You're 30? Initial post seems to be much, much younger.


You want to be the best? A majority of the guys you work with had the same goal. Many are very good. A few are known to be amongst the best.

Is anyone the 'best'? Probably not. How do you define it? Classmate, now Bg. General, probably finished in the middle, or perhaps bottom half, of our pilot class. Impressive guy but would you call him the best? Pilot? No. Officer? His record says yes. Was he considered the best officer in UPT? No.


There's too many facets to say 'he's the best'. Some excellent Captains didn't have the best hands. Some of the best hands aren't the best systems guys or the best Captains. And noone is perfect 100% of the time.


And trying to stay amongst the best is a constant effort at learning and developing your skills/knowledge. So if you're one of the best and you learn more were you that good before you reached your new knowledge level??? The 'best' guys realize they're still learning and that there's ALWAYS someone out there that knows more about them in specific areas. The best realize that and try to tap into that guy's knowledge base to improve their skill/knowledge.


So who's the best if the best has to learn from someone else?? Or needs someone else's knowledge or experience? Collectively, working as a team, they're very good. That's the concept of a crew. No one has ALL the answers but collectively the crew is smarter than any one individual. Leadership is realizing who's right and tapping into that ability for the betterment of the crew/flight.


And you think you want it more than the next guy? It's not like every guy ahead of you just got here by dumb luck with no skills and without personal drive. If anything you'll be amazed at how accomplished your coworkers are both in flying and in life.


Friend had the best scores on a winning Gunsmoke team. Did he think he was the best? Absolutely not. Sometimes it's timing. He, and probably the entire squadron, thought the #2 and #3 scorers on the team were better and #4 was debatable. The other guys did back breaking work and had more experience which really improved the team. He was very good but admittedly got 'hot' when it mattered. Was he the best that week? Yes. Does he believe that he's 'better' than the other guys? Never. He could have won but he accepted coming in second overall in a successful effort to have the TEAM win. So even an opportunity to be 'the best' has to be balanced against what's best for the team, the crew, or the flight.


Good luck trying to be the best. It's ability, dedication, experience, continuing education, and sometimes luck and timing to be able to develope or prove yourself. And in the end the good guys realize they're not the best but hopefully amongst that group and are striving to be better AND sharing the knowledge they gain with their peers.


And then, when you're near the peak, full of wisdom but facing the decline of age, you realize there's some young, sharp, driven kid, that is up and coming and wants your place. Do you resent it or do you reach down and offer your hand??? Or would you say "I'm here to be the best, I don't care if the team loses" and put yourself ahead of your teammates, even if it cost everyone a Gunsmoke victory?