In this episode of Making Shooters Better, host Terry Vaughan speaks with airline pilot and firearms training innovator Mike Farrell about what happens when aviation safety culture meets firearms education. From flying jets to redesigning how shooters build habits, Mike brings a calm, systems-based approach to training that prioritizes safety and performance under pressure.

His story is unusual, memorable, and packed with practical insight—especially for instructors and shooters who want better outcomes without adding unnecessary risk.

Starting Late and Learning Right

Mike didn’t grow up around firearms. He was already 34 when he had his first structured exposure to shooting, introduced through the Federal Flight Deck Officer program after 9/11. That experience shaped how he views training today.

The program emphasized: 

  • Fundamentals before complexity
  • Long, immersive training days
  • Repetition until habits formed
  • Defensive tactics integrated with shooting

By the end of the week, pilots left competent, safe, and confident—not because they learned flashy techniques, but because the basics were drilled until they became automatic.

Aviation Safety Is Built on Habits

Aviation is unforgiving of mistakes, which is why it relies so heavily on systems, checklists, and shared learning. When something goes wrong, the industry doesn’t hide it—it studies it, distributes the lessons, and changes procedures.

Mike believes firearms training would benefit from adopting that mindset.

Key aviation principles that translate directly to shooting: 

  • People don’t rise to the occasion under stress—they fall back on training
  • Habits matter more than intentions
  • Consistency reduces decision-making errors
  • Mental health support improves safety for everyone

Stress Changes Everything

Under pressure, fine motor skills degrade and cognition narrows. Mike explains that stress exposes training shortcuts instantly.

A few hard truths: 

  • Bad reps stick faster than good ones
  • Unsafe habits formed in training appear under pressure
  • Comfort-only training creates fragile skills

That’s why Mike advocates for controlled stress in training—timers, scenarios, physical exertion, or problem-solving elements that raise heart rate without sacrificing safety.

The OODA Loop and Decision-Making

Borrowed from aviation and air combat, the OODA loop—Observe, Orient, Decide, Act—offers a simple way to think about defensive encounters.

The goal isn’t perfection. It’s speed of recovery. 

  • Disrupting an adversary’s OODA loop buys time
  • Rehearsed habits shorten your own decision cycle
  • Unexpected events force resets—the trained brain resets faster

As Mike puts it, everyone has a plan until something unexpected happens. Training determines how fast you adapt.

Where Traditional Training Breaks Down

Most firearms education happens in separate environments: 

  • The live-fire range
  • The mat room or scenario space

Each builds useful skills, but problems arise when habits conflict. For example, tolerating poor trigger discipline during role-play because “no one is firing” creates habits that are nearly impossible to erase later.

Bad reps in one environment bleed into every other context.

Turning a Simple Idea into a Training Tool

Mike’s solution was straightforward: make bad reps obvious.

By adding immediate feedback when a finger enters the trigger guard at the wrong time, instructors and students can correct mistakes instantly instead of discovering them later under live fire.

Over time, user feedback refined the concept into a training tool that: 

  • Alerts instructors immediately
  • Helps students self-correct
  • Supports different training standards
  • Reinforces safe habits without fear-based learning

How Instructors Use It Today

The training pistol is now used by: 

  • Law enforcement academies
  • Cadet and explorer programs
  • Private instructors
  • Dry-fire and simulator environments

Instructors appreciate being able to trust students during independent practice. Students appreciate objective feedback that doesn’t rely on memory or interpretation.

Practical Takeaways for Shooters and Instructors

  • Prioritize fundamentals before complexity
  • Eliminate bad reps as early as possible
  • Train under controlled stress
  • Standardize gear and procedures
  • Seek honest feedback and outside instruction

Watch the Full Conversation

This episode goes far deeper than any summary can capture. From importing a Russian jet trainer to breaking down how habits form under stress, Mike connects aviation and firearms training in a way that’s practical, grounded, and refreshingly honest. Watching the full conversation gives you the context, examples, and nuance that make these lessons stick.

If you train others—or train yourself seriously—this is an episode worth your time.

You can follow Mike Farrell and Smart Firearms Training Devices on Instagram and Facebook to see how these ideas continue to evolve in real-world training environments.

Follow Mike and Smart Firearms Training Devices:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/smartfirearmstrainingdevices/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SmartFirearms

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