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:
- The article emphasizes the critical importance of unwavering vigilance in high-stakes activities like aviation, using the analogy of "Fate Is the Hunter" and boxer Deontay Wilder to illustrate that a single, momentary lapse can have catastrophic consequences.
- Drawing from personal experience, including a plane crash caused by a lapse in attention, the author stresses that vigilance does not accumulate but resets with every new endeavor, making constant attentiveness essential regardless of experience.
- Complacency is identified as the primary threat, as it leads to the brief miscalculations or overlooked details that fate capitalizes on, highlighting that even seasoned aviators must continuously maintain their guard.
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