Heroes in unlikely places
Want to read about some surprising heroes? Here you go.
[Hat tip: Maetenloch at Ace’s.]
The New Neo
A blog about political change, among other things
Want to read about some surprising heroes? Here you go.
[Hat tip: Maetenloch at Ace’s.]
I’d add Lassana Bathily.
I had never heard of the hi-jacking in Australia. That was pretty much direct action by the co-pilot. Something that was not recommended protocol after hi-jackings became more frequent in the late 60s.
Here’s a list of aircraft hi-jackings:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_aircraft_hijackings
In perusing them, I knew the story of a lot of them that occurred after 1968 when I began flying for an airline. Quite a few heroic stories in there.
We had fairly detailed procedures for handling hi-jackings, but they were always predicated on the idea that the hi-jackers wanted money or to go somewhere – Cuba being a popular destination. (How stupid is that?) The hi-jackers on 9/11 changed all that. Cockpit doors are armored and some pilots are now authorized to carry guns, but it is a personal choice. There are also air marshals on a number of flights. However, the first line of defense against hijackers today is now pro-active passengers. The heroic passengers aboard UAL 93 were the first to show the way. Since then there have been other hijackers that have been thwarted by pro-active passengers. When you fly today, it’s a good idea to be prepared to take action if necessary. You might turn out to be one of those everyday heroes. 🙂
Inspiring and I found Cracked’s snark hilarious.