I am going to break a personal rule here and argue the toss. Too good to miss!
I hoped that present day Captains would look at the story and then examine their own credentials and (perhaps) have the courage to say whether they thought that they could have done what this man did.
Granted a very able and cool pilot. However, faced with certain death or trying to land the aircraft I hope we would all opt for the latter.
But that's where (provided you have it) the experience, the know-how, the "forget the checklist - let's work out how we are going to land this sucker!" comes in.
Strategies for dealing with un scripted situations outside the checklist are part of airline command training.
having a PhD, a BA or an MBA is more important than knowing your craft
These are not, and never have been, prerequisites for any airline job I know of.
Could you have put that crippled aircraft safely on the ground and saved the lives of all your passengers?
I have certainly (as a co-pilot) seen some pretty amazing airmanship from my Skippers. Remember, aviators do learn from their forbears. The accumulated wisdom is passed on and we can practice dire situations in the SIM.. E.g. all engines failure followed by a glide approach and landing.
Perhaps you should forget the gripes about the airline you work for, the size of the salary package, whether you think you are being hard done by etc. etc. etc. and go back to basics
Well, I still have to make a living old chum.
You are the Captain of the ship.
Thanks. As if I needed reminding. If you want some more ripping yarns then read:
'Out of the Blue - The Role of Luck in Air Warfare 1917 - 1966' by Laddie Lucas.
Oh, and don't forget the Sioux City DC10, or the BAC 1-11 with the Captain hanging out of the window, or the B737 which lost its roof in the Pacific . . .