Pilot Fired After Risky Flight
Should he blame YouTube for his dismissal?
Safety First?The YouTube video is only 4 seconds long. A plane swoops low overhead (apparently just 30 feet above) without lowering its landing gear. And the pilot has lost his job.
Captain Ian Wilkinson was handpicked by Cathay Pacific bigwigs to pilot the Boeing 777's maiden voyage, carrying the company CEO and other top level VIPs. He broke airline rules by performing a stunt that's usually reserved for air shows - without corporate permission.
Personally I'd be flipping out if a pilot ever did that with a plane I was on, but the execs on board must not have been too bothered. It took several weeks before the company decided to discipline him - and that's what's causing most of the outrage on the internet.
According to the Times, another pilot at the airline called Wilkinson "chummy" with top execs.
I'm betting they asked him to do the stunt.
It looks like the airline was planning to ignore the pilot's willful ways - smart move if an exec initiated the whole thing. However, faced with pressure from Internet viewers and TV news, they fired him instead.
What I want to know is where industry experts stand on this story. Was this a genuinely dangerous stunt? Has this kind of disobedience been grounds for dismissal in the past? I think it's time for Mr. Wilkinson to stop blaming the public. And grow up and face the music.
If this hadn't exploded on YouTube, would the airline have continued along without taking action?
Because when it comes right down to it, even if the pilot was asked to do it for the execs, he's still in control of the plane - and the one to blame when/if something happens.
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The bottom line is that
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