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Editorial: Pilots/There's more than meets the eye
September 23, 2005 ED0923A
You've seen them trudging through airports, pulling their little black cases along, lost in thought, a bit aloof from the hustle and bustle of the terminal, sometimes seeming bored, unremarkable really, except for their uniforms. These are the pilots and first officers who guide airliners with hundreds of passengers aboard on flights short and long. Many who are unfamiliar with aviation beyond being passengers have come to regard them as little more than glorified button pushers, such is the electronic complexity of modern aircraft.
But no more; Wednesday night a JetBlue captain named Scott Burke demonstrated, on live, prime-time television, skill and psychological toughness of awesome proportions. Never again will those who saw it underestimate the virtuosity required to be a pilot or first officer of a commercial jet.
Most people know the story by now: A JetBlue airliner took off from Bob Hope Airport in Burbank, Calif., for John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York. Shortly after takeoff, the crew determined that the nose landing gear had failed to retract and was turned sideways.
What followed were three tense hours as the airliner flew at low altitudes and slow speeds, with flaps down, to burn off maximum fuel. Finally, Burke and his first officer brought the plane in for landing at Los Angeles International.
They came in as slowly as possible, with the nose of the plane somewhat more elevated than normal. The back wheels touched down, and Burke kept the nose in the air for as long as possible while they slowed the plane. Finally and ever so gently, they lowered the nose to the runway.
First the tires caught fire; then the aluminum struts holding the nose gear emitted a shower of sparks, but that was all. The plane came to a safe stop without even breaking the struts. And throughout this whole maneuver, the plane never strayed more than six inches from the center line of the runway.
For those watching who were unfamiliar with the rigors of piloting large planes, it was as if a curtain lifted, and they were given an unusual glimpse behind the scene. And they came to realize these folks really are exceptionally skilled and well trained.
Some people on the plane said Burke was so calm they did not realize the difficulty they were in until they tuned in to CNN on their seat-back television screens. Others monitoring talk between the plane and the ground commented on the same thing.
One person said that when Burke finally came off the plane, he had a big grin on his face and apologized for being a few inches off the center line when the plane finally came to a rest. He deserved that bit of bravado.
Burke's performance was a powerful reminder: Never underestimate what it takes to work in the very front of the plane behind closed and locked doors. Like cops who spend boring shifts patrolling in squad cars, like firefighters who wait endless hours in station houses, airline pilots have a critical set of skills you can't see, but which are available when needed to help keep you safe.
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Editorial: Pilots/There's more than meets the eye
September 23, 2005 ED0923A
You've seen them trudging through airports, pulling their little black cases along, lost in thought, a bit aloof from the hustle and bustle of the terminal, sometimes seeming bored, unremarkable really, except for their uniforms. These are the pilots and first officers who guide airliners with hundreds of passengers aboard on flights short and long. Many who are unfamiliar with aviation beyond being passengers have come to regard them as little more than glorified button pushers, such is the electronic complexity of modern aircraft.
But no more; Wednesday night a JetBlue captain named Scott Burke demonstrated, on live, prime-time television, skill and psychological toughness of awesome proportions. Never again will those who saw it underestimate the virtuosity required to be a pilot or first officer of a commercial jet.
Most people know the story by now: A JetBlue airliner took off from Bob Hope Airport in Burbank, Calif., for John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York. Shortly after takeoff, the crew determined that the nose landing gear had failed to retract and was turned sideways.
What followed were three tense hours as the airliner flew at low altitudes and slow speeds, with flaps down, to burn off maximum fuel. Finally, Burke and his first officer brought the plane in for landing at Los Angeles International.
They came in as slowly as possible, with the nose of the plane somewhat more elevated than normal. The back wheels touched down, and Burke kept the nose in the air for as long as possible while they slowed the plane. Finally and ever so gently, they lowered the nose to the runway.
First the tires caught fire; then the aluminum struts holding the nose gear emitted a shower of sparks, but that was all. The plane came to a safe stop without even breaking the struts. And throughout this whole maneuver, the plane never strayed more than six inches from the center line of the runway.
For those watching who were unfamiliar with the rigors of piloting large planes, it was as if a curtain lifted, and they were given an unusual glimpse behind the scene. And they came to realize these folks really are exceptionally skilled and well trained.
Some people on the plane said Burke was so calm they did not realize the difficulty they were in until they tuned in to CNN on their seat-back television screens. Others monitoring talk between the plane and the ground commented on the same thing.
One person said that when Burke finally came off the plane, he had a big grin on his face and apologized for being a few inches off the center line when the plane finally came to a rest. He deserved that bit of bravado.
Burke's performance was a powerful reminder: Never underestimate what it takes to work in the very front of the plane behind closed and locked doors. Like cops who spend boring shifts patrolling in squad cars, like firefighters who wait endless hours in station houses, airline pilots have a critical set of skills you can't see, but which are available when needed to help keep you safe.
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