I just flew on United Airlines Flight 918 from Dulles to Heathrow. Once we reached cruising altitude, the pilot interrupted the display of airspeed, altitude, and temperature on the backs of the seat in front of passengers. What I expected to be the usual welcome from the Captain turned out to be an incredible insult to his own comrade who is by all accounts a national hero.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, if you are on the left side of the plane, you will see a spectacular view of New York City and US Airways' new runway, the Hudson River."
Cute, right?
I don't think so. Neither did the World Airways' flight attendant sitting across the aisle from me. Nor did her colleague. They are members of the Teamsters and flabbergasted at the insult this pilot was giving to Captain Chesley 'Sully' Sullenberger and crew, whose superb training was able to turn a complete engine failure into a flawlessly executed emergency landing that yielded no fatalities and relatively few injuries.
It's hardly a story that deserves ridicule. We're not exactly talking about Britney's hours long marriage or Joaquin Phoenix's appearance on Letterman. Let's also not forget that just yesterday, a Congressional panel gave this crew a standing ovation for their work.
What we're talking about is pure grit. The kind of level-headedness that saves lives and becomes an example for others to learn from. We're talking about 'Sully', the man that has inspired Facebook Groups, namesake cocktails, keys to cities, and the admiration of an inspired nation.
Judging from the decent job on take-off and landing, I'm pretty sure the captain of UAL Flight 918 isn't drunk. So, I am compelled to think he's insensitive, tone deaf, and consumed with some kind of unimportant rivalry with US Airways.
So high school....
I also assume that said captain is a member of a union, probably ALPA, the Air Line Pilots Association. Let's not forget that every member of Sully's crew was union and have uniformly credited their union membership for the extensive training they received that provided them with the instinct and knowledge to execute that flawless emergency landing.
The consensus between the folks that around me that reacted to this insult to Sully is that our United Airline Captain doesn't owe an apology only to Captain Sully and his crew, but also to his union and the unions of all airline professionals.
What a jerk. Anybody for a direct line to somebody at United Airlines with a little more intelligence than this guy?
Follow Lane Hudson on Twitter: www.twitter.com/tlanehudson
Should Captain Sully be nominated Man of the year 2009 let's vote at www.ournewamericanhero.com
You are the reason some United pilots block the Channel 9.
This was not meant to be an insult to any one, especially "Sully".
Captain Sullenberger is a credit to the profession and we respect him for his sense of humor, humility and humanity.
Did you hear when he was talking to Congress about his REAL concerns about the future of his beloved profession?
If you are so concerned, write about that!
Captain Ross Aimer (UAL Ret.)
It's a pitiful testimonial on the state of our society when people seek to inflate the most innocuous levities into spectacles of outrage. Mr. Hudson must live in a very small, twisted world indeed to glean any insult to Capt. Sullenberger from that pilot's remarks. How truly sad an existence he must lead that he's lost the ability to laugh at the curveballs life throws.
Heaven help the flight crews working Southwest Airlines if this clown ever decides to fly on one of their jets...those guys and girls have this sort of comedic banter down to a science.
It's this sort of reactionary nonsense that made the USA Patriot Act seems not only reasonable, but necessary, in the days immediately following 9/11. Have you learned nothing since then, Mr. Hudson? Please pull your head out and catch up to the world around you.
I'm sure I'm saying nothing previously asserted, and also sure that Lane whosit whatsit could give a flying fig about my thoughts, but barring some serious misinterpretation on my part (doubtful), this blogger needs to chill the hell out. Learn to laugh or just keep your mouth shut and your hands still by your side. I expect no more silliness on your part about an innocuous joke (a funny one at that).
I pray to (insert deity of choice here) Captain Sullenberger and family do not hear about this egregious slight. Sadly, I can picture them all sitting in the living room, their heads buried in their hands, tears of rage and sorrow streaming down their worn faces, repeatedly asking "why us?". "What great balance of the universe did we disturb to deserve this?"
"Oh father, why does Poseidon's stinging trident pierce my heart with so much scorn?"
"I don't know daughter. But I will never fly again. I may never leave this house. Now pour me 4 fingers, because I am broken."
This scene I imagine is unbearable! Lane, what can we do? How can we right what is so completely wrong? I fear there is no answer. Maybe someone like you, with your intelligence and eye for humanity, can somehow render a solution to this most vexing problem.
I imagine the vast majority of people on the plane chuckled after hearing the comment (joke) and either went back to what they were doing previously or reminisced fondly about the heroics of US Air flight 1539. But not you, Ms. Word Airlines flight attendant, her colleague, and the other passengers nearby. Did you all look at each other slack-jawed, bewildered, numb, as you realized the full gravitas of the pilot's devilish words? "Oh...my...sweet Jesus in heaven!" "Not Sully!!!!! NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!". I bet you all held hands, white-knuckled and clammy, as the maniacally-flown fun-house jet shot skyward. By the way, I find it a statistical anomaly that many people around you felt the same way. How could the ticketing mechanisms put so many dull, overreacting, humorless, folks together?
Who cares, everyone was safe, it's funny.
People are way to f'in' tight-assed about so many things.