The title of Ernest K. Gann’s memoir—”Fate Is the Hunter”—about his aviation career in the first half of the 20th century grabbed hold of me the first time I read the words. It’s an evocative phrase with many exertions, but they all point to the same conclusion: If you do something dangerous and you do it repeatedly, you’d better be very good at it.
Fate Is the Hunter
Key Takeaways:
- Dangerous activities, particularly aviation, demand absolute and continuous vigilance because even a momentary lapse can lead to severe or catastrophic consequences, akin to a boxer needing only one perfect punch to win.
- The author illustrates this critical need through personal experience, recounting a plane crash caused by a single instance of lost vigilance, alongside other near-misses from fellow pilots.
- Vigilance is not a cumulative quality but rather one that must be consciously reset and rigorously maintained for every new situation, as complacency poses a constant threat regardless of an individual's experience level.
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