Originally Posted by
DLASFlyer
Customer here. I want to give a shout out to the two gentlemen who piloted Delta 2913 tonight. It was an Airbus 319. I was in 14A, right next to the number one engine which failed dramatically just before rotation. The pilots took off and leveled off before returning to SLC. We were airborne for 18 minutes and they even had time to make a reassuring PA. We stopped on the runway and were met by fire trucks. I was happy to learn the same crew was in command of the second try on a new aircraft.
I know you guys are going through hell with the prospects of furloughs and pay cuts. Performance under pressure and sound decision making like I witnessed tonight are why you guys deserve top pay and benefits. Keep your heads high.
Awesome of you to reach out with these kind words and appreciation to those fine aviators. It’s what we do, literally the justification for a high level of compensation. An old timer once told me crossing the pond that we aren’t really payed for the A to B stuff, we really earn and justify the paycheck in those few minutes of critical thinking and action in an emergency. Think and act incorrectly then, and bad things happen. We spend our lives training, practicing and preparing for those few crucial minutes.
It’s refreshing to hear appreciation from John Q. Public when something like this happens.
on behalf of behalf of those two Professional Delta Pilots, thank you.