Commentary by Rick Rodriguez
The book Highest Duty by Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger with Jeffrey Zaslow has helped me have little or No fear of flying. I've often wondered why the skies have always treated me so kindly. Turbulence here and there, at times extreme, but never calamitous. I've have never been involved in any rough airplane incidents outside of heavy turbulence in Australia once and having a plane unable to land in New Zealand (we turned around). This with me strapped to a gas tank!
However, the day I saw the videotape of a Pilot landing his aircraft with his landing gear pointed at a 90 degree angle and a plane full of nervous passengers, I thought "these guys are amazing!" Moreover, it also established a degree of comfort for me while flying and it should for you, too! Of course, tragedy can strike at anytime but for the most part flying in general is the safest mode of transportation.
Wednesday, September 21, 2005
"JetBlue Flight 292, en route to New York's JFK Airport from Burbank, California encountered nose gear malfunctions shortly after takeoff. It safely landed three hours later at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) with no apparent injuries.
The pilots first realized something was wrong when the landing gear failed to retract; television footage showed that the plane's front wheels were pointing sideways, perpendicular to the plane's body. The plane was diverted to Long Beach Airport, where it tried and failed to land, and then on to LAX, which has better emergency facilities. The aircraft circled near the airport for several hours to burn fuel; the Airbus 320 aircraft is not designed to dump fuel.
Commentators predicted that the nose gear would either snap off, immediately twist to parallel upon touch down, or withstand the friction from the landing while remaining at a 90 degree angle.
At approximately 6:19PM local time, almost three hours after takeoff, the aircraft successfully managed to touch down. The pilot landed the plane first on its two rear wheels, keeping its nose in the air as long as possible until it slowed enough that the nose could be safely lowered. The front tires remained at a 90 degree angle and were incinerated through the friction. A cloud of white smoke and sparks burst out from behind the nose gear as the plane traveled down the runway. As the airplane finally stopped, the pilot had managed to keep the plane no more than 6 inches from the runway's centerline. Officials were prepared with a brigade of fire engines as well as fire retardant foam in case the front wheel ignited. The plane was evacuated a few minutes later."
So for some odd reason, I never really grasped what Captain Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger and his crew accomplished the day his lifeless U.S. Airways plane plummeted into the Hudson River. Never mind that the guy lived in my same neighborhood, two blocks over, and my town Danville threw a huge parade for the guy. I didn't get it!
Then, I read New York times Bestseller "Highest Duty...My Search for What Really Matters" by Captain Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger with Jeffrey Zaslow. While the story details a chronological history of Mr. Sullenberger's life, particularly how he came to be at the moment where he was gliding an Airbus Jet into a freezing river; the message, his message, seems of greater importance!
For me, this book brought into contemplation the things I do daily "Am I making a difference?" Will my children benefit from my example or not? What can I do to be better prepared for unexpected encounters? The book offers anecdotes for these questions for readers to consider and suggests how one man and his methods came to aid him that day. It is also an emotionally compelling story! I wouldn't be surprised if a tear or two dripped down to the pages of the book while reading this story. It did for me! I love stories like that because they relate to thoughts I've had or experiences I've lived through.
It's book like these that allow me to travel in comfort. And, perhaps,it might aid you if you have a fear of flying to take comfort in the knowledge that the guy in the cockpit is a professional. A PRO that is trained to deal with situations; a Pilot that has prepared for these situations and in fact has made it his "HIGHEST DUTY" that you arrive at your destination safely!
Highest Duty...My Search for What Really Matters" is a joy to read. The book is 321 pages. I read it in November 2010.
Rick Rodriguez is a writer and is frequently published in opinion/editorial sections in local and national newspapers. Rick, a San Francisco Bay Area native and graduate of Saint Mary's College lives in Danville, California with his two children. Contact Rick at rrodriguez@pacunion.com or (510) 326-4795.
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