Lead Solo: Learning Life's Vectors from an F/A-18 Blue Angel Aviator
Frank Weisser
May 2025 · Naval Institute Press
Ebook
152
Pages
reportRatings and reviews aren’t verified Learn More
About this ebook
“Pull your green ring! Pull your green ring!” That came through loud and clear over the radio despite all the other talking between the various jets and the controllers. It was my Division Leader, one of our Squadron’s most senior pilots, on a night flight during my first period flying off the aircraft carrier. I had unknowingly fallen victim to hypoxia and was minutes, if not seconds, away from dying as I very much intended to softly land in a nearby swamp so I could get some much-needed rest. Moments later, having pulled the green ring resulting in pure oxygen being delivered instantly, I looked outside and said “Holy sh*t. I’m flying. And it’s nighttime.”
From the cockpit of an F/A-18 Hornet, Cdr. Frank Weisser, USN, conveys the lessons he learned flying as the Lead Solo for the Blue Angels, on multiple combat deployments, and as stunt pilot for the blockbuster film Top Gun: Maverick. So, how do you deal with adversity in your daily life? How do organizations and teams deal with it? How do you develop trust? What happens the moment something goes wrong? Each chapter of Lead Solo opens with a flight sequence and describes a lesson, skill, or value that Weisser learned in the sky that subsequently carried him through a life of service with the Navy: finding focus, developing trust, opening communication, overcoming adversity, facing failure, and recognizing courage within oneself. With a focus on the instructors, flight team members, and colleagues who taught and guided him, this short, accessible book contains universal wisdom on how to live thoughtfully, live with courage, and live well.
From the cockpit of an F/A-18 Hornet, Cdr. Frank Weisser, USN, conveys the lessons he learned flying as the Lead Solo for the Blue Angels, on multiple combat deployments, and as stunt pilot for the blockbuster film Top Gun: Maverick. So, how do you deal with adversity in your daily life? How do organizations and teams deal with it? How do you develop trust? What happens the moment something goes wrong? Each chapter of Lead Solo opens with a flight sequence and describes a lesson, skill, or value that Weisser learned in the sky that subsequently carried him through a life of service with the Navy: finding focus, developing trust, opening communication, overcoming adversity, facing failure, and recognizing courage within oneself. With a focus on the instructors, flight team members, and colleagues who taught and guided him, this short, accessible book contains universal wisdom on how to live thoughtfully, live with courage, and live well.
About the author
Frank Weisser, Commander, USN (Ret.), is a two-time Blue Angels pilot who was deployed in combat three times, including to Afghanistan and Iraq. He accumulated more than five thousand flight hours in military jets and performed nearly five hundred carrier-arrested landings. He earned a master’s degree in systems analysis from the Naval Postgraduate School in September 2009. His decorations include multiple Meritorious Service medals, Strike Flight air medals, and various personal and unit awards. Because of his experience flying at extreme low altitudes and inverted, he was the pilot for the most complex and memorable air combat scenes in Top Gun: Maverick.
Rate this ebook
Tell us what you think.
Reading information
Smartphones and tablets
Install the Google Play Books app for Android and iPad/iPhone. It syncs automatically with your account and allows you to read online or offline wherever you are.
Laptops and computers
You can listen to audiobooks purchased on Google Play using your computer's web browser.
eReaders and other devices
To read on e-ink devices like Kobo eReaders, you'll need to download a file and transfer it to your device. Follow the detailed Help Center instructions to transfer the files to supported eReaders.
