Found this on the Qantas pilots' chat room.
Professional Pilot Extraordinaire
Does anyone in my circle of pilot-friends, non-pilot friends, and family not think that Sully is the finest example of what it means to be a Professional pilot (whether civil or military)? He makes me proud to be a member of the fraternity of professional pilots, and I would hope that I’d perform as perfectly as he did yesterday when faced with this absolute horror of a situation and a planeload of “fares” behind the cockpit door having blind faith in your ability to get them to the “other end” in one piece. First thing I thought of was writer and pilot Ernie Gann quoting “Slonny” Sloniger, his former chief pilot at American Airways back in the 1930s . . “Careful preservation of your own ass likewise assures the continuing survival of all those sitting behind you”. I’ll bet that Sully has read “Fate is the Hunter”, too . . more than once.
I can’t believe that all the cable news channels and newspapers seem to have missed the very important point that of all Sully’s ratings and accomplishments, that the most important one is that he is a CFI (Certified Flight Instructor, for my non-flying friends) Glider! This is probably the most important factor in his flying background that gave him the skill to remain calm and get that aircraft with no engine power into the Hudson in one piece and save the lives of all of his passengers. He had several tools at his disposal, such as flight spoilers, leading edge flaps and slats, Fowler flaps on the trailing edge, and I have no doubt that he made full use of what he had available during that very short time. As my friend and aviator Ivor xxxx (from “Down Under”) would say . . “Goodonya, Sully!”
I’ve been reading a few news “blogs” today from (obviously) non-pilots, however well-meaning, that no credit has been given to the (so far un-named) First Officer in the cockpit with Sully . . that flying a modern jet airliner is a two-person job and that credit should be given to Sully’s “co-pilot”. Waaallll . . I’ve been both an F.O. and Captain on aircraft in ‘121’ ops, so I think I speak from experience in this case. This was very much a “one person” job. There was NO TIME! Let me repeat . . . NO TIME! I assume that this was Sully’s “leg” (that he was the PF, or pilot flying), being the first flight of the day, and the F.O. was no doubt invaluable in following Sully’s commands to keep the gear up, deploy the flight spoilers, the trailing edge flaps, and other essential “Immediate Action” items that all of us flight crewmembers have had burned into our brains from years of ground school, home study, and in the simulators. But in the end, it was Sully on the “stick and rudder” right down to the water until the aircraft stopped moving. And then he stays in the aircraft while it was filling with 34 degree freezing-cold stinking filthy Hudson River salt water to make sure there are no passengers trapped under the seats or anywhere else in the cabin, and is the last one out. I can hardly write this without the tears coming thinking about this man’s single-minded determination that not one of his passengers be left behind. However much salary he has made over the years as a USAir pilot is a paltry amount compared with what he has given back to all of his passengers who survived this ditching, and their families and loved ones who will have them around for many years and decades to come.
The MBA bastards and bean counters who run today’s airlines and claim that pilots are overpaid and underworked prima donnas would do well to take note of this. But, of course, they won’t, being MBA bastards and bean counters.
Just wanted to share my thoughts about this with all of you. I am so proud to share a profession with people like Sully. Human beings at their very best.
Aloha ‘oe . . Conrad