the middle of the world.

Failure is always going to be waiting for us at the next corner. At the next takeoff. When we’ve just crossed 200 feet high. It could be written in the next message or call that we receive. And we can’t do more than be ready for it. You cannot eliminate it.

But you learn to give it less and less importance. You learn to look back and see all that has passed, everything that brought you here. The only person we are allowed to compare ourselves with is the human we used to be. Not anyone else.

Are you suffering? Talk to someone. Talk to me. There will always be someone for us, no matter what state we’re in. Are you really in a mess professionally, financially, aerodynamically?

If you don’t learn how to deal with this, it’s going to be a stop on your road. But the good thing about hitting bottom is that the only way we can go from here is up.

Wow! Look at this… a whole article about drone pilots and I didn’t mention UAVs even once.

And want to know why? Because without healthy pilots, there would not be safe flights.

How do you feel in your life at this moment? Please, let me know in the comments.