Yesterday, a planeload of 'souls', as the airline industry refers to them, were fortunate to have Chesley Sullenberger as their pilot. Mr. Sullenberger, who news reports have stated, has more than 19,000 hours of flight experience.
Why blog about this?
Is he a 'hero'? Absolutely. But more importantly, he is a skilled and experienced pilot and those are beginning to be in very short supply as the major carriers cull their ranks of these vital employees. If the airline industry needed convincing as to the worth of these qualified men and women, then they need look no further than the Hudson River US Airways miracle that occurred Thursday, January 15, 2009. Experience in the air these days is becoming more rare as the major carriers squeeze out every last ounce of profit at the expense of safety. Many newer pilots have a frightfully low threshold number of hours flying their 'equipment' before the industry deems them prepared for hire.
My hats off to Pilot Sullenberger and the others like him who bring experience and skill to an industry that desperately needs more of same. I have the privilege of personally knowing two other individuals who have a similar background of experience - experience that is slowly working against them, instead of acknowledging and financially rewarding their expertise.
Experience does count. Just ask all the survivors and their families.
