Debrief /

After graduating from the U.S. Naval Academy, Lea Gabrielle served in the Navy for 12 years—seven of them as a pilot, progressing up to the F/A-18C Hornet. After leaving the Navy she transitioned into journalism and now is a correspondent for Fox News in New York City. Gabrielle owns and flies
a Cessna 172.

GETTING STARTED…I was a freshman or plebe at the Naval Academy and I saw the Blue Angels perform. It occurred to me while watching that I should stop dreaming about flying F/A-18s and make it my goal instead. Looking back, I worked hard but was also pretty lucky—I was the only person from my primary flight class selected to fly jets.

EARLY CHALLENGES…Unlike driving, you can’t just pull over to read the manual or look at a map! I learned that the best pilots are the ones who thoroughly prepare before they get in the cockpit—but then trust their knowledge, training, and instincts once they’re in the air.

HARDEST LESSON…You can never let someone outside of your cockpit fly your airplane. Study, prepare, take in all the information from both outside and inside your cockpit, and trust yourself and your instincts.

AVIATION ACTIVITY…Other than flying itself, I love kitesurfing. The kite is essentially a wing that you fly to power you and pull you through the water. I have been kitesurfing for 13 years, and it is one of my top passions in life.

FAVORITE AIRPLANE…Hands down the F/A-18C! Single-seat, supersonic, one of the best fighters in the world. There’s nothing on Earth like kicking it into afterburners and pointing straight up.

ADVICE FOR STUDENTS…I never relax in an airplane I’m piloting. No matter how easy the flight plan seems, or how nice the weather is, I’m constantly checking my systems, looking for where I would put the plane down in an emergency, and thinking about the “what ifs.” Be good at the basics and know how to navigate without all the fancy gizmos and gadgets—use the extra technology to back yourself up.

Who: Lea Gabrielle
Age: 39
Occupation: Fox News correspondent
Hours: 1,117
Aircraft flown: T-34, T-45, T-2, F/A-18C, Cessna 172
Most Memorable experience: Her first carrier landing. “There’s just no way to describe it.”

Gabrielle flew combat missions during Operation Enduring Freedom in 2002.