Somehow I don't think that Todd Samson has been employed for his opinion on what engines are best suited for the A320 NEO or 737 MAX.
We can all wax lyrical about how well these marvelous pioneers of yesteryear did such an outstanding job of creating great legacy Airlines, but please..
Charles Lindberg
Sir Charles Kingsford Smith
Sir Reginald Ansett
Sir Robert Law-Smith
Frank Ball
Sir Frederick Scherger
Horrie Miller
Bobby Gibbes
Sir Dennis Buchanan
Sydney Hugh de Kantzow
Roy Clinton Farrell
...with the greatest of respect to all these fine people, (how many are still even alive?) their experience in the cockpit
during their day and
in their time of course meant they were very effective leaders who no doubt contributed immensely to the success of the airline they were involved with... back in 1972.
Lets fast forward to 2015 and in this day and age, to expect that pilots, and only pilots, have the knowledge, experience, fortitude and experience to bring the best intelligent decisions at a board room level smacks of ignorance and ego.
A typical day has the Captain speaking directly with airport managers, engineers, flight planners, Customer Service Managers, cabin crew, passengers, baggage & freight loaders, ATC, dispatchers, refuellers etc.
Does it? Even as an FO I don't see Captains interacting this much with such a wide variety of airport staff. In fact I see Captains caring more about their social media status updates than their passengers and cabin crew...
It's a job.
One that has become highly automated, semi skilled and really not that hard
(or important)
There.