Originally Posted by
ForeverFO
That's the kind of story they'd like to hear in an interview.
Don't misunderstand me... fighter guys are desirable because they have shown that they have the leadership skills and decision-making ability to make the transition, and do so with relative ease. But that skill set is a bit different.
A fighter lead is very used to doing everything on his own, while simultaneously leading others, being directive, and making decisions for the group. These are useful and powerful skills. But they bear little resemblance to what is so heavily emphasized in a Bus or 7X7 cockpit, whereby the CA directs, the FO provides useful input, and both divide the tasks to accomplish a goal, like dealing with a complex emergency or coordinating a divert with bad wx and diminishing fuel.
I was hired with 1500 PIC, all in fighter aircraft, and the transition was not difficult, but I did have to un-learn a few things. "No, that's the Pilot-Flying function, you're pilot-momitoring." and "Ask the CA before you bleed the engine or change aircraft configuration" etc.
The military has been pushing single-seat CRM since at least '95 (that is when it started to hit my community). The FAA teaches single pilot CRM in its courses. Sometimes you have the same obstacles with pilots who have not been brought up in that culture to understand the concept as you had push back initially from people in the different communities who thought CRM only applied to a multi-person cockpit.
After 20+ years of single-seat flying, I found the transition to a multi-person cockpit an initial challenge. I had to learn to let go of certain responsibilities (comm having always been one of the hardest for me to let go) and to involve the *crew* more in decision making - whereas even with single-seat CRM (especially in an instructor role), the decision making was firmly in the hands of the formation leader/IP for example.