Team McChord pilot talks on "The Bait"

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Keoni Chavarria
  • 62nd Airlift Wing Public Affairs
JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash. --  Some may think that there are no similarities between a pilot and a boat captain, but one Team McChord member found that some of their responsibilities are not all different.

Capt. Matthew Lund, 8th Airlift Squadron C-17 Globemaster III pilot, shared some of his responsibilities as a pilot on "Captain to Captain," a segment on the show "The Bait," which aired Aug. 18, on the Discovery Channel.

During the taping of the episode, Lund and the boat captains talked about their jobs and some of the things they encounter.

"It's one of those opportunities that don't come around often," said Lund,  "It was an honor to share how mobility Airmen operate day to day and it isn't something that you get to share often, and with people that do similar things."

Lund talked to boat captains on the show and found that they have some similarities such as leading a crew.

"We're both commanders and leaders of our ships, and we lead a crew of people to a specific goal," said Lund. 

All of the captains and Lund also agreed that a crew's trust is imperative in order to have a successful operation.

"We have to trust each other," said Lund. "When things get busy, everybody has a job to do and you don't have the time to have any oversight so we trust each other to complete the task."

According to the captains, while being assertive can be helpful, being open and honest will help their relationship with the crew.

"If you aren't honest, the crew will pick it up and will not trust you or your motives and ultimately, not follow you," said Lund.

This can cause more problems when trying to conduct a mission if there is no trust, he added.

"As the commander of the aircraft or ship, we have a job to accomplish the mission and ensure safety, and at the end of the day that is what we're responsible for," said Lund.

Being direct also has its place though or a crew will not be responsive, he added.

On the show, Sig Hansen, "Deadliest Catch" boat captain, asked Lund, "what's the scariest thing you've been into?"

Thunder storms, replied Lund.

This was also a common fear that the other boat captains said they encounter during their job.

While boat captains catch and transport seafood, and pilots transport supplies, Lund and the boat captains found that there were more similarities in their duties than they previously thought.