Quick thinking Hero

[Fisherking]

Saves lives!

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,480108,00.html

[CountArach]

Chesley B. Sullenburger III

I read that as Cheesy

[HoreTore]

OMG

What the.... Fox News uses internet chat acronyms?

[CountArach]

Actually that was this:

A group of fans sprang up on Facebook within hours of the emergency landing.

[Hooahguy]

i heard the guy had 6 years of military flight experience. in that case, this makes sense.

[Husar]

Yes, everyone who was ever in the military is automatically a hero, unless it was the wrong military.

Now to the actual issue, it sounds like he did a good job.

[Hooahguy]

not that he was a hero b/c he was in the military, but what i hear from the news reports, he did a very skillful landing that really only the military do, so....

[KukriKhan]

An official familiar with the accident told The Associated Press the 57-year-old, of Danville, Calif., ...

Yay! Let's hear it for old guys from California!

[HoreTore]

Saw this on the news now, and heard the speeches by the politicians. Which got me thinking....

What is heroism? Isn't heroism defined as an action where you save/help others while endangering your own person? How can this man be a "hero" then? What he did was do a good job, but I can't honestly see how you can define it as heroism. He did what everyone else in his situation would have done/tried. What he did was a very good job. But I can't see how it was heroism. It was self-preservation.

How can you be a hero when what you're doing is saving your own ?

[Seamus Fermanagh]

NOBODY does extensive practice in successfully ditching an aircraft except amphib pilots. This is especially true for an Airbus. A dead-stick ditching in an Airbus without digging a wing-tip in and cartwheeling is one GREAT piece of flying. He then went back twice to make sure nobody was on the bird before he evac'd. Class act.

[Ronin]

Saw this on the news now, and heard the speeches by the politicians. Which got me thinking....

What is heroism? Isn't heroism defined as an action where you save/help others while endangering your own person? How can this man be a "hero" then? What he did was do a good job, but I can't honestly see how you can define it as heroism. He did what everyone else in his situation would have done/tried. What he did was a very good job. But I can't see how it was heroism. It was self-preservation.

How can you be a hero when what you're doing is saving your own ?

of course this is technically true.

but normally when in the process of saving your own you save a bunch of other people the word hero is in common (even if not exact) use.

[Devastatin Dave]

Saw this on the news now, and heard the speeches by the politicians. Which got me thinking....

What is heroism? Isn't heroism defined as an action where you save/help others while endangering your own person? How can this man be a "hero" then? What he did was do a good job, but I can't honestly see how you can define it as heroism. He did what everyone else in his situation would have done/tried. What he did was a very good job. But I can't see how it was heroism. It was self-preservation.

How can you be a hero when what you're doing is saving your own arse?

You're something else. I guess you do this kind of thing everyday in your job right? You seem the type that thinks that heroism is suicide bombing or firing rockets a innocent civilians, oh wait...

[Tribesman]

If he was that quick thinking he could have done some crazy manouvers to avoid killing the poor little geese .

NOBODY does extensive practice in successfully ditching an aircraft except amphib pilots.

Yep , it works out a little bit expensive when people practice ditching aircraft . Maybe Hooah was thinking about the military ditching training where they dump a cockpit into a big swimming pool .
Then again perhaps he was thinking of that pilot called Orr who kept practicing ditching his aircraft so he could get to Sweden .

[rasoforos]

i heard the guy had 6 years of military flight experience. in that case, this makes sense.

Well said. It makes sense to use ex-military pilots for commercial flights after their mil career is over. They can keep their cool...

[Scurvy]

He did what everyone else in his situation would have done/tried. What he did was a very good job. But I can't see how it was heroism. It was self-preservation.

He could'a ejected with a parachute....

Seems a bit pedantic in this case to not call it 'heroism' - i disliked all the politicians speaking about it though, seemed a bit excessive, especially as he couldnt say anything himself atm.

[rasoforos]

He could'a ejected with a parachute....

Nope...its not a fighter jet, its an airbus A320...

[Tribesman]

It makes sense to use ex-military pilots for commercial flights after their mil career is over. They can keep their cool...

The reason it makes sense to hire ex-military pilots is because the government has already paid for their training so all the airline needs to pay is for specific conversion and familiarisation .

[Devastatin Dave]

The reason it makes sense to hire ex-military pilots is because the government has already paid for their training so all the airline needs to pay is for specific conversion and familiarisation .

He's glider pilot as well, I believe this probably assisted his landing along with his military experience. Good for him, funny how a guy like this can get criticised, but this is the Backroom.

[HoreTore]

He could'a ejected with a parachute....

Seems a bit pedantic in this case to not call it 'heroism' - i disliked all the politicians speaking about it though, seemed a bit excessive, especially as he couldnt say anything himself atm.

No, not really. He did what any other human being would've done(or at least tried to do), that can't be classed as heroism without taking the "hero" out of "heroism". The 9/11 rescue workers(who could've just stayed home), a random guy in the street who drags people out of a burning building, and so, that is heroism. It's heroism because they didn't have to do it, and many wouldn't. However, there is not a single person on this planet who wouldn't have done what this man did. So calling him a hero is nonsense, really.

[Husar]

Saw this on the news now, and heard the speeches by the politicians. Which got me thinking....

What is heroism? Isn't heroism defined as an action where you save/help others while endangering your own person? How can this man be a "hero" then? What he did was do a good job, but I can't honestly see how you can define it as heroism. He did what everyone else in his situation would have done/tried. What he did was a very good job. But I can't see how it was heroism. It was self-preservation.

How can you be a hero when what you're doing is saving your own arse?

He wasn't saving his own by walking up and down the aisle of the plane two times before exiting, and when it comes to the landing itself, those pilots are aware that they are responsible for the lives of many people, one could say they#re more eager to try extra hard.

If he was that quick thinking he could have done some crazy manouvers to avoid killing the poor little geese .

But I hope you know what a load of tripe that is.
Thinking about it, it must be a joke...

[Strike For The South]

No, not really. He did what any other human being would've done(or at least tried to do), that can't be classed as heroism without taking the "hero" out of "heroism". The 9/11 rescue workers(who could've just stayed home), a random guy in the street who drags people out of a burning building, and so, that is heroism. It's heroism because they didn't have to do it, and many wouldn't. However, there is not a single person on this planet who wouldn't have done what this man did. So calling him a hero is nonsense, really.

You're a real buzz kill.

[HoreTore]

You're a real buzz kill.

Well yes, that would be the point. If anyone didn't understand it, I don't in any way "criticize" this guy. I'm criticizing the symbolisms. Isn't it worth anything to be honoured for having done a good job? Do we have to label everyone and their grandma a hero before we care?

EDIT: reworded to make things clearer.

[Strike For The South]

Well yes, that would be the point. If anyone didn't understand it, I don't in any way "criticize" this guy. I'm criticizing the symbolisms. Isn't enough to have done a very good job? Do we have to label everyone and their grandma a hero before we care?

Norway must be a cold an unloving place. This will be out of the news in a week It's not like there giving him a pension of 10,000,000 Euros and naming him king for life,

[HoreTore]

Norway must be a cold an unloving place.

Why? Because I think telling someone they've done a great job is a compliment?

I'm not saying not to care about this, I'm not saying that he shouldn't get the ceremonies, thanks and gratitude he has received. What I'm saying is that the word "hero" is wrong in this case, and that it shouldn't be necessary for people to do heroic(in the true sense of the word) things before they are honoured. Simply doing what you're supposed to do with great skill should be more than enough to be honoured, all the more so when peoples lives are saved because you managed to do it right. I don't see why we should limit celebrations and thanks only to "heroes".

[Strike For The South]

Why? Because I think telling someone they've done a great job is a compliment?

That and the sheer expense of alcohol. I think your splitting hairs for the sake of argument.

[HoreTore]

That and the sheer expense of alcohol. I think your splitting hairs for the sake of argument.

Do note that we have higher wages as well

And anyway, this is a debate forum, right? What we do here is debate? What's the point of a thread if noone is debating?

but yes, norway is hellishly cold. But it always warms my heart that I'm no longer in Northern Norway.... -45 degrees celcius, now that's bone-freezing...

[Strike For The South]

Do note that we have higher wages as well

And anyway, this is a debate forum, right? What we do here is debate? What's the point of a thread if noone is debating?

but yes, norway is hellishly cold. But it always warms my heart that I'm no longer in Northern Norway.... -45 degrees celcius, now that's bone-freezing...

Eh....I'm not sure it evens out

I like to debate about guns! and immagrants! and how the baby boomers are gunna cripple my gerneration!!!!!!!

IN Texas it's always wonderful move here

You're my favorite communist. Congratulations you just replaced Obama!

[HoreTore]

Eh....I'm not sure it evens out

I have to confess, I haven't done the math... But I can tell you have no problem getting drunk whenever I'm free to do so, on good single malt scotches(like Laphroaig or ardbeg, my current favourites)

I like to debate about guns! and immagrants! and how the baby boomers are gunna cripple my gerneration!!!!!!!

IN Texas it's always wonderful move here

I'm thinking about studying a year on France.... The US would be fun, but meh... France sounds like more fun, with frenchspeaking women....

You're my favorite communist. Congratulations you just replaced Obama!

[Strike For The South]

1. I am a beer man. Will be to the day they put me in the clay.

2. Texas is better than France we even had a thread about it. I'm pretty sure the final vote was Texas: 347643. France: 45. Not to mention our women bathe shave and aren't stuck up. America has so much more to offer than France. Oh sure France has the Louvre, Bastille, Eiffel tower, The Arc De Triumph and many other historical wonderment's But in America you can deep fry your candy bars. That is freaking EPIC.

[Tribesman]

He's glider pilot as well

Good point Dave , glider pilots are also are used to landing in water after engine problems .

But I hope you know what a load of tripe that is.

Not at all , this was an airbus right and these were geese .
Well there was this bus which is like an airbus but with less wheels and there were swans which are like geese but bigger , the bus did a tricky manouver to avoid the swans and didn't end up in a river .
Now you might say there is a difference in height , but the airbus was taking off so it was quite low and the bus was a double decker so it was quite high .