Interesting debate on Radio 2 as to is the bloke a "hero" or not, and was he not just doing what he gets paid for? Nobody doubting the crew did a blody good job in putting it down safe, but does that make him a hero? is ditching in the annual sim check for the company i wonder? bet it is from now on!
It always amuses me how the media use the word hero.
To me a hero is someone who does something they fear. So a hero is a person who is scared of water yet wades into a lake to save someone not a champion swimmer who does the same.
A hero is someone who risks their lives to save someone elses life not someone who gets into a situation where equally they are saving their own life and in that process saving others. They may have superb skills in doing so but does that make them a hero?
If a car driver has a high speed tyre blow out on the motorway and through his driving skills brings the car to a safe halt he is NOT a hero. he has saved himself and the car passengers through his driving skills in a situation he had no choice to be in.
If he gets out of the car which then bursts into flames and then runs back to get a passenger out he then becomes a HERO.
As in this case there is NO choice in the matter you do all you can to save the situation. In that sense hero is innapropriate.
Having crashed into the river the action of walking back twice into a sinking aircraft to check for remaining passenegers would be the heroic bit.
But hey just my take
Pace