Chasing the Instruments by Tom Neven on 06/16/2008 at 11:17 AM

Suzanne's recent blog, "For Heaven's Sake, Don't Follow Your Heart," prompted me to rethink a lesson I learned many years ago when learning to fly.

Rookie pilots often make a mistake called "chasing the instruments." They concentrate so much on pegging their altitude, air speed, and compass heading that they keep their eyes focused on the instruments and have no idea what's going on outside the cockpit. But there's an inevitable lag of a half-second or so between the pilot's actions and the instrument's reflecting that action, and as a result the pilot overshoots and then over corrects each action. The plane yo-yos through the sky as if being flown by a drunk.

My first flying epiphany came when I learned to keep my eyes focused outside the cockpit on a point on the horizon, only occasionally glancing at the instruments for confirmation. That made for a much smoother ride. The view outside the cockpit is usually a lot prettier, too.

It's similar to what Jesus said in Luke 9:62: "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God." A good plowman fixes his eyes on a distant point and aims for it. Any looking away, especially to the rear, results in a crooked furrow.

Too much inward focus on feelings and endless internal analysis can become like chasing the instruments. You live a yo-yo life, and you miss the view along the way.

But I know you pilots out there are inevitably saying, "But what about instrument flying?" Yes, I'm aware of that, and it actually reinforces my point. So-called IFR flying (FAA-speak for "instrument flight rules") means you're in conditions where the view outside the cockpit is obscured or nonexistent. In such case, your instruments are your life.

And this is where maturity comes in. No one earns an IFR rating without mastering the basics of VFR (visual flight rules). If you don't know how to take off, turn, navigate and land the airplane by sight, no amount of instrument training will help. In such case, I regard my instruments as being like God's Word. You learn to trust the instruments no matter what your feelings are telling you. (John  F. Kennedy Jr. likely died because he flew into IFR conditions even though he wasn't IFR rated, even after being warned by the tower at his point of departure.) In such conditions, a pilot trusting his feelings instead of his instruments can suffer spatial disorientation and vertigo and put his plane into a death spiral, flying it into the ground as his feelings continue to tell him to pull back on the yoke while the instruments tell him to level the wings. (When in a turn pulling back on the yoke tightens the spiral and reinforces the vertigo.)

In short, I empathize with Suzanne's blog, and her instincts are right. Always trust your instruments and God's Word, especially in murky conditions. But when conditions permit, which is most of the time, don't forget to enjoy the view along the way.

Comments

[1. BDB said the following at 11:44 AM on Jun 16]

1

Hmmm...in ground school they taught us that anytime you get a pre-flight weather briefing, they are likely to say, "VFR Flight Not Recommended." Pretty much any kind of haze or smog would result in that suggestion from the briefer.

But they also talked about how there are two kinds of IFR pilots. First, there are those who completed her IFR rating, but just barely fly in enough bad weather to maintain their rating. They pretty much avoid ever using their instrument skills, flying on VFR as much as possible.

Then there are those IFR pilots who do it for real. They seek out opportunities to fly in bad weathe to hone their skills. Everytime it rains (rare hear in SoCal), they're up in the air.

IFR flying is a discipline, just like prayer, fasting, studying scripture, etc. The more you do it, the better you get at it. Seek out the opportunities to test your faith, and you will learn how to fly under IFR rules even when visibility is great, the sky is clear of clouds, and winds are light and variable...

[2. Noelle M. said the following at 12:00 PM on Jun 16]

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Thanks, Boundless, for taking time to encourage and re-focus twenty-somethings like me. :) It is WAY too easy to get caught up in the instruments, the drama, the tension of being at this point in life. In the midst of all of life's questions that come on the brink of adulthood, you are right: We must keep our eyes of Jesus, the bigger purpose, His broader plan.

Thanks for standing in the gallery and cheering us on!! :)

[3. trying to stay balanced said the following at 12:09 PM on Jun 16]

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With regard to a Kennedy plane crash, don't you mean John Kennedy Jr. not Robert F Kennedy Jr?

[4. Shannon said the following at 12:09 PM on Jun 16]

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Cool article. But John F. Kennedy, Jr., not Robert.

[5. Tom Neven said the following at 12:25 PM on Jun 16]

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Yes, I meant John F. Kennedy Jr., not Robert. (Since corrected.) Thanks to those who pointed it out.

[6. Tami said the following at 12:26 PM on Jun 16]

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As sinful people, we need to have our feelings re-calibrated against the Word of God. I think it's important that we *check* our feelings, not *ignore* them. Your feelings may be what prompts you to check the instrument (the Bible)... and find out you're flying upside down.

We can trust our feelings insofar as they are a reliable indicator of where we're at personally (and it may not be that great of a place)... but not so far as an indicator of how things truly are from God's perspective. Psalm 73 is a great example of this.

"When I pondered to understand this,
It was troublesome in my sight
Until I came into the sanctuary of God..." (vv. 16-17a)

[7. BDB said the following at 12:32 PM on Jun 16]

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My spelling is atrocious today. I need more coffee...

[8. Bonnie said the following at 2:42 PM on Jun 16]

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Great post. When I learned to kayak the concept was the same. My instructor insisted that the best kayakers don't look at the water right in front of them - they look past it so they can keep planning their line. I learned this the hard way. I ran into rocks and eddies and waves bigger than I could handle but that I could have avoided had I been looking ahead. This is incredibly applicable to life. We should always take the time to focus farther out than our instrument panel.

BTW I am jealous...I have always wanted to learn to fly.

[9. Aggie said the following at 6:10 PM on Jun 16]

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Thank you for this, Tom. This is just what I needed today. :)

[10. Sarah P. said the following at 8:15 PM on Jun 16]

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Funny. I was just reading the bit in Matthew where Peter goes for a little journey on the ocean on foot.

It's so easy to lose sight of Jesus.

[11. Autumn said the following at 8:52 PM on Jun 16]

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what a great article...i always enjoy the things that tom writes!

[12. Rachael said the following at 11:33 AM on Jun 17]

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I don't want to focus on the instruments of seeming religiosity -- "works" (very very easy to do) but fine tune the real instruments (time with God) and enjoy the scenery along the way...easier said than done, though, maybe because of a lack of faith or/and cluttered heart idol-distractions and a focus on the self instead of Christ...