United Pilot Insults Sully

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

Comments

[Natalie Volk]

155 lives saved in middle of thousand news about wars and economic crisis; has been like breathing of hope for the rest of humanity. Two books will be written by Captain Sully
Should Captain Sully be nominated Man of the year 2009 let's vote at www.ournewamericanhero.com

[Openyermind]

Relax sir. As a pilot I have to say that comment is just a joke, and not one at Sully's expense. I doubt he's offended.

[Rusty787]

Oh, lighten up, Sir!
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.)

[humble226]

Wow dude, you are truly a piece of work. The only thing I'm concerned about here is that someone might actually take your "offense" seriously and get this pilot in trouble, or start instituting some "corporate policies" restricting jokes. If you are seriously offended by this joke, I think you need to take a good long look at yourself in the mirror and try to figure out where you went wrong in life. A sense of humor is a good thing, you should try getting one.

[4pumpWONDERchump]

This is a joke right? Why are you getting so huffy and puffy about a little joke? "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" yet you felt in necessary to write this up and ridicule the pilot? I wouldn't call Joaquin Phoenix or Britney Spears newsworthy either.

[gdaerin]

what, that's funny, not insulting! I would've laughed, Sully would've laughed.

[nymick]

Get over yourself...Sully would have laughed at that...it's called humor...

[cluedweasel]

Couldn't have said it better.

[Christopher Dawson]

Shame on whoever wrote this headline.

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.

[Taiyo]

Hey, maybe the comment wasn't in good taste but, c'mon, no one was even hurt in the Hudson landing incident. I see no "insult" to Sullenburger here. The pilot was showing a sense of humor, trying to relieve any tension his passengers might be feeling while flying over a previous crash site. Give him a break.

[wilshire1]

I created an account just so I could reply to this asinine blogging.

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).

[swguy27]

This is one thing wrong in this country. No one has a sense of humor, they are quick to "offend" and even quicker to place blame for something on someone else. What is "So high school" with your post is that you have such a thin skin!! I'm an airline pilot and I think it's a funny comment. And just for your information, the "East" USAirways pilots voted OUT ALPA as their union about a year ago just so they could screw over the "West" (America West) pilots. So they must not have thought that much of their "great training". I'm an ALPA member and our union has absolutely NOTHING to do with the training of pilots. To sum up; passengers will complain about anything. Once, we arrived 15 mins early and someone yelled at the agent because he was going to miss his connection! LOL.

[lhudsonsux]

Eh hmm. In reality, I hope you do call United Airlines and speak to someone. And I hope that someone gets you on a watch list that makes you a permanent candidate for butt cavity searches any time you fly. Who knows? Maybe they'll find your sense of humor up there. They probably won't go so deep as to find your head unfortunately.

[eden4barack08]

ROFL!

[lhudsonsux]

I bet you guys made a really fun group - the real 'life of the party'. Although the clown hired for this party, better known as the pilot, showed up drunk and punched poor mother in the muffin top, figuratively speaking of course.

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.

[lhudsonsux]

An "incredible insult"? Really Lane? Why didn't you demand the plane return to Dulles? I don't see how you managed to continue your passenger-ship on such a sullied (no pun intended) flight.

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?

[november84]

I'm sure this was already said, but if no one was severely injured or died then what's the big whoop?

Who cares, everyone was safe, it's funny.

People are way to f'in' tight-assed about so many things.