Looking Outside Flying: Ricardo Nunes, Airline Pilot

Are some people simply more cut out to take on big responsibilities, where lives are at stake, or is it actually just good training? In this episode of Looking Outside, we explore the mindset and skills of preparedness in Flying with commercial airline pilot, Ricardo Nunes.

Being responsible for hundreds of people on the plane is not something Ricardo takes for granted. While many of us would find that extreme level of responsibility crippling, Ricardo says the confidence comes from understanding the weight of the responsibility, and taking that seriously by training for the worst.

Ricardo describes how preparation has been pivotal to surviving challenges faced in his aviation career and prior to that, before he crossed to ‘the dark side’, when he flew Search and Rescue helicopters for the Portuguese Air Force. It’s all in the training, Ricardo stresses, as while the scenarios faced are different, the way to think through them is the same.

Jo and Ricardo also explore the intersection of flying and foresight, in how anticipatory thinking allows you to ‘fly ahead of the plane’. Explaining that the mindset is similar in the military as in foresight, particularly in leveraging methods like scenario planning, Ricardo says constantly testing out different pathways in flight means he is prepared for unforeseen situations so that when a tough decision has to be made, its already been thought-through.

While the life of a pilot may seem both illustrious and solitary, the success of the airline industry and its crew is entirely dependent on being humble and highly communicative. Ricardo explains how airlines strictly follow a “just culture”; where decisions, omissions and actions are reported or called out without reprimand. It is only by showing, not hiding, mistakes that the airline industry maintains a culture of trust and builds on knowledge that leads to its incredible safety record.

Ricardo also speaks to how this kind of approach in pushing yourself into complex and challenging situations, and consistently training for them, makes you a better person … one who is less prone to panic in the moment, and one who can enjoy a unique life (for example, where you get the travel the world). Train hard and fight easy, as they say in the military.

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To look outside, Ricardo says to talk to someone different; someone who doesn’t do what you do for a living or doesn’t think the same way. Sometimes you need an outsider view to help you think outside the box.

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Ricardo Nunes is a former Portuguese Air Force pilot turned commercial airline pilot with a passion for foresight and scenario planning.

Ricardo began his career in 2005 in the Portuguese Air Force, where he flew various fixed and rotary-wing aircraft, including the DHC-1 Chipmunk, TB-30 Epsilon, Allouette 3, and EH101 Merlin. He flew numerous Search and Rescue (SAR) missions, eventually becoming a SAR captain in 2011.

In 2013, Ricardo transitioned to the civilian world, where he now logs thousands of flight hours aboard Airbus A320/321 aircraft, connecting Lisbon to destinations in Europe, Africa, and the Americas with over 5,000 flight hours under his belt.

But flying is not Ricardo's only passion. He is also a founding member of the Portuguese Foresight Association, a non-profit organization established by like-minded individuals to promote foresight and future studies in Portuguese society. 

Despite his busy schedule, Ricardo remains true to his Lisbon roots, where he was born and raised. He holds a Master of Science in Air Transport Management from City, University of London, and post-graduates degrees in Foresight, Strategy, and Innovation from the Lisbon School of Economics (ISEG), and in Management from the NOVA School of Business and Economics.

He has never lost his love for flying or his desire to make a difference in the world.

• Follow Ricardo on LinkedIn
• Learn more about the Portuguese Foresight Association
• Hear more about Ricardo's love of Lisbon and flying on the Portugal: A Simple Life podcast
• Buy the book Ricardo mentions about how the aviation industry learns from its failures - Black Box Thinking by Matthew Syed

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Looking Outside is a podcast dedicated to exploring fresh perspectives of familiar business topics. The show is hosted by its creator, Joanna Lepore, consumer goods innovator and futurist at McDonald's. Find out more at looking-outside.com.

Connect with Jo and join the Looking Outside community on LinkedIn.

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All views are that of the host and guests and don’t necessarily reflect those of their employers. Copyright 2023.

OBOY and Ian Kelosky music features in Episode 38.