Book Review - Tanker Pilot: Lessons From The Cockpit by Mark Hasara

It’s a rare memoir that can straddle appeal to both general and special interest audiences. Tanker Pilot: Lessons From The Cockpit by Mark Hasara is one such book. Mark packs lessons from his career as a USAF KC-135 pilot in a way that is both revealing to any avgeek with an interest in the inner workings of military aviation, and valuable to anyone seeking new perspectives on learning, leadership, and life.

Air Force tanker crews have a saying: “No one kicks ass without tanker gas.” Mr. Hasara’s career, which spanned from the late ‘80s during the end of the Cold War to the early ‘00s with the War on Terror in Afghanistan and Iraq, is peppered with specific anecdotes proving the truth of that statement. I knew air tanking was essential to military operations, I just didn’t realize how essential until reading this book.

For examples, there’s a story in the book from the 1991 Gulf War where Mr. Hasara’s flight picks up a group of F-16s returning from strikes into Iraq. Without in-flight refueling, none of the aircraft would have been capable of making it back to base. A much later chapter discussing the logistical planning required to get U.S. Navy F/A-18Cs safely from aircraft carrier to strike target and back during the Second Iraq War is even more illuminating. Strike aircraft loaded down with weapons burn a lot of fuel.

Mr. Hasara was also an avid photographer during his career. The book contains two fantastic picture blocks featuring air-to-air pictures taken by him and other aviators during some missions. These pictures are a treat for anyone interested in military aviation, depicting some fantastic candid aviation moments.

A Kadena based KC-135R refuels an 18th Aggressor Squadron F-16C. The Young Tigers were one of the squadrons that Mr. Hasara was assigned to during his career. Public Domain Wikipedia][[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[

One of the other neat things about this book is the inclusion of a life lesson at the end of each chapter. Each anecdote is selected not just for its own interest and the coherence of a career narrative, but also to illustrate a lesson that extends far beyond the cockpit. Just because we may never find ourselves at the controls of a multi-million dollar flying fuel station doesn’t mean that the lessons learned there can’t translate into our daily lives.

One particular quote from an early lesson that has stuck with me: “Disciplining ourselves through creating habits leads to healthier and happier lives, increased productivity, and greater effectiveness in our work.” Talk about a lesson that dovetails with what I’m trying to do in my own life with running, Bullet journaling, and other focused productivity improvements!

I won’t be passing this particular book onto my kids. Mainly because this is the rare book in my collection where I want my children to each have their own copies. These are going to be tucked away in a drawer, along with a few similar items, waiting for the right time to be presented to each child.

Definitely a worthwhile purchase for anyone with an interest in military aviation, and also well worth the time for anyone looking to improve themselves.