The Hardest Thing About the FAA Academy, Part Two:
The Power of Five
When I wrapped up the blog last Monday on the hardest thing about the FAA Academy, I thought I was done.
I really did. I figured I'd said what I needed to say and we'd move on. But then something happened.
I was driving to work at the tower, listening to a podcast on the way in — a John Maxwell podcast.
Some of you know the name. He does leadership content, and it's excellent.
The episode I was listening to was called The Power of Five.
And by the time I pulled into the parking lot, I knew I had to do a part two.
So here's the story. And then here's why it matters so much to you.
The Guy With the Axe
John Maxwell tells a story about going out into his backyard and deciding he wants to cut down a tree. So he picks up an axe, takes five swings at the tree, puts the axe down, and goes back inside.
The next day, same thing. Five swings. Back inside.
He does this every single day, and eventually — you already know where this is going — the tree falls down.
Simple story.
But what he pulls out of it is anything but simple, and when I heard it on the way to work that day, I thought: this is exactly what it takes to get through the FAA Academy. Every piece of it.
So let's go through the five.
One: Have a Clear Goal
In the story, Maxwell knows which tree he wants to cut down. He's not wandering around the backyard wondering what to do. He has a target.
When you get to the academy, your goal is not complicated: pass.
That's it. Pass the academy.
It's tangible, it's specific, it's achievable. Write it down if you have to. Say it out loud. Know exactly what you're working toward, because everything else on this list depends on it.
Two: Use the Right Tool
Maxwell makes a point that really stuck with me. What if instead of an axe, he'd grabbed a baseball bat? Sure, maybe eventually you'd wear the tree down. But it would take forever, and the whole time you'd be fighting against the wrong instrument.
At the academy, the FAA gives you a lot of tools.
Instructors, leads, A leads, curriculum — there's a whole structure built around helping you succeed. Your job is to recognize those tools for what they are and actually use them.
Not all tools are created equal, and not everything someone outside the academy hands you is going to serve you the way the right tools will.
Be smart about what you're picking up and swinging.
Three: Take Action
This one sounds obvious, but you'd be surprised how many students don't really grasp it until it's too late.
You can have the clearest goal in the world. You can have the best tools sitting right in front of you. But if you're not swinging the axe — if you're just sharpening it, thinking about it, reading about it, talking about it — the tree doesn't move. Not even a little.
At the academy, taking action means practicing.
It means running the non-radar problems out loud.
It means drilling the phraseology until it's automatic.
It means opening the book and actually studying for the tests instead of telling yourself you'll get to it later.
Without action, passing the academy stays a dream.
With it, it becomes a goal. And goals are things you can actually reach.
Four: Stay Focused
This is the one that I've watched derail more students than almost anything else. And I want to tell you a story that illustrates exactly what I mean.
I had two students in the same class — this was right around COVID. One had come from a CTI school, one had come out of the military. Both of them walked in confident, ready to go.
Then COVID hit, they sent everybody home, we shifted to Zoom for a month or so, and then eventually brought everyone back to Oklahoma City.
During that time away from the building, one student stayed locked in. He kept studying, kept working, kept his eye on the target.
The other student took his eyes off of his goal. He DID have a lot of distraction going on and it was somewhat understandable that he was not focusing on the Academy.
But the difference in outcomes between those two students was stark.
One passed. One didn't. And it wasn't about ability. It was about focus.
The academy is not something most people can get through on autopilot.
It takes everything you've got for those three months.
Your family will understand. Your friends will still be there when you're done.
But right now, for this window of time, passing the academy has to be your main thing.
Not one of your main things.
The main thing.
And this applies inside the scenarios too. When you're running a non-radar problem or working a radar eval, or working in the tower sim, or TRACON sim, the principle is the same: find the thing that needs doing, focus on it completely, finish it, and then move to the next one.
Don't let your eyes drift to the other tree.
Five: Be Consistent
Every day. Five swings. Same tree.
Maxwell doesn't take fifty swings on Monday and then skip Tuesday through Friday.
He doesn't go out on Saturday and stare at the tree and call that progress.
He shows up every single day and does the work.
That's what makes the tree fall.
Not intensity on one day — consistency across all of them.
At the academy, that means starting a study group with your classmates from day one. From day one.
Actually, if you can, start before day one.
A lot of you are going through basics together — take advantage of that. Get a group going online before you even land in Oklahoma City. Then when you get there, keep it going.
Here's something I've seen over and over that I want you to really understand: the best way to cement what you're learning is to help someone else learn it.
If you want to truly lock in a concept, teach it to a classmate. Explain the rule. Walk them through the phraseology. Quiz them.
The act of teaching forces your own understanding to get sharper. It works every time.
I've watched classes finish their non-radar evals and then just... stop studying together. The group dissolves. Everybody goes back to their room and figures they'll grind solo through the radar phase.
And some of them make it, but a lot of them don't. And then I've watched other classes do the exact opposite — they finish non-radar and find new things to study together. They drill point-out phraseology. They challenge each other on keyboard entries. They push each other all the way to the last eval day.
Those classes help each other succeed. And the ones who give the most tend to gain the most.
Consistency all the way through.
Not just when it's easy.
Not just when you feel like it.
Every day.
Don't Give Away Points You'll Need Later
I want to shift gears here and talk about something very practical, because I've seen it cost students the academy.
There's a map test that comes in about two and a half weeks into your time there. It's worth two points. And every single class, someone says: it's only two points. I've heard it a hundred times. And I've also watched students miss passing the entire academy by less than a point.
I had a student — this was near the end of my time at the academy — who came into the breakout room after his last eval. He was so excited. Walked through the door, huge smile. And he looked across the room at one of his classmates who was sitting there crying.
This guy had missed passing by one single point on his last eval. One point. The FAA kept him waiting for over an hour while they went back through everything — every eval, every score — trying to find a way to give him that point. And in the end, they couldn't. The deductions were legitimate. There was nothing to be done.
So when they tell you the map test is only worth two points — it's worth two points.
Treat every point like it might be the one that saves you.
The breakdown, for those of you doing en route, looks like this: the tests add up to 20 points, the non-radar evals are worth 14, and that leaves 66 points sitting on those final two radar eval days. You need 70 to pass. Could you go into your radar evals with four points on the board and still technically pass? Mathematically, yes.
We used to joke about that. But don't try it.
I've watched students who were in the top five of their class absolutely blow a radar eval and end up at a facility that wasn't their first choice.
Don't let that be you.
When You Don't Score What You're Used To
Here's the other piece of this I want to leave you with, because it connects to everything we've talked about.
I had a student in one of my classes who came out of her first radar eval looking devastated. I happened to be in the hallway — I wasn't supposed to have contact with students on eval days, but I could see her face. I asked how it went and she gave me two thumbs down. Then she came over and I asked what her score was.
Sixty.
She was in tears. And I looked at her and I said: 60 is not bad. Not for your first radar eval. The first time in that lab, doing that problem, with all that pressure — it is the hardest one. Not because the problem itself is the most complex, but because it's the first time.
The others get easier, even when they're technically harder, because you've been in there before.
I tried to reassure her that she still had evals left, that this wasn't the end, that she had what it took.
One of the FAA supervisors came out of the lab just as we were talking, and I explained we hadn't discussed the problem itself. He just nodded and said: "Well, apparently that's what she needed to hear."
The next day, after all the radar evals were done, she passed. And I'll tell you — the hug I got from that young lady was the biggest one I ever got as an instructor.
Here's the point. You're not used to scoring 60.
Maybe you're not even used to scoring 70.
The academy operates on a different scale than anything you've done before.
A 70 is passing. A 60 on your first radar eval is not a disaster.
Don't let a number on one day make you forget the goal, set down the tool, stop swinging, or lose your consistency.
The power of five works.
I've watched it work.
Keep swinging.
As always, if you've got questions, reach out at tomhaynes@sidebysideatc.com. Leave a comment, share this with someone who needs it, and remember — you don't have to navigate this journey alone. Let's do it side by side.
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Pre-Academy
If you are heading to the Academy in the next few months, I put together a structured 90-day preparation blueprint that walks you through exactly what to focus on each month before you go. It's designed to help reduce shock and build confidence before day one. You can download it at: sidebysideatc.com/page/blueprint .
I also have a video where I explain the different things that are on the enroute Non-Radar Map. You can get that video at: sidebysideatc.com/page/map-video .
Already at the Academy
If you are already in the enroute radar portion of the Academy and feeling a little behind or lost, I have a 72-Hour Radar Recovery Plan that will help you get past those feelings and start building confidence. You can download that at : sidebysideatc.com/page/72-hourplan .
If you are interested in my Coaching Programs, you can get information at :
or
sidebysideatc.com/page/radar-recovery if you are needing help with the beginning of enroute radar.
Mentorship Program
For information about my mentorship program : https://sidebysideatc.com/page/mentorship
Questions
You can email me questions, or comments, at: tomhanes@sidebysideatc.com .
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