This Friday we\u2019re sitting down (zooming!) with Alan Zwick, a Captain with Southwest Airlines (SWA) and a Certified Flight Instructor. Learn how Captain Zwick\u2019s lessons in the air are relatable and transferable to your career \u2018ground game.\u2019
\nA life-long Christian Scientist, Alan Zwick grew up on his family\u2019s farm in Central Kansas. He attended the US Air Force Academy graduating in 1986 with a BS in Management. Alan served in the USAF as a pilot, instructor, and evaluator flying the KC-135, T-37, T-38, and U-2. He continued his military career in the USAF Reserves as a Subject Matter Expert overseeing U-2 training and courseware. He retired in 2008 attaining the rank of Lt Col. Alan is currently a Boeing 737 Captain. He has been flying for Southwest Airlines since 2000. When Alan isn\u2019t flying, he enjoys hiking, bicycling, sailing, and off-roading in his Jeep.
\nPart of our Net Effect Conversations series: \nRobin: \u201cWhat are some important issues that you\u2019ve been addressing today?\u201d\n
Alan: \u201cWell Robin it is a little disconcerting when you show up at the airport now and the airline employees outnumber the passengers in the terminal and where we used to only have four or five seats open on a flight now many times that\u2019s the total number of passengers on board and so that’s kind of the normal now and we\u2019re all considering what\u2019s going to be the next normal and that\u2019s as from career and I know many other careers have had a similar impact a sort of turbulence so to speak and that was where I was thinking about the Bible verse from Romans where it talks about that, \u201cTherefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access, by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only so, but we glory in tribulation also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope: And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.\u201d (Romans 3: 1-5)
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And so I when I was reading this and thinking about the current turbulence tribulation kind of going on both in my world and throughout the world I was thinking of that patience as we go forward, and also how that leads to reflecting on the experiences that I\u2019ve had throughout my career. And this isn\u2019t the first time we\u2019ve hit some turbulence, and I imagine that it won\u2019t be the last time that I do get hope and faith from looking at the past and seeing how I was protected and cared for there. And not that I always knew how the outcome was going to be, and that\u2019s not always ours to know at the time, but it is to have that faith, and look around and see the blessings we have today, and to kind of see how day by day the manna falls\u201d [Start 8:09][End 9:49]
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Robin: *says he\u2019s trying to apply some of the inspiration to the things he sees and feels while walking through the terminals now*
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Alan: \u201cYeah and that\u2019s what we\u2019re doing and something else that we have to counter. And this is a verse in Science and Health that was in a recent Sunday lesson\u2026 where Mrs. Eddy talks about \u201cHuman sense may well marvel at discord, while to a diviner sense, harmony is the real and discord the unreal. We may well be astonished at sin sickness and death. We may well be perplexed at human fear; and still more astounded at hatred, which lifts its hydra head, showing its horns and the many intentions of evil. But why should we stand aghast at nothingness? The great red dragon symbolizes a lie,–the belief that substance, life, and intelligence can be material.\u201d (Science and Health 563:1-9) So that\u2019s where I think back to what is my true employment, what is my true source of supply, and try to see the spiritual side of that and be grateful for the mana that has fallen today and trust that there will be more tomorrow.\u201d [Start 10:25][End 11:21]
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Robin: *says you\u2019re a poster child of challenges*
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Alan: \u201cWell it could look that way. I really didn\u2019t realize that. So Robin, you and I started talking about putting this webinar together and so I thought well let’s look back and see when the last recession hit and\u2026what I was doing at that point, and pretty much, yep, I had a fork in the road career-wise every time we seemed to have some challenges within our economy\u2026first off was when I came out of high school in \u201882 we were in the middle of the recession. You can see pretty high unemployment and that\u2019s where I was fortunate to have the opportunity to go to the US Air Force Academy, and that was a great demonstration and story I can tell another time how that all worked out. Then, my first opportunity to get out of the service was in \u201992, and once again to some it appeared to be kind of bleak. And at that crossroads, the Air Force provided me an incentive to stay in. And that was when I was able to get that U2 assignment and do some very interesting things that I wouldn\u2019t have had the opportunity to do otherwise.
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I got out of the Air Force in 2000\u2026and then about 18 months later I\u2019m getting ready to push off the gate in Seattle and we get a call that there\u2019s a nationwide ground stop. So I\u2019m the at the bottom of the seniority list, just separated from the Air Force–and talk about kind of some uncharted territory! Yeah that was definitely, for the airline industry, something that we\u2019d never experienced.
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But the same thing–I was protected and guided through that situation. And then in 2008\u2026that was when they changed the retirement age in the airline industry; so that deferred some retirements and could have put a damper on my career. But fortunately, I was in a situation where even though that\u2026was followed by an economic downturn, I was at a company that was well prepared to handle that, and we pressed on, and once again that didn\u2019t affect my career.
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And now here we are, seemingly in a situation that in some ways can feel a little out of control, and helpless, and decisions being made by others that can dramatically impact us and our careers our lives. And that\u2019s where I think of the story of Shadrach Meshach and Abednego. Those were three individuals who had some rules made that didn\u2019t go along with their beliefs. And by sticking to their guns, and living up to their highest sense of right, they were protected. And it\u2019s easy for us, when we\u2019re reading that story\u2026 to go well, you know, I know how it ends, so it was easy for them at the time. They didn\u2019t know how it ended! And they were able to walk through that fire and come out the other side without even the smell of smoke. And I know the same can be for us in this situation.\u201d [Start 14:10][End 15:16]
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Robin: *asks if he thinks it is important to have conversations with people outside of your lane*
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Alan: \u201cLook yeah, I think times like this it\u2019s easy to kind of withdraw and go on the defense. But I think this is a good time to reach out, if you\u2019re in a situation where you\u2019re not working as much. We\u2019ve cut our flying schedule by over 50% at this point, so I\u2019m definitely not working as much but it is a time for me to\u2026 reach out to folks, connect with people I haven\u2019t talked to in a while, rekindle those relationships. And also take a step back and evaluate where I am\u2026this is a good time to express gratitude for the experiences we\u2019ve had to get ourselves to this point and to draw faith from that, and see where we want to go. And look at how our next normal can start to shape up, without getting too specific because we don\u2019t want to restrict ourselves, but to see what opportunities present themselves, and be prepared to accept those challenges.\u201d [Start 16:02][End 16:58]
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Robin: *asks how much time he spends/ recommends reaching out to people*
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Alan: \u201cWell I don\u2019t have a specific amount of time that I set aside. My schedule is a little more fluid than some, but I know some people [will] set aside a specific time\u2026maybe a couple days a week when they\u2019ll push their normal business aside\u2026send some emails or texts or give somebody a phone call\u2026 And as we\u2019re seeing now, we\u2019ve got some valuable tools with Zoom and Facetime and \u2026 you may not be there physically, but connect with them \u2026 and see what everybody\u2019s up to, what their plan is for working through this situation, and how you can be part of that solution.\u201d
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Robin: *asks about the hiring process and criteria to become a pilot today*
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Alan: \u201cWell prior to recent events\u2026we were in the middle of a pilot shortage and my personal feeling is that we\u2019ll probably see\u2026the hiring will pick back up once we get to the next normal. But currently our training center is shut down and we have put that on hold due to the uncertainty in the future. But\u2026if that\u2019s something you are considering this is one of those times to start putting those feelers out, figure out what you need to do\u2026to do some of that learning remotely, and start working on those things. Also do some research and figure out what part of the aviation industry interests you, and there\u2019s parallels with whatever your industry is; it isn\u2019t just specific to flying airplanes\u201d
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Robin: *asks if there\u2019s an age requirement or transferable skills/what someone who is interested [in the airline industry] should be thinking about*
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Alan: \u201cWell of course there\u2019s the flying side of it, which is obvious, and there are certain things, if your goal is to fly in a scheduled commercial carrier, you\u2019re going to need to be 23 years old and have 1500 hours of flying time \u2026 just to get the minimum certifications. But there are other opportunities within aviation that don\u2019t require that. You can start flying airplanes when you\u2019re 16 \u2026 and you can sit for your check ride when you\u2019re 17. And then \u2026 once you have your commercial tickets you can get your instructor license and start instructing. There\u2019s also charters. You can be doing those kind of things\u2026 there is a mandatory retirement age within the commercial airline industry, but that doesn\u2019t apply to instructing and charters and private aviation\u201d
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Robin: *asks if he has a metaphysical pre-flight that he follows*
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Alan: \u201cYeah I do, and it\u2019s not always the exact same one. I mean it\u2019s the same way with airplanes, depending on the phase of flight we have different checklists, and also if things are going abnormally we have a different checklist that we run. But what I go to just starts with being still, because many times when things present themselves, or when I begin my day or I\u2019m beginning a flight, I need to just take a step back and get quiet and centered and feel the presence of Mind and listen. And then sometimes that then leads to action. Other times it just leads to reflection and where do we take it from there. And then also checking my motives, and when I\u2019m in a situation that could be confrontational, or something uncomfortable, or those kind of things it\u2019s, what are my motives here?\u2026and then understanding that there can be a harmonious solution for everyone, and everything involved, and then just seeing how I can put that into practice and what I can do to bring harmony to that situation. Or what I can do to help out and see a peaceful solution\u201d [Start 22:19][End 23:39]
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Robin: *transition to final Q&A, asks to talk about the impact of losing the middle seats and the revenue they bring*
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Alan: \u201c\u2026I haven\u2019t heard any specific companies talking about this yet but that is one of the things that some of the groups within the industry are proposing, to have social-distancing on the airplane, to block off that middle seat. The first thing that comes to mind [is] wow, we just lost a third of our revenue\u2026fortunately, now the price of fuel is low so that\u2019s going to offset some of those costs \u2026 there\u2019s the opportunity to carry more cargo because many times we are weight restricted when we\u2019re flying, and right now the passengers are the priority so we would fill up with passengers and not always carry cargo\u2026 so there may be some opportunities there as the next normal presents itself. And there may be more people shopping at home\u2026so there may be more of a demand for that cargo. As a pilot I can look at it and say, well, if the demand comes back up we\u2019ve got the seats blocked off, but we still need the same number of seats. Well then there’s an opportunity for more flights. So that\u2019s where we\u2019ve just got to be willing to step back and see what the next challenge is that\u2019s presented to us\u2026it\u2019s how do you fly a four airplane schedule with three airplanes, and it\u2019s you turn them quicker. And that was what happened \u2026when we were starting up the company. Long before I was there, they were trying to get things going and they built their schedule, and lo and behold, we\u2019re only able to secure three airplanes when they planned on four. So they put their heads together and adapted to that challenge and that\u2019s what we\u2019re going to have to do going forward–see what\u2019s presented and turn those challenges into opportunities.\u201d [Start 27:14][End 27:57]
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Robin: *asks what he would say to someone about how to find a career and go forward*
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Alan: \u201cWell, I think first off, don\u2019t accept any limits or any boundaries, because for me, a Kansas farm boy sitting on my tractor out in the middle of nowhere it seemed like a pretty big stretch for me to be flying around over 35 years later in a commercial airliner. I\u2019d been thinking I was going to be a farmer. I used to watch the F4\u2019s come out of a nearby Air Force Base and fly over me and buzz my tractor. And I thought that looked pretty cool. As it turned out a couple of guys in my high school set up an Aviation Explorers post which was an offshoot of Boy Scouts. The club only stayed together for six months but during that six months the National fly-in was at the Air Force Academy, so we organized a motorcycle poker run to raise enough money so we could all pile in a station wagon and go out there. And that planted the seeds that it was possible for me to get into the Academy. So I started pursuing that, and had I limited myself and said, you know, I\u2019m here and I\u2019m gonna stay here because I didn\u2019t even think that was an opportunity\u2026 I thought it was pretty cool. So\u2026don\u2019t outline where you think you have to be or need to be!\u201d [Start 29:48][End 30:17]
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Robin: *asks how to show you\u2019re ready for more advanced work and leadership opportunities in an entry-level position without overstepping*
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Alan: \u201cWell I think the key there is, when you\u2019re approaching your work, check your motives, and as long as your motives are to support that job and to take good care of your customers and do what your supervisor would like you to do, and as long as you\u2019re approaching that from the highest sense of right, you\u2019ll be doing the right thing. And I\u2019d say, don\u2019t be afraid to swerve a little out of your lane because that\u2019s how we grow, and that\u2019s how we get new opportunities. So when they present themselves, be ready to step up and do them. And until then, we run with patience the race that\u2019s set before us\u2026I always used to ponder that and think well, but if I\u2019m running, am I really being patient? But the more I\u2019ve thought about it, is that we can be putting a lot of energy into something\u2026 have that quiet calm, patience in the background to just be ready and receptive to when that next opportunity presents itself.\u201d [Start 30:41][End 31:50]
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Robin: *asks him to talk about the top 3 takeaways*
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Alan: \u201cYeah, I think being patient. And that\u2019s where, right now, it can be frustrating at times. We can feel kind of hemmed in, given the current restrictions placed upon us while we wait out this situation\u2026 that\u2019s where we can reflect on what we\u2019ve done in the past that\u2019s got us to where we are, and be grateful for our successes, and see what we can do to build on those, and how we can be ready when that next normal presents itself, to move forward and seize the opportunities that are coming out of the situation. And also to use that time to stay connected and maybe get connected to people that you know, and haven\u2019t talked to you for a while\u2026and also maybe reach out to some folks that you haven\u2019t talked to before. I know\u2026there\u2019s a lot of folks out there that are interested in a career in aviation, and you know, I\u2019ll tell them, hey, just give me a call, we can talk, I\u2019m happy to mentor you. But very few ever really return that call and take me up on that\u2026most of us would love to share our experiences and what worked, what didn\u2019t, and how we can help you out and get you headed down the path to have a successful career\u2026 and\u2026looking at situations that are presented, not as problems that are unsolvable and we can\u2019t get there from here? {But] how can we take this situation and turn it into an opportunity, and what can we do to come out of this wiser and stronger?\u201d [Start 32:05][End 34:06]
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