Take Me to the Pilot

One of the things I love most about this industry is how well it operates.

Every day there are thousands of flights taking off from North American airports; and every day, they all land without a hitch.

That’s not to say there aren’t any issues. Mechanical malfunctions happen, but the system works so well that these incidents are minimized while safety was maximized.

On April 17, Southwest Airlines Pilot Tammie Jo Shults exemplified this when she landed her plane in Philadelphia after one of its engines exploded, killing one passenger aboard when it blasted a hole in the side of the fuselage.

One death is too many, but without her skills, there could have been a lot more.

This nation went almost a decade with no one dying aboard a commercial flight. I myself have been on two flights in the past two years where an emergency medical situation arose (most recently in March). But the skill of the crew kept on top of the situation and each time we landed without incident.

But what’s really humbling as an industry is this occurred; and it was during the AAAE Annual Conference where aviation leaders were talking about the future and what potential there is for the industry.

The future looks promising, but we have issues today that need to be addressed now. Our airports are in dire need of help. When I left Milwaukee for the show I was reminded of this while rambling through the half dozen buckets sitting on the floor of the terminal to catch water seeping from the roof.

Unfortunately, there isn’t help on the way. Congress didn’t pass a PFC increase to address our needs and for most airports in the nation, airline investments are either long off or never coming, while local investments are nearly impossible. Couple this with a pilot shortage, an aircraft mechanic shortage and lingering public malaise towards aviation and you’ve got a proverbial Molotov cocktail brewing.

It’s frustrating to see what we could do, but can’t because your hands are tied and the people who can untie them wont; even when they themselves complain about the state of aviation infrastructure.

So until then, it’s up to the front line workforce to continue doing what they do without equipment they need.

Let’s hope there are a lot more Tammie Jo Shults out there.