The NW overflight, what REALLY happened

"FlyingStarts" wrote in message
...
Thank you Peppo. I must confess that I had rushed to judgement myself
on this case. Not for brags but context, I'm an 8KHr CFIIMEIG and
like most of us I'm embarrassed to miss a call or flub a handoff/
checking in. Like many aviators I've also had an adversarial
encounter with FAA inspectors intent on collecting scalps for
transgressors, and like many Americans I am dismayed at the fascistic-
esque/politicization (on the part of regulators throughout government)
and apathy (on the part of "terrorized" citizenry) in our nation.
Regardless, I did not buy the stories reported in the media, and had
leapt to the same conclusion as some in high FAA/political places may
have- that the Cpt and FO had both fallen asleep.

Now, I think that legal counsel has done these pilots a disservice.
When a case (or an entire transportation sector) becomes this
politically-charged, there is a political job to do in addition to
legal protection for the clients. We are an increasingly judgmental
and impressionable society, and our regulatory and judicial systems
are at the mercy of strong collective emotions, often hasty and
irrational. I'm not immune to these failings myself, although I try
to be.

Thank you very much for opening my eyes to the aspects of this sad
episode that I had not sufficiently considered. I had come to assume
(without reliable evidence) that people are lying in order to bury
controversy/panic over flight crew fatigue regulation. You have
caused be to consider that we are instead experiencing deep societal
ignorance and rashness, akin to book-burnings and inquisitions of sick
societies past: We are (as a society) becoming over-sensitized to
collectively-perceived and media-enhanced risks such as terrorism,
liability, personal accountability, and the role of government. They
don't call it the Holy Spanish Inquisition (just career-wrecking in
the "interest" of "public safety") we're not burning books (just
becoming hopelessly confused about portable devices, EFBs, etc.) and
our government isn't openly messing up citizens' lives in order to
intimidate us all (right?).

Unless I pay careful attention, and stand up with and for my fellow
Americans under the onslaught of authoritarianism, I'm a part of the
problem, and not it's solution.

Thanks for a very eye-opening post. I have some retractions to make
now, for casual, cynical remarks I've made to various people, about
hasty assumptions. I'm now ashamed to have doubted these fellow
aviators. But I do wish that their lawyers had been more sensitive to
the importance of communicating to the public in a credible way at the
outset of another high-profile national witch-hunt. You've provided
me much food for thought, Peppo.

And my compliments on this Group in general (first post here) Blue
skies, and not so much tailwind, should you ever (who me?) get behind
the airplane again.

-Rob


Excellent response, and for a welcome change, perceptive and well spoken.

Nicely done.

Welcome to a much reduced group of long time regulars who are now mostly
lurkers. I can only offer you a small warning to use caution and 'don't
feed the trolls'.

Happy landings,