Airline Pilots: rare heroes, few great, most good and deligent, and some well . . . just plain human

For young kids growing up, few professions exude as much glamour as that of Pilots. Earlier this year, this view was reinforced by the heroics of Airline Pilot 'Sully' Sullenberger, who successfully carried out the emergency ditching of US Airways Flight 1549 in the Hudson River, offshore from Manhattan, New York City, saving the lives of all 155 people on the aircraft. Media, and most of us just went ga ga heroics. And kids of this generation had yet another role model.

Bloggers and writers continue to eulogize Sullenberger and the story. (Sweating the Small Stuff: Lessons from “Sully” Sullenberger. American Mustache Institute Honors David Axelrod, Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger)

Fast forward to end of October and comes news of Pilots of a commercial aircraft that let their jet go “wayward,” prompting an intense media scrutiny, leading to FAA convening an emergency session to revoke their license. The airline has indicated that they will be fired. There way too many intricacies to the story including role of laptops in aircraft and role of technology in aviation itself (e.g, can we really trust pilots who totally trust auto-pilots?, Pilots missed Twin Cities by 150 miles - but how?) and so on.

As a frequent (business) traveler, I have learnt to trust the system, and the men and women behind the system - from ground staff to the air-crew who do a tremendous job of ensuring we travel safe. This said, a few incidents do stand etched in one’s memory.

The bottomline: Pilots and crew are just like us: rare heroes, few great, most good and deligent, and some well . . . just plain human

Security checks, frisking and VIPs at International Airports: Kalam and Khan

During a recent trip to India and back, I had an opportunity to fly back on Continental 83, the infamous non-stop flight from Delhi to Newark. Infamous because this was the flight that India’s beloved former president, Abdul Kalam, was boarding when he was “frisked.”

Was I, a business-class passenger, excempt? No, I too was frisked; as were ALL other passengers on my flight that day. Not that I spotted any Very Important Persons (VIPs) on my flight. The “frisking” was done much after the security and Immigration check already done by Indian Immigration and Security agencies. From what I observed, the additional check of hand-baggage, x-ray and physical pat-down was conducted by private security employed by Continental Airlines. It was conducted just before one approaches the aircraft gate to board, after airline security staff (yet again) check one’s passport, immigration and other documents.

I guess this extra security is demanded by the US authorities (and American public) as it is one of the few flights from India directly flying into the US non-stop.

I have experienced similar ‘frisking’ elsewhere during my travels too. It is not unusual to undergo additional frisking/searching on similar flights to the US originating in Europe, Dubai and elsewhere after a stopover. In most such stopovers, one is checked/frisked again before boarding though one does not get out of the sterile transit area, and one does not think twice about it.

Much after Continental’s apology to Indian Government and Mr. Kalam, questions still remain:

• So why the ruckus? Probably because it was the Ex-President of India being frisked on Indian soil (and it is incidental that he is Muslim).
• India's former president is a threat to air safety? What about other former-presidents of other countries?
• Would Mr. Bush or Mr. Clinton be subject to the same "frisking" if they were to board CO 83 in Delhi [Question is probably moot since they generally travel on private jets]
• Does American Airline have a right to frisk Indians or other foreigners on foreign soil? Do they not trust the foreign government’s security? [“While travelling from an international location to the US on an US commercial aircraft, former heads of state, and other VIPs, are screened according to the same screening procedures as for any other passenger. If requested, private screening can be provided,” TSA said.]
• Did Continental Airline have to "Apologize" for this? [Continental Airlines apologises to former President Dr. Kalam for frisking]
• Wonder if Shahrukh Khan would object to this frisking (by Continental Airlines) too?! Is he VIP enough to be exempt?
• Who really are India VIPs who are exempt from security checks? Who maintains such a list? (The media was crying loudest about the incident, without providing much clarity). Googling did not get me a list of India’s “exempt specified VIP” wonder if it includes all senior level Babus (There are hundreds of “secretary” level Bureaucrats). What about all Members of Parliament (There are over 500 MPs) All Chief Ministers of all states (over 30 of them) What about Members of state legislature (each state has an average of 200 MLAs, thousands in total in India). And then add to the list CEO’s and executives of large corporations (again hundreds of them) . . . and the super-stars, film-stars et al.