--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: To be a great pilot you have to make a…" description: "\"To be a great pilot you have to make a pact with the devil, but don't let him swallow you up.\" — Ernst Udet" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/01d/ernst-udet-107827_devil_to-be-a-great-pilot-you-have-to-make-a-p_3183819.jpg" --- # To be a great pilot you have to make a pact with the… ![“To be a great pilot you have to make a pact with the devil, but don't let him swallow you up.” quote by Ernst Udet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/01d/ernst-udet-107827_devil_to-be-a-great-pilot-you-have-to-make-a-p_3183819.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/01d/ernst-udet-107827_devil_to-be-a-great-pilot-you-have-to-make-a-p_3183819.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/01d/ernst-udet-107827_devil_to-be-a-great-pilot-you-have-to-make-a-p_3183819.jpg) > “To be a great pilot you have to make a pact with the devil, but don't let him swallow you up.” Ernst Udet ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Great pilots must confront danger, but must not be consumed by it; balance ambition with caution. **In simple terms:** Pilots need daring but not to be overwhelmed. Key Takeaway Fly boldly, stay grounded. Themes courage risk skill balance growth Mood determined cautious Type motivational advisory When to use this quote - flight training - career decisions - adventure sports - leadership - risk management Key Concepts aviation psychology self‑control Questions to Reflect On - What risks are you willing to take? - How do you keep ambition in check? A Different Perspective Overconfidence can be fatal. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Devil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/devil/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Pact](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pact/) [Pilot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pilot/) [Pilots](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pilots/) ## Related quotes > [“And so I make a pact with the devil, or in this case, my mommy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristan-higgins/and-so-i-make-a-pact-with-the-devil-or-in-this-case-my-mommy/) [Kristan Higgins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristan-higgins/) > [You get something, but for that you make a pact with the devil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-pilatus/you-get-something-but-for-that-you-make-a-pact-with-the-devil/) [Rob Pilatus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-pilatus/) > [The great thing about a pilot is you can make your mistakes and no-one sees them... Or they see them on iPlayer and it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-widdicombe/the-great-thing-about-a-pilot-is-you-can-make-your-mistakes-and-no/) [Josh Widdicombe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-widdicombe/) > [“Ask Tabby to hack into air traffic control and see which flight has those coordinates.” I point at the screen. “Find out where it’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-t-geissinger/ask-tabby-to-hack-into-air-traffic-control-and-see-which-flight-has/) [J.T. Geissinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-t-geissinger/) > [“Los Angeles signed a pact with the devil and lost its soul a long time ago, you know? It flourishes, but it’s doomed.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tiffanie-debartolo/los-angeles-signed-a-pact-with-the-devil-and-lost-its-soul-a-long/) [Tiffanie DeBartolo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tiffanie-debartolo/) > [Something happened a long time ago in Haiti, and people might not want to talk about it. They were under the heel of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-robertson/something-happened-a-long-time-ago-in-haiti-and-people-might-not-want/) [Pat Robertson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-robertson/) > [ They \[German princes\] made a pact with the devil and landed in hell. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolf-hitler/they-german-princes-made-a-pact-with-the-devil-and-landed-in-hell/) [Adolf Hitler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolf-hitler/) > [There's good and bad in everybody. I wasn't looking for the good, or looking for the bad. This is a man who signed his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-mendes/there-s-good-and-bad-in-everybody-i-wasn-t-looking-for-the-good-or/) [Sam Mendes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-mendes/) > [I still love a great pilot as much as I did the day I started at NBC.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-reilly/i-still-love-a-great-pilot-as-much-as-i-did-the-day-i-started-at-nbc/) [Kevin Reilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-reilly/) > [It's great if a pilot starts off great and if it doesn't start off so great it's not that big a deal: everybody's baby…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-olyphant/it-s-great-if-a-pilot-starts-off-great-and-if-it-doesn-t-start-off-so/) [Timothy Olyphant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-olyphant/) > [I will make a pact with you: I will do it if you will do it, always and forever. Take down the walls.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-oliver/i-will-make-a-pact-with-you-i-will-do-it-if-you-will-do-it-always-and/) [Lauren Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-oliver/) > [Sometimes, though, you make a pact with yourself. I'll pretend there's nothing wrong if you pretend there's nothing wrong. It's called denial, and it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-shusterman/sometimes-though-you-make-a-pact-with-yourself-i-ll-pretend-there-s/) [Neal Shusterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-shusterman/) > [All of you, wherever you are: in your spiny cities, or your one-bump towns. Find it, the hard stuff, the links of metal and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-oliver/all-of-you-wherever-you-are-in-your-spiny-cities-or-your-one-bump/) [Lauren Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-oliver/) > [“And so I ask you now, dear friend: was this world worth saving to begin with? Were we worth saving? This endeavor was launched…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-howey/and-so-i-ask-you-now-dear-friend-was-this-world-worth-saving-to-begin/) [Hugh Howey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-howey/) > [Today we must make a pact with each other to end this reckless conduct with the people's government.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-christie/today-we-must-make-a-pact-with-each-other-to-end-this-reckless/) [Chris Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-christie/) ## More by Ernst Udet > [. . . It is as though horror has frozen the blood in my veins, paralyzed my arms, and torn all thought from my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernst-udet/it-is-as-though-horror-has-frozen-the-blood-in-my-veins-paralyzed-my/) Ernst Udet Explore all 2 Ernst Udet quotes ## More Devil quotes > [“The Devil can cite Scripture for his purpose, Sergeant,’ Anthony Payne replied. ‘That is from The Merchant of Venice, but it holds great truth.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-arnold/the-devil-can-cite-scripture-for-his-purpose-sergeant-anthony-payne/) Michael Arnold > [Alimony - the ransom that the happy pay to the devil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/alimony-the-ransom-that-the-happy-pay-to-the-devil/) [H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/) > [“Beauty is not only a terrible thing, it is also a mysterious thing. There God and the Devil strive for mastery, and the battleground…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoyevsky/beauty-is-not-only-a-terrible-thing-it-is-also-a-mysterious-thing/) [Fyodor Dostoyevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoyevsky/) > [The devil has been defeated, stop trying to defeat him. What we have left is the fight of faith, and it's a good fight!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-oyakhilome/the-devil-has-been-defeated-stop-trying-to-defeat-him-what-we-have/) [Chris Oyakhilome](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-oyakhilome/) > [You gonna take the case?" It's not a case. It's a missing person. Sort of." You're gonna have a devil of a time finding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-evanovich/you-gonna-take-the-case-it-s-not-a-case-it-s-a-missing-person-sort-of/) [Janet Evanovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-evanovich/) > [Your head's like mine, like all our heads; big enough to contain every god and devil there ever was. Big enough to hold the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grant-morrison/your-head-s-like-mine-like-all-our-heads-big-enough-to-contain-every/) [Grant Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grant-morrison/) > [And so it is, that both the Devil and the angelic Spirit present us with objects of desire to awaken our power of choice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rumi/and-so-it-is-that-both-the-devil-and-the-angelic-spirit-present-us/) [Rumi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rumi/) > [Remember that Abraham Lincoln was a Whig far longer than he was a Republican. As a whole, the Whigs looked upon banks and corporations…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allen-c-guelzo/remember-that-abraham-lincoln-was-a-whig-far-longer-than-he-was-a/) [Allen C. Guelzo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allen-c-guelzo/) > [Wine is the first weapon that devils use in attacking the young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/st-jerome/wine-is-the-first-weapon-that-devils-use-in-attacking-the-young/) [St. Jerome](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/st-jerome/) > [“I tend to agree with that little devil more and more these days.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elle-casey/i-tend-to-agree-with-that-little-devil-more-and-more-these-days/) [Elle Casey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elle-casey/) > [This is the gift of your species and this is the danger, because you do not choose to control your imaginings. You imagine wonderful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-crichton/this-is-the-gift-of-your-species-and-this-is-the-danger-because-you/) [Michael Crichton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-crichton/) > [“The devil?” Jason heaved the tick over his shoulder like a collier with his sack. “Satan. The adversary. The enemy of the plan of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/the-devil-jason-heaved-the-tick-over-his-shoulder-like-a-collier-with/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [God never talks. But the devil keeps advertising, Father. The devil does a lot of commercials.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-peter-blatty/god-never-talks-but-the-devil-keeps-advertising-father-the-devil-does/) [William Peter Blatty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-peter-blatty/) > [If it was a sin for you to choose me . . . then I would go to the Devil himself and bless him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-gabaldon/if-it-was-a-sin-for-you-to-choose-me-then-i-would-go-to-the-devil/) [Diana Gabaldon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-gabaldon/) > [“The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn’t exist”—Charles Baudelaire “The second greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-baudelaire/the-greatest-trick-the-devil-ever-pulled-was-convincing-the-world-he/) [Charles Baudelaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-baudelaire/) [Browse all 4,283 Devil quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/devil/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "To be a great pilot you have to make a pact with the devil, but don't let him swallow you up.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Ernst Udet" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernst-udet/to-be-a-great-pilot-you-have-to-make-a-pact-with-the-devil-but-don-t/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Devil" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernst-udet/to-be-a-great-pilot-you-have-to-make-a-pact-with-the-devil-but-don-t/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/01d/ernst-udet-107827_devil_to-be-a-great-pilot-you-have-to-make-a-p_3183819.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/01d/ernst-udet-107827_devil_to-be-a-great-pilot-you-have-to-make-a-p_3183819.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/01d/ernst-udet-107827_devil_to-be-a-great-pilot-you-have-to-make-a-p_3183819.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“To be a great pilot you have to make a pact with the devil, but don't let him swallow you up.” — Ernst Udet", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Ernst Udet", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernst-udet/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "To be a great pilot you...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernst-udet/to-be-a-great-pilot-you-have-to-make-a-pact-with-the-devil-but-don-t/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernst-udet/to-be-a-great-pilot-you-have-to-make-a-pact-with-the-devil-but-don-t/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```