Originally posted by guamainiac
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I recently heard that a fully-computerized plane could have succesfully returned or made the other nearby airport (both of which were options discussed by the pilots and ATC). Based on this- I disagree- Sully had choices and with super incredible airmanship might have been able to land on an airport.
CONVERSELY (this is important), my personal belief is that Sully made the right choice given the capabilities of a human to make a deadstick landing in an airliner when he pretty much never ever ever gets to practice any deadstick landings whatsoever in a simulator, nor in the incredible heat of the moment.
Additionally, I was repeating (and paraphrasing) Gabriel's viewpoints.
I (that's me, 3BS) am comfortable calling Sully a hero- Airliner water landings don't work out much better. (I guess he could have aimed better to ease the wing up to the shore or a dock, so no one got their feet wet) And, Gabriel's viewpoint that knowing that he only has less than two minutes to deal with stuff and decide whether to land on the airport, and figure out if he has any chance to glide to the Hudson without hitting a bridge, and based on the average result of engine out landings that it's probably his last two minutes of life!...Hellaciously good decision making!!! and a Ballsy call!!!.
I concur with Gabriel.
Now, did he flare too high? Gabriel says so and I say it's not wise to argue with him.
Would Gabriel (or you or me) done better than Sully- I bet a beer NO! (Noth that pure dumb luck doesn't come into play on just about every flare and landing (based on what I read)).
...don't think we disagree much: I very much respect what Sully did that day. Conversely, some desk-driving computer jocks say HAL could have done a 180 and kept the luggage dry.
But, getting to the bottom line- does Sully's experience have relevance to the issue of drone-airliner-midair-collisions?!?!?...it's somewhat off topic.
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