Post by dgriffin on Feb 17, 2009 12:01:19 GMT -5
Pilot was a 'hero,' but are more coming along for airlines to hire?
There are fewer military pilots to draw from, plus economic difficulties in the industry.
from the January 17, 2009 edition
www.csmonitor.com/2009/0116/p25s30-usgn.html
New York – There's no question that landing a plane with no power on a river in the middle of a city safely is an extraordinary feat.
Captain Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger III, whose smoothly water landing in the Hudson River helped ensure all 155 people aboard US Airways Flight 1549 could walk to safety rightly deserves his status as an instant hero.
But aviation safety experts are adamant that what happened Thursday afternoon was not simply a "miracle" but a product of years of disciplined training, invaluable experience, cutting edge engineering and an aviation culture that rigorously and regularly reviews and updates safety related procedures and engineering.
Mixed with all of the accolades for Capt. Sullenberger, there's also some concern that the past 8 years of economic turmoil at the airlines during which pilot pay and benefits have been slashed will make it more difficult to attract people of Sullenberger's abilities.
"We still have some exceptionally trained and qualified crews," says a veteran pilot for a major airline who's not authorized to speak with the press. "But the fear is that in the future, because of the loss of quality of life and pay and turmoil that you're not going to attract people of that same caliber. For now at least we're enjoying the experience of people who chose it as a profession when it was still a highly coveted job."
"There's no question that people feel less attracted to the aviation business because it's not the romantic, highly paid profession that it once was," says Mr. Voss. "But there's still a strong emotional attachment to it and we still see a lot of very positive young people wanting to go into it."
But Voss worries that when the economy recovers and the airlines again become profitable the nation will be facing a shortage of qualified pilots like Capt. Sullenberger.
Have to agree with the article and what Sully stated. The plane crash recently in Buffalo, I'm afraid once the investigation is completed, will prove that Sully has spoken the truth. 
