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.