AOPA Pilot Magazine - January 2014 - 22

LICENSE TO LEARN

Submarine knowledge

BY ROD MACHADO

Becoming a better pilot through nonfiction
THE BEST LESSONS I've ever learned about the mental
game of flying an airplane didn't come from studying
books on aviation psychology. Instead, they came from
reading history.
One such book I recently picked up at the used
book store is titled Submarine Commander by Paul
Schratz. I absolutely loved this book and couldn't
put it down once the reading started. That, of course,
made driving a real challenge. So the book was parked
in my lap until I parked my car, after which my eyes
hardly left the tome at home. Submarine Commander
is about Capt. Schratz's exploits as the skipper of a

When a leader says he's lucky, you can simply
strike that word and replace it with the phrase
well-prepared.

ROD MACHADO

is a CFII who
has been flight
instructing for
40 years.

22 | AOPA PILOT January 2014

Pacific-based submarine during World War II. The
first thing you learn about Schratz is that he's a mischievous and playful fellow with sufficient brain
power to keep him out of trouble with his superiors
and the Japanese.
During one inspection at sea with a particularly
stern and grumpy admiral, he was instructed to maintain a specific depth-something that is apparently
quite challenging in churning seas with subs of that
era. Unbeknown to the grumpy admiral, a disguised
potentiometer directly controlled the depth-meter needle for just such an occasion. Schratz had a crewman
covertly manipulate the knob, performing a near-perfect depth hold, much to the frustration of the admiral.
Doesn't that sound like the time you updated the altimeter setting just to maintain altitude in a steep turn?
One time, before heading off for a Pacific deployment, Schratz tells his wife not to worry about him
because he's always been lucky. As you read the book
you realize that there's a good reason why fate was
always on his side. As playful and mischievous as he
was, he also was a fanatic about training his men properly and thoroughly. In nearly every history book I've
ever read, when a leader says he's lucky, you can simply strike that word and replace it with the phrase
well-prepared.
I knew this book was full of useful aviation lessons
when I read Schratz's comment about the character

of a boat. He says, "The character of a ship is the character we impress on her." So true. It's a lesson that
speaks to those of us flying two- to six-place airplanes.
Think about it this way. The passengers on board
behave the way we impress upon them-i.e., train
them-to behave. If you want a silent cockpit during takeoff and landing, then you have to teach your
passengers to avoid unnecessary chat during these
times. Perhaps you make the point with humor by
warning them that failure to comply might result in
everyone wearing an oxygen mask for the duration
of the flight.
Then there's the business of actually driving the
sub. Schratz says, "The art of diving, like flying by the
seat of the pants, involved getting the feel of the boat,
heavy or light overall, forward or aft. Some learned it
instinctively; a few never got the magic touch."
Sounds like the difference between a Sean Tucker
and someone who can't keep the airplane on the runway in a five-knot wind, doesn't it?
Perhaps the single most important lesson in this
book occurs during an early deployment when, as
a young ensign, Schratz first encounters the sub's
executive officer, Lt. Cmdr. Reginald M. "Reggie"
Raymond. Schratz writes, "From that instant I realized that he was a very special person, the most
dynamic and inspiring naval officer I would ever
know. Every detail of that first meeting is still clear,
even the furniture in the room. There was no doubt
in my mind that somehow knowing him would
change my life."
One of the greatest lessons I've learned in life
is that it's difficult to grow smart, skilled, and wise
unless you're exposed to someone who's intellectually, spiritually, or emotionally bigger than you. If you
feel you have nothing to learn from anyone or that
no one has anything to teach, it's unlikely that you'll
progress much beyond the moment you adopted
that point of view. This sums up what I believe made
Schratz an effective and admired submarine commander. He knew when others had something to
teach him, and he took the time to learn from them.
So, read aviation psychology, but take the time
to read history, too-especially biographical history.
Both can make you a better pilot.
AOPA
WEB

www.rodmachado.com

http://www.rodmachado.com

AOPA Pilot Magazine - January 2014

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