• What is your background in aviation?

• How did you become interested in pursuing aviation?

• When did you start considering aviation as a career option?

• What education did you have that was relevant to your experience in aviation?

• How was the transition from your prior education or career to your experience in aviation?

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• How did you decide to become a pilot?

• What was your first experience flying?

• Can you remember any specific details about your first experience flying (e.g., the reason for the flight, the other people on the plane, the make and model of the aircraft)?

• What is your favorite memory of flying?

• What was your most challenging flight, and why?

• What is your favorite aircraft that you’ve ever flown?

• What is your favorite feature of any aircraft you’ve ever flown?

• How would you describe your relationship with your fellow pilots?

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• Did you enlist or were you drafted?

• What do you remember about the day you enlisted or were drafted?

• In which branch, location, and role(s) did you serve, and, if applicable, how did you make those choices?

• How did you tell your family and friends that you were joining the military?

• Do you have any veterans among your family or friends?

• What were the main responsibilities of your role and, if applicable, during which war did you serve?

• Were there other roles in the military that interested you and, if so, how did you decide between them and the role you ultimately chose?

• Did you attend a military academy and, if so, how would you characterize that experience?

• What was basic training like?

• What training did you receive before being allowed to fly?

• Can you remember any specific details about your first military flight?

• What is your most cherished memory of serving in the military?

• Which specific traits do you think contribute to success as a military pilot?

• What advice would you have for aspiring military pilots?

• Do you have any memories of major historical events that occurred during your time in the military?

• What do you consider as your greatest achievement in the military?

• What was your experience cultivating mentoring relationships in the military (with mentors and mentees)?

• Is there a particular veteran, historical or contemporary, that you consider a personal hero?

• How did you bond with your fellow veterans during your service?

• How did you and your fellow veterans support each other through hardship?

• Do you have a memory of a time when you felt admiration or pride for a fellow veteran?

• How did you spend your free time during your service?

• How did you stay in contact with your loved ones back home during your service?

• How did you enjoy the location(s) in which you served?

• What are the most important life lessons you learned during your service or from your fellow veterans?

• What was the greatest challenge you faced during your service and how did you overcome it?

• What aspect of your service makes you the most proud?

• Are there any opportunities that you wish you’d taken during your service and, if so, why?

• Is there a particular misconception about military service that you’d like to correct?

• What is the best advice you’ve been given by a fellow veteran?

• Do you reunite or stay in contact with the veterans with whom you served?

• Is there a fellow veteran with whom you wish you kept better in touch and, if so, why?

• Do you celebrate Veterans Day or Memorial Day and, if so, how?

• Have you kept any cherished mementos from your service?

• What do you miss the most about your time in the military, and what are you glad to have left behind?

• What was it like to return to civilian life after your military career?

• How have you approached talking to civilians about your military career?

• Has your service impacted the way that you’re viewed or treated in the civilian world?

• Has your service affected your thinking about war or the military in general?

• Have you pursued non-military aviation activities after completing your service?

• What civilian career have you pursued and how has your military experience informed your civilian career?

• What are your long-term goals in your civilian career?

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• What was your first job in the aviation industry, and when, why, and how did you acquire it?

• Did you have prior experience in aviation before your first job in aviation?

• Which jobs have you had in the aviation industry?

• What is the most rewarding aspect of your current job?

• Can you describe a typical day in your current job?

• What was your experience cultivating mentoring relationships in the aviation industry (with mentors and mentees)?

• What do you wish you knew at the beginning of your aviation career?

• Which specific traits do you think contribute to success in the aviation industry?

• What is the best advice you’ve been given by a fellow aviation professional?

• What do you consider as your greatest achievement in the aviation industry?

• What was the greatest challenge you faced during your aviation career and how did you overcome it?

• What set of skills have you honed the most during your aviation career, and how did you hone them?

• How would you characterize your leadership or management style?

• What distinguishes the aviation industry from other industries?

• If you could change one aspect of the aviation industry, what would it be and why?

• What are your long-term career goals in the aviation industry?