Blake Freedland’s Lessons From the Cockpit

“Being a successful pilot is analogous to being successful in life,” says the senior, who shared insights and skills with students in an Experimental College course

Blake Freedland, A25, will never forget March 10, 2018. He was 15 and his flight instructor was handing over the controls to him for the first time as they cruised above Fort Lauderdale.

“It was exhilarating,” he recalled. “We flew north over Pompano Beach and then west towards the Everglades; I remember everything perfectly. It was the best day of my life.”

Freedland would carry that excitement with him through flight school and the intensive training it took to receive his private pilot’s license at age 17. He was soon piloting a small plane over Florida; observing the beauty of the tropical state from on high, he said, is a favorite excursion. 

This past fall he shared his love of flying with fellow students through a course he created at the Experimental College called Defying Gravity: Exploring Aviation & the Psychology of Flight. The course combined his major in psychology with lessons from his piloting mentors about decision making, compartmentalizing tasks, and maintaining a level head under pressure.

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Blake Freedland likes to surprise his passengers on late-day flights with a maneuver that involves tilting the wing just enough to reveal the setting sun. Video: Courtesy of Blake Freedland

“Pilots rely on trained habits to effectively manage psychological challenges they might face in the cockpit,” he said. “My job was to teach those habits, how they work, and how to see them as big life skills that anyone could benefit from knowing and practicing every day.”

Teaching the course ranks as one of his best Tufts experiences, along with having Tufts President Sunil Kumar accept his offer to join him on a flight where they enjoyed sweeping views of fall foliage. “He’s so supportive of student passions,” Freedland said.

Have you always been fascinated by flying? 

Yes, ever since I can remember. I used to build airplanes out of Legos when I was a toddler. Then I figured I’d teach myself to fly using flight simulation apps on my iPad. I took videos of planes landing so I could learn their techniques. I thought that by the time I got to fly, it would be second nature. What I didn’t account for was the sensation you experience when the plane lifts up and you feel that strong gravitational force. I was not anticipating that at all, but it made me love flying even more!

What prompted you to teach a course at the ExCollege?

I have so many mentors who have made possible my flying experience that I thought it my duty to share what they taught me about aeronautical decision making, or ADM. Even if you’re not into flying, it’s a way of thinking that’s hidden gold. Being a successful pilot is analogous to being successful in life. 

What was your main objective?

The main point I wanted to get across is that pilots depend on what’s called “superior reasoning.” A pilot uses superior reasoning so they are less likely to find themselves in a bad situation where they’ll need to use their superior piloting skills. That kind of good decision making naturally applies to pilots, but it also applies to everyday life. 

What’s an example of superior reasoning?

From the start of flight training, you’re taught to ask: where’s the line between being brave and being stupid? Right now, say, given this weather, if I wanted to fly to Canada, and I have a lot on my mind, including finals, I guess piloting a plane would be brave, but it would also be stupid. Believe me, I cancel more flights than I fly. I always lean to the side of safety, and that comes with practicing superior reasoning. 

What are some other techniques you cover?

I had a fighter pilot come in and talk about compartmentalization. It’s the ability to be in the moment, to make smart aeronautical decisions amid mitigating distractions. And we talked about being situationally aware. I liken that to what musicians do. Musicians can’t improvise on a song until they know that song front and back. In the same way, if you’re not situationally aware of everything around you as a pilot—from the aircraft’s position to the weather conditions—you lose the ability to improvise on a flight plan if you need to make a change. 

How did you “test” for thinking like a pilot? 

I gave them scenarios to consider. For instance, you are supposed to fly from Aspen to Denver airport at 8:00 p.m. on a Friday. You had a long week of school and you’re getting over a sinus infection and sore throat. You have to get to Denver by tomorrow evening because you’re the bridesmaid of your best friend. What are you going to do? There were no wrong answers. But really, the right answer is no, don’t go.

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