I do think the pilots should be held accountable, if they are just an example of pilots in general then let it be an example to the other pilots in the air. The airline itself will know what was happening regardless if the general population is made aware or not. I have been to Atchison, Kansas and the home of Amelia. I imagine in the future that town will see more traffic just as the bridges did in Madison County years ago. Seeing the bridges in Iowa,  I would recomend, not sure about Atchison. I am grateful for the auto pilot in this case, but whose air space were they in that could have been a disastor. Mr. Perkins is just the messenger, and if it woke people up - he did his job.

Bob,

What is an answer to correct the problems with overworkerd pilots, boredom, etc? What is the ratio of military pilots becoming commercial pilots, are they recruited out of the service to take these positions? My dad was an piot in the service and I know that love for flying just doesn’t evaporate with a discharge. We have heard for years about the ground crews being stressed and overworked - when you add the ones in the air to the fold it sounds pretty scarey. Sounds like auto pilot is almost a safety measure being used in flight. Overall, transporting millions of people without crashing the plane is safer than other transportation though there must be additional checkpoints that could be used to keep the pilots attention.

You chose to post an article on the WoW site that is incredibly cynical about the airline industry today as it relates to pilots in light of the controversy that is surrounding the incident with the two pilots who may or may not have fallen asleep on the job. You paint a picture of the job of piloting a plane as "boring" because so much of the job entails functions that are automatically preset for them. I’m no expert when it comes to airplanes, but I somewhat knew that was the case. That does not in anyway excuse a pilot from falling to sleep, nor should we as passengers accept that as an excuse. Which is what you are attempting to sway your readers into believing. Again I say, wrong.

You did a hatchet job on your fellow pilots, you and I both know that. Captain Sullenberg who is now the benchmark I set when comparing pilots, epitomizes what a true, skilled pilot should be (and from what I have seen and heard - human being). Would he have posted an article like yours? A pilot telling the general public essentially "Look people, we fall asleep all the time. It’s not our fault, the airline has us running long and extended routes, the body can only take so much, yadda, yadda, yadda. But hey, don’t worry, cuz’ most of what we do is auto anyway…so not tryin’ to scare you…but it is what it is."

No, I think not. He and any other qualified, skilled and honorable pilot would pay close attention on the message he is relaying and the audience to whom they are speaking. You took very little time to consider either Mr. Perkins. In my opinion you have just shouted fire in a theater, and are now standing at the door as people rush by you with a look of surprise. "What’s the big deal…I only said……"

As for your comparison between McDonald’s and The Four Seasons, I couldn’t disagree with you more. I expect good service from both venues, regardless of what I pay them. If a McDonald’s worker is PAID to wipe my seat before I sit down, give me a folded napkin with a smile and refill my soda cup, I expect that service. Just because that counter clerk is paid less than those who work for the Four Seasons does not give them license to spit in my food or speak rudely to me. 

Just as a pilot is paid to be alert at the controls of a plane in flight. In what universe you believe because they aren’t paid what you feel they should be paid gives them the right to fall asleep on the job, is beyond me.