The full story
A dream come true
For as long as I can remember, I have always wanted to become a Fighter Pilot. As a kid, my grandmother, would often take me to airshows, where I was totally enthralled by all the jets zipping by. This passion drove me to join the Air Force in 1993. After 3 years of blood, sweat and tears, my wings were pinned on and I was on my way to fly the mighty F-16. Dreams do come true when you remain focused and resilient. The life of a Fighter Pilot is however a far cry from the movie "Top Gun".
Living the dream?
The life of a Fighter Pilot is one of discipline and long days... It is one of constant studying and striving for excellence. It is however also one of intense camaraderie, a strong feeling of purpose and belonging. In 2003, I was selected to attend the Fighter Weapon School (the Air Force equivalent to Top Gun). It s a 6 months, highly intense, course where a Fighter Pilots are trained to become experts in their field, but more importantly, where Fighter Pilots learn to teach and mentor their peers because a team is only as strong as its weakest link. Finally, being a Fighter Pilot also means answering one's nation's call...
A troubled world
It didn't take long before operational deployment started to succeed one another. Initially to conduct operations over the Balkans in the late '90, afterwards in the Middle-East and Libya. During my deployments, I witnessed the impact that shared hardship can have on a team. If channelized appropriately by its leader, it forges strong bonds, trust, and inspires individuals to go above and beyond. As a family we also had the opportunity in 2005 to live 4 years in the USA, where I flew as an instructor pilot for the United States Air Force. Our family grew from two to four while in Tucson Arizona.
First leadership roles
In 2009, I started to transition to leadership roles within my Air Force, which meant attending Staff College. During the following years, I enjoyed leading the F-16 Operations and Evaluation Center. I also served as Test Director for operational testing campaigns whenever we would upgrade our F-16 avionics or weapons. This gave me the opportunity to manage projects with multiple stakeholders, and lead large teams composed of military and civilian personnel from multiple nations.
Nemo Me Impune Lacessit
"No one can harm me unpunished" is the motto of the First Fighter Squadron of the Belgian Air Force. In 2015 I was privileged to received the opportunity to lead the fine men and women of the First Squadron. Leading highly skilled individuals taught me the value of setting the course, being there for them, and most importantly, getting out of their way as they accomplish the mission. Experts hate to be micromanaged and it takes courage from leaders to relinquish control.
Leading in combat
Throughout the second half of my Air Force career, I led multiple operational detachments in combat. Leading people in difficult and sometimes uncertain circumstances made me appreciate the importance for a leader to be able clearly articulate "why" we are doing what we are doing and to remain calm and steady in sometimes chaotic situations, because the team is watching you. During operations not everything goes as planned or wished for... As a leader you are there to support the team, you share their success but own the failure.
Teaching the next generation
Eventually, we returned to the USA as a family. Initially to Maxwell Air Force base where I attended the Air War College and thereafter to Texas where I assumed the role of Senior National Representative for Belgium to the Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot (ENJJPT) program. At ENJJPT we train pilots before sending them to fly their future combat aircraft. I really enjoyed passing on my passion for aviation and live lessons to the next generation of fighter pilots. Upon our return from the USA, it was time to start the next chapter...
Experience matters
In 2023 I started Ad Punctum, however the bug of flying jets was still present... Therefore, alongside my Leadership consulting, I still enjoy flying Fighter Jets, albeit part-time, as an Adversary Air (AdAir) pilot for Top Aces. At Top Aces we help the next generation of fighter pilots to hone their skills by providing them realistic threat replications. To learn more about what we do in the exciting "AdAir" business, you can take a look at www.Topaces.com
Family matters
Finally, all of this would never have been possible without the unwavering support of my family. They endured all the moves, the night flights, the missed birthdays etc. due to all training and combat deployments. I am forever grateful to my amazing wife Elke, and our teenagers, Tristan and Aurélie, without whom I would never have been able to accomplish what I did.