Originally Posted by
sidtheesexist
......I know that as pilots we are by nature quite a self-confident and outgoing bunch, but there is a fine line between an excess of confidence and downright arrogance.
I was once told by a true captain of industry - if you have someone is very good in a crisis - get rid of him because while he's with you - you'll always have one.
Now, this quip was meant for normal business operations rather than heavy drivers and I certainly wouldn't want to be in the choosing seat myself BUT!
As we rapidly approach the technical sophistication that marginalises the pilot to the guy that takes the blame when the thing crashes more than any functionality - the justification for the flight crew being there is for passenger comfort and assurance - however; I'm constantly amazed by the behavior of crew (particularly long served pilots ) that when faced with the very scenario the passengers hope to avoid by having a human doing the driving - they normally screw up.
We've had guys land on motorways after turning a working engine off, others taking off on a short dark runway when a lit up one was in sight and the one that tops the lot - the guy that took off into a landing flight because he was anxious to keep his slot and get home for his weekend off.