As gas prices rise, people lose their jobs, and business cut back on travel airlines suffer. Many have gone in and out of bankruptcy (remember 9/11?), and employees have made many concessions to keep their jobs.
However, what happens when you have poorly paid pilots, working too many hours, and cash strapped airlines?
WASHINGTON – Pilot training and fatigue are expected to be the focus of an unusual public hearing on Tuesday into safety issues raised by the February crash of an airliner near Buffalo, N.Y., that killed 50 people.
A recent experience of mine is also cause for concern:
Touch and Go
I had a couple firsts on my trip to Bonaire, one seeing a slipper lobster. Reminded me of some prehistoric creature crawling along the ocean floor. Quite amazing.
The other first is one I’d rather not have again, but alas life is unpredictable. So, yes a touch and go. A what? We hear about them when people are first learning to fly an airplane to practice takeoffs and landings. However, common it may be I’ve never done one on a commercial airliner before, more specifically a 737.
We took-off from Bonaire, and I had an empty seat next to me until… Until the pilot came and sat down. From time to time I’ve seen members of the flight crew leave the cockpit to use the facilities are stretch, but he sat and slept. The pilot was sleeping next to me, while we flew on autopilot. I wasn’t really concerned because there were two other people up front. What did concern me a bit was that our pilot was exhausted.
Our airplane had just arrived from Houston, and was now going back. It had arrived at around 5:30 am, which made it a red-eye. All in all this crew was having a very long day. I figured after we arrived they were looking at around 14-16 hours maybe more. And they were piloting a metal airship. Great!
The flight was pretty uneventful, a few bumps here and there, but that was it until the landing. About 30 prior to landing our pilot was summoned to the cockpit to presumably land the craft. So far so good. My windows seat provided me with a nice view of our approach and I looked over Texas checking out the landscape as it grew nearer and nearer.
A couple minutes before touchdown I was noticing that the pilots kept throttling the engines up and down and weren’t very consistent about or speed or approach altitude. My heart was pitter pattering at an accelerated rate, but landing is essentially a controlled crash anyways.
The ground was oddly close, and there was no sign of a runway. Sure I can’t see straight out so I figured it was just in front of us. For a short runway I might expect this as they need all the room they can get, but we in a 737 going into Houston, not a tiny airport.
I kept waiting for the flare or the moment where we glide over the runway and the read wheels touch and then the front. Instead … BANG the front wheel slams into the runway. Last time I checked it isn’t wise to put the front wheel down prior to the rear. Next thing we know full thrust and the pilots pull back on the yolk.
Quite disconcerted I look around and everyone is a bit freaked out wondering what just happened. What happened is that we had a lovely touch and go due to the fact that we landed incorrectly. After a bit as we are circling around listening to the landing gear going up and down (did we break something?) the pilot announces that we bounced and they thought it prudent to go around and do it again.
Right…
And as Mish points out airlines are slashing left and right to stay afloat. I’d personally rather pay a bit more to ensure my safety and travel less. What will the travel industry look like in the coming years?