ASOG Article of the Month | August 2025
Source | Patrick Ryan
We looked at the concept of backend leadership in Part I (July 2025), outlining its characteristics, significance, and function in airborne operations. That idea is now brought to life in Part II (August 2025) through the made-up tale of Recon Riggins, a seasoned aerial sensor operator whose quiet leadership and constant presence from the mission bay prove to be just as important as any order from the cockpit.
Recon Riggins enjoyed the fact that he wasn't a well-known figure in aviation. However, his name was well-known among those who had flown with him, including energy corridor crews, fire mapping pilots, law enforcement air units, and scientific remote sensing teams.
Riggins was not a pilot. He didn't sit up front making flight plans or giving orders. His domain was the mission bay of a modified turboprop survey aircraft, tucked away behind hyperspectral arrays, lidar consoles, and dual screens. To his crew, he was more than just his official title of Senior Sensor Operator; he was a silent pillar of every successful sortie.
The Pre-Fire
At 02:30, the call was received. A rural community close to the state line was in danger after a swift-moving wildfire crossed a ridge line. Prior to sunrise, the regional fire coordination center requested aerial thermal mapping. With a weary crew and an equally weary contract pilot, Kate Rowe, Recon was wheels-up at 0415.
Tension filled the plane like smoke as they climbed over the western slope to 12,000 feet. The mission tasking had changed again in mid-flight, visibility was poor, and communications were disorganized. The swath of the mapping had almost doubled.
Over the intercom, Kate sighed in frustration. "This is crazy. If we don't skip calibration, we won't have time for both zones.
Calmly, Riggins keyed his microphone. "Let's give Sector Bravo priority. On the second pass, I'll manually realign. In order to clean the active fire head, we will lose 3% of the coverage on the edge.
Kate hesitated. "Are you certain you can do that?"
"The offset is already being built. With Riggins' eyes sweeping over a deluge of heat signatures, data overlays, and fluctuating wind vectors, he responded, "I'll feed you lateral cueing in real-time."
She didn't answer verbally. She simply trusted him and banked the plane.
Clarity in Chaos
Later that morning, a forestry agency operations director returned to mission control and inquired as to how they had managed to create such intricate overlays in a single pass. Without hesitation, the pilot gestured to Riggins.
She said, "He always knows what needs to be done, but he never tells you what to do."
Riggins simply shrugged. "The burn front remained mapped, and we had the data we required at the appropriate resolution. That is the only thing that counts.
He failed to disclose how he had adjusted communications to support a simultaneous relay to ground teams, reprogrammed the mapping grid in mid-flight, and matched sensor gain to the intensity of the thermal signatures. Presence, not power, is leadership.
You Have to Earn Trust
A new crew joined the operation two weeks later. A new contractor, a hotshot from a UAV program, manned the sensor seat. He was undoubtedly technically proficient, but he remained silent when the brief became tense because the flight crew and the customer had different mission goals.
Riggins took over. "We're flying a strategic scan route, but we're being asked for tactical-grade overlays. We are unable to satisfy both demands. Suggest that the aircraft be re-tasked for a high-angle sortie this evening after giving priority to the corridor scan.
No one had inquired about his thoughts. However, he did so with operational clarity and with respect. The flight leader gave a nod. The customer gave in. Expectations were clear as the mission moved forward.
Then the younger operator came up to him. "How can you tell when it's acceptable to speak up?"
Riggins grinned. "When the mission would fail if you remained silent."
The Silent People
Recon Riggins didn't pursue stripes or command positions. He led without a call sign or a clipboard. However, he brought with him a greater influence, initiative, situational awareness, and unwavering professionalism in high-pressure situations.
He never raised his voice when things went wrong. He became the calming influence in the cockpit when tensions rose. He viewed the mission as a team effort that depended on accuracy, coordination, and clarity rather than merely a data run. Backend leadership is that.
Post Mission Debrief
Although Riggins isn't real, the kind of professional he represents is. Every flight is led by mission-critical personnel, including sensor operators, tactical mission specialists, and airborne technicians like "Recon," frequently without rank. Frequently, without acknowledgment. But always with a big impact.
The next time you fly and notice the mission running smoothly, the course staying true, and the crew working in harmony like a practiced orchestra….look to the back of the aircraft. That’s where you’ll often find your true leader.
Comments