My Boggled Mind

It’s not like I’m a ‘frequent flier’ but I’ve taken my fair share of flights in recent years and always find it amusing when, upon landing, the passengers see fit to applaud the work of the pilots.

Pardon me, but isn’t that what they are supposed to be doing?  Flying the plain and landing safely? 

Seriously.

On Friday October 23rd some passengers on their way to Minneapolis got the special scenic route to Wisconsin, that before the crew and people on the ground were able to get the attention of the pit crew.  Oops. 

Thankfully no one was hurt and the plane turned around and landed at the original destinations, I be they didn’t get any applause!

I know it’s a hard job, I know there is training and regulations and lots of dials and do-hickeys that need to be observed and monitored – isn’t that why the pilots shouldn’t be sleeping? (oh.. right.. they were in a deep discussion of policy that rendered them incapable of hearing radio communications.  Right. Gotcha.  wink wink nudge nudge)

There are all together too many possibilities as to what those pilots were doing for at least 14 minutes behind closed doors but deep in discussion and loosing track of time and faculties aren’t at the top of my guess list.

Me?  I’ll continue to “expect” a smooth take off and landing and won’t be joining the practice of applauding the fact that we all survived a plane landing – perhaps if we go back to expecting a job well done – we will have to worry less about what exactly the pilots are doing .