Lead Solo: Learning Life's Vectors from an F/A-18 Blue Angel Aviator

“Pull your green ring! Pull your green ring!” That came through loud and clear over the radio despite all the other talking between the various jets and the controllers. It was my Division Leader, one of our Squadron’s most senior pilots, on a night flight during my first period flying off the aircraft carrier. I had unknowingly fallen victim to hypoxia and was minutes, if not seconds, away from dying as I very much intended to softly land in a nearby swamp so I could get some much-needed rest. Moments later, having pulled the green ring resulting in pure oxygen being delivered instantly, I looked outside and said “Holy sh*t. I’m flying. And it’s nighttime.”

From the cockpit of an F/A-18 Hornet, Cdr. Frank Weisser, USN, conveys the lessons he learned flying as the Lead Solo for the Blue Angels, on multiple combat deployments, and as stunt pilot for the blockbuster film Top Gun: Maverick. So, how do you deal with adversity in your daily life? How do organizations and teams deal with it? How do you develop trust? What happens the moment something goes wrong? Each chapter of Lead Solo opens with a flight sequence and describes a lesson, skill, or value that Weisser learned in the sky that subsequently carried him through a life of service with the Navy: finding focus, developing trust, opening communication, overcoming adversity, facing failure, and recognizing courage within oneself. With a focus on the instructors, flight team members, and colleagues who taught and guided him, this short, accessible book contains universal wisdom on how to live thoughtfully, live with courage, and live well.