Recommended Reading for Professional Development
A big slice of professionalism is constant striving for perfection or improvement – and an important component of that is seeking out new information and new ways of looking at things.
If you haven’t read a book or article since you passed your ag rating exam, then you really can’t lay claim to professionalism in air ag. A thirst for knowledge should be a pre-requisite for all ag pilots, especially when the risks – your aircraft, its engine, low flying, powerlines, drift, droplet behaviour, chemicals, clients, your bank – can all be better managed the more you know about them.
It doesn’t really matter if it is philosophy, self-improvement, droplet research, flying safety or agronomy – often it is taking the time to read and think that helps you break through seemingly unrelated problems or challenges.
As I often say to my ‘colleagues’ in CASA – being a pilot does not mean you have had training in business, finance, policy, tax, OH&S, politics, marketing or a host or other areas essential to running a modern air ag business (or a government agency).
But an important ability is to take a lesson from an unrelated area – often totally removed from what you do every day – and apply that innovatively in everyday situations.
The day you stop learning and changing – in business, politics, flying or life – is the day the world passes you by.
Happy reading!