I may be speaking for myself,
but what is instructive for me in this incident is the payoff of this man’s
lifelong pursuit of excellence. If you’ve had a chance to
review what has been published about his professional life, it’s evident
that he has taken personal responsibility for his education, and has been
actively, rather than passively, involved with improving his (and other’s)
understanding of high risk activities. This man is a hero in the eyes of
many, not just because of one single act of saving 155 lives (although some
will never see anything beyond that), he is also a hero because he never tired
doing the not-so-glamorous repetitive, mundane, costly and invisible tasks
involved with gaining the knowledge and instinct that he posses.
This man is an example
of what a leader is, and an example of what we all can become. I guess
that is why I find it inspiring. It isn’t that I want to be a hero,
it is because I see that it is possible to train, practice, study and develop
thinking that will help me to be successful in all aspects of flight. It
is a reminder that there ain’t no such thing as a free lunch, and that it
is something that I have to find both the time and the money to do. It is
a reminder that things can be done right., good things can happen to those who
are prepared, and the effort is worth it.
So many good things to study
and learn from this incident, especially since no one lost their life in this one
particular teaching moment. There is so much to be thankful for with this
one.
Kevin
C'mon Chuck, everyone's looking for a hero, and with
this guys gliding experience, he pulled it off. It could have been much
worse.