Debrief /

David Morrell describes himself as a “Method-actor kind of novelist.” When he’s researching a novel, he’ll often become proficient in the topic to make the details authentic. So in 2008, while researching The Skimmer—about the mysterious Marfa Lights in West Texas—he took flying lessons so that he could write knowledgeably about the small aircraft used to track them. He earned a private pilot certificate and now is working on an instrument rating. His 1972 debut novel, First Blood, introduced the world to a Vietnam veteran named Rambo. He has written 28 novels, six nonfiction books, and numerous short stories.

EARLY CHALLENGES… I have a liberal arts background. In high school, trigonometry and other forms of mathematics gave me a headache. When it came to flying, though, I quickly realized that I needed to expand my mind. The practical application of mathematics soon fascinated me.

HARDEST LESSONS…No news here. The various types of landings gave me trouble. I flew the pattern so many times that I literally dreamed about it. Then one day, I surprised myself by flying the airplane rather than thinking about it.

FAVORITE FLIGHT…My wife and I watched the John Ford/John Wayne film, The Searchers. We were so enchanted by Utah’s Monument Valley that, for my wife’s birthday, I flew her there [from Santa Fe]. Flying over those canyons and spires was breathtaking.

ADVICE FOR STUDENTS…Everyone learns at a different rate. Sometimes I got frustrated because I was stuck in a particular part of my training. But eventually I learned to visualize what I needed to do, to fly the lessons in my imagination. If I paused or got confused in my mind, I knew that the same thing would happen in the air. The items that made me pause are what my instructors and I discussed on the ground and then emphasized in flight.