Wow. Just wow.
Who doesn’t need a bit of good news once in a while, especially lately? The incredible and ongoing story of US Airways Flight 1549 delivers the feel-good in spades.
Of course I’m heavily prejudiced in favor of fighter pilots, and the actions of the former fighter pilot in question, the captain of Flight 1549, confirm my bias. He instantly sized up a serious emergency, made quick and good decisions, and flawlessly executed ditching procedures. From everything I’m hearing, the co-pilot and cabin crew were flawless under pressure as well, and the passengers . . . well, look at them! That is not an image of panic. The three guys out on the tip of the right wing are probably texting wives and friends on their Blackberries.
It’s also nice to know stuff works. Emergency exits, rafts, stuff like that. I was particularly impressed with this photo:
They tell us our seat cushions are flotation devices. I always want to pull mine away from the seat to see if, one, it really does pull away; two, it really does have shoulder straps; and three — if only there was a kiddy pool of water in the aisle — it really does float. Guess what? They aren’t lying about those seat cushions! Hmmm . . . now that I think about it, not many passengers in the top photo seem to be wearing them. . . .
Of course all the morning news show anchorpeople are interviewing passengers, but they’re asking uneducated, dumb questions. Here’s what I want to ask the passengers: what happened with the overhead bins on impact? Did they stay closed, or did some of them pop open, and did all that heavy luggage come crashing down on peoples’ heads? That’s something I always worry about.
Anyway, sierra hotel to everyone involved!