The Cockpit and Corporate World: Being a Pilot Influences Your Work Life

University president Tom Jackson reflects on a life of aviation and education.

Tuesday, February 22, 2022 at 05:34 PM ET

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Tom Jackson says the lessons he learned in the cockpit prepared him for the historic post he has now. [Courtesy: Tom Jackson Jr.]

Key Takeaways:

Tom Jackson, Jr., President of Cal Poly Humboldt and an experienced pilot, credits his aviation skills—such as critical decision-making, contingency planning, and multitasking—with significantly benefiting his leadership and professional career in higher education.
Jackson possesses a lifelong passion for aviation, holding multiple pilot ratings, owning several aircraft, and logging approximately 2,800 flight hours, continually embracing the "always learning" culture of pilots.
He emphasizes the parallels between flight instructors and college professors in shaping lives, highlighting how aviation instills self-confidence and fosters valuable mentorship, even inspiring his daughter to pursue a career in the Air Force.

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Editor’s Note: This article is part of a month-long series celebrating Black History Month through aviation: Feb. 1: African American Pioneers in Flight and Space | Feb. 4: Legacy Flying Academy | Feb. 10: Why Aren’t There More Black Pilots in the Air Force? | Feb. 11: Jesse L. Brown | Feb. 15: Meet Four African Americans Making a Difference in Aviation | Feb. 18: From “Hidden Figures” to “Artemis” | Feb. 22: Cal Poly Humboldt | Feb. 25: Black Heritage Aviation

If you fly as a hobby, you may have found some of the pilot skills that you picked up in the cockpit benefit you in your non-aviation career. Sometimes, it is the confidence that learning to fly brings—or the ability to prioritize and multitask when flying in instrument conditions—that enables you to handle a particularly stressful situation at work.