Originally Posted by HSLD (Post 1189893)

Aside from being an Air Force Academy grad with top honors for airmanship followed by almost 20,000 hours of piloting time, multiple stints as an instructor pilot, member of the Air Force accident investigation board, ALPA Air Safety Chairman, ALPA Accident Investigator, national safety technical advisory board member, participant in numerous NTSB accident investigations, NASA co-author on pilot error related scientific studies, CRM expert, and the owner of his own safety consulting business - not much.

I'm sure if you asked him, he'd tell you he's a typical line pilot. However, typical for him comes from a much different perspective than the graduate of a pilot mill who grabbed a line number and is marking time until the upgrade. Call it old school, or just experience but the guy has been there and done that and is well qualified to make observations about aviation safety.

The absence of a smoking hole doesn't mean an operation is "safe". United pilots who have watched a mature and cooperative safety culture crumble to a shell of it's former self are well aware of the increased risk to safety. The corporate safety mantra used to be "it's not about who's right, it's about what's right" and fortunately line pilots are hanging on to that ethos. Unfortunately, the new mantra comes across as "it's not about what's right, it's about what sounds good".

It doesn't take a safety expert to see the danger in that attitude.

Originally Posted by HSLD (Post 1189893)

Aside from being an Air Force Academy grad with top honors for airmanship followed by almost 20,000 hours of piloting time, multiple stints as an instructor pilot, member of the Air Force accident investigation board, ALPA Air Safety Chairman, ALPA Accident Investigator, national safety technical advisory board member, participant in numerous NTSB accident investigations, NASA co-author on pilot error related scientific studies, CRM expert, and the owner of his own safety consulting business - not much.

I'm sure if you asked him, he'd tell you he's a typical line pilot. However, typical for him comes from a much different perspective than the graduate of a pilot mill who grabbed a line number and is marking time until the upgrade. Call it old school, or just experience but the guy has been there and done that and is well qualified to make observations about aviation safety.

The absence of a smoking hole doesn't mean an operation is "safe". United pilots who have watched a mature and cooperative safety culture crumble to a shell of it's former self are well aware of the increased risk to safety. The corporate safety mantra used to be "it's not about who's right, it's about what's right" and fortunately line pilots are hanging on to that ethos. Unfortunately, the new mantra comes across as "it's not about what's right, it's about what sounds good".

It doesn't take a safety expert to see the danger in that attitude.

Originally Posted by block30 (Post 1189989)

This is why HSLD the write in candidate for president in 2012.

Originally Posted by USMCFLYR (Post 1190028)

You have HSLD running aganst me now Block?
Unfair - he is the boss :D

Btw HSLD - great (factual) post. Not sure what some people are seeing here when I read some of the reactions, but he seems to be able to get the right message across to a wide variety of people (inside and outsie of the aviation industry) and that should be most important to all professional pilots.

USMCFLYR

Originally Posted by bigfatdaddy (Post 1190097)

Don't worry flyer. Those of us who read your inputs will never vote for you.:o

Originally Posted by USMCFLYR (Post 1190028)

You have HSLD running aganst me now Block?
Unfair - he is the boss :D


USMCFLYR

Originally Posted by block30 (Post 1190146)

Haha....I guess I left out that we must *also* write in USMCFLYR this Fall! You two can decide who is President and who is Vice.

HSLD/USMCFLYR 2012: Let's Red, White, and Blue this! :cool:

Originally Posted by UalHvy (Post 1189903)

Godlike complex? Sully is a well-spoken representative and speaks for all of us.

Originally Posted by HercDriver130 (Post 1190167)

CA Sullenberger most certainly has an impressive background and has had a great career. NO ONE can take away what happened that day on the Hudson. However, for him to paint such a broad stroke of the pen as to say that "all regional carriers are unsafe" is just a bit too much. Perhaps if he elaborated on just what parts of those operations are unsafe might have been a better way to go. There are certainly aspects of the industry at the regional level which one could raise some safety issues, but that could be said at the major/legacy level as well.