Those who gain experience while retaining firm hold on a beginner’s state of mind become long-term survivors. In flying, we constantly go back and retrain to remind ourselves that Newton’s laws don’t get suspended just because we’ve become so goddamned studly. That’s hard to remember when you feel like all you have to do is find a phone booth, get that cape on, and leap out the nearest window. We have a saying: “There are old pilots and bold pilots, but there are no old, bold pilots.” That’s true in all hazardous pursuits.
