The real miracle

The media circus continued to roll on and Sully could be found across a broad array of talk shows and news programs. His star rose and a book deal emerged and the keynote speaking world was knocking on his door. However, Sully did not walk away from what he saw as his responsibility and used his newfound fame to highlight issues within the industry.

A month after the ditching when Sullenberger was asked to address Capitol Hill in Washington, he pulled no punches. Rather than simply basking in the afterglow, he spoke of the importance of a safety culture, training and the need to consider these aspects seriously in the light of increasing fiscal pressures within the industry.

In the subsequent six years, he has continued to lobby the cause of aviation at the highest levels. He particularly drew attention to the pay scales of American regional pilots and the fact that they needed a second job merely to make ends meet. Many of these pilots shared very modest accommodation and commuted incredible distances for long hours just to pursue their career.

With a starting wage of around US$20,000 for a regional airline first officer, there was rightly need for concern and most were in agreement with Sully.

It is in recent weeks that Sully has stirred a hornet’s nest a little and lost support in some quarters. Some years ago, in the wake of a fatal crash, the US enacted a policy requiring an ATPL and 1,500 hours flight time before being able to attain a first officer position with an airline. To some it was long overdue; to others it was a knee-jerk reaction that severely restricted the industry.

The regional airlines are now calling for the 1,500 hour restriction to be removed citing pilot shortages amongst other reasons. Sully has come out in the other corner and called for the requirement to remain unchanged.

It is a viewpoint that has not only placed him at loggerheads with theregional airlines, but with aspiring young pilots. Social media erupted with comments from pilots who had given up on an aviation career, unable to accumulate the required experience. Some took aim at Sully’s military training and the fact that he hadn’t paid a single cent to learn to fly. And so the debate raged.

Once the champion of all pilots, Sully was now in the crosshairs of one section of his former support base. The to and fro has continued on a subject that has exposed a raw nerve in the US aviation industry. Both sides quote statistics, merit and shortcomings with equal fervour but for the moment the rules remain unchanged.

There have been those who have called for a similar restriction in Australia and it would undoubtedly create an equally passionate debate. A highly experienced flightdeck undoubtedly offers some advantages, but so does the relevance of the experience and training before entering the airline. An ex air force C-130 Hercules pilot wouldn’t have 1,500 hours when strapping into the flightdeck for the first time, but there are few who would argue that they are not trained and competent to do so.

It is a debate that can go around and around in circles as there are so many variable factors that would be impossible to legislate. A blanket 1,500 hour rule sounds substantial, but what did that 1,500 hours really involve? Is 1,500 hours of flying single-pilot harbour scenic flights particularly relevant to a multi-crew IFR flightdeck? And is 1,500 hours readily achievable these days? At every turn, general aviation seems to be shrinking and traditional career paths are evaporating. Airline cadet pilot programs are growing in numbers and popularity, but does an over-commitment to that system ultimately lead to an experience imbalance within an airline? I can hear the sabres rattling in both camps already.

Either way, it is not a debate that is going to disappear any time soon. But perhaps it is time to have the debate now in a healthy balanced sense before some isolated tragedy gives birth to a knee-jerk implementation.

Whether one sides with Sully on this issue or spars from the opposing corner, it should in no way detract from the efforts of the man. He has used his voice responsibly to draw attention to aviation on the floors of Congress and it has echoed about the world. This raised awareness has created the debate and that always leads to a degree of polarisation. However, it is through that dialogue that significant change and awareness can be brought about in a measured manner.

For the future of aviation and flight safety to be attracting headlines and creating interest in the political sphere is not common. For Sully Sullenberger, the fact that he has kept these issues in the spotlight long after his fateful day on the Hudson River is possibly the real miracle.