Where Eagles Dare
By Chip Tsao | published Apr 22, 2010
I’ve heard too many Hongkongers swear that they would never fly to Taipei on China Airlines because of its once-poor safety record. Those noises seem to have died down in recent years because the official Taiwanese airline (though the name may sound misleading to people like Sarah Palin, who may mistake it for being owned by Red China) has replaced its retired Kuomintang air force pilot team who heroically fought the communists in a 1958 air war, with some Westerners. As soon as you hear the pilot’s greeting message broadcast shortly before take-off in a clear, brisk native English speaker’s voice—it doesn’t matter if it’s in a southern American drawl, or an Australian or Kiwi accent—you may buckle up, put on your eye mask and drift off to a relaxed sleep.
Such prejudice, but still a Chinese characteristic of pragmatic wisdom, was justified by a trivial accident involving a Cathay Pacific flight last week. A defective engine was spotted soon after the CX flight took off from Indonesia. With only one engine left, and given the choices of nearby airports, the pilots decided to head for Hong Kong, the designated port, rather than any other city for an emergency landing, because the aircraft could still fly safely for three hours with only one engine left.
Twenty minutes before touching down at Chek Lap Kok, the other engine partially malfunctioned. The two Australian pilots managed to bring the plane down acrobatically, with only eight passengers slightly injured while sliding down the emergency chutes that were later deployed.
The bravura of the two expat-pilot’s performance proved good value for money, especially considering the recent threats of strike during a dispute between local and expatriate staff. But some demented commentators in the local media have demanded their heads as they should have avoided the risk of flying on one engine by diverting to a closer destination.
Should the pilots have consulted the passengers by asking for a vote? With the complimentary offer of a one-night-stay at a five-star hotel pending a flight connection the next morning, some housewives on board may have boisterously demanded a diversion to Singapore, where they could seize the short break for a shopping spree down Orchard Road. Or the group of Hong Kong Chinese men, hearing that Sanya on Hainan Island was being considered as an alternative destination, would have perhaps lobbied vigorously for it with an obscene smile on their faces, thinking of the massage and a hot sauna that awaited them.
Thanks to the two Aussie pilots who took firm charge, the plane landed safely in Hong Kong without having to go through a democratic game of Russian roulette. Next time make sure it’s an English voice in the pre-take-off greeting message from the cockpit. You could always make that choice while selecting an airline beforehand, and then relax and snore your way peacefully through the journey.
I’ve heard too many Hongkongers swear that they would never fly to Taipei on China Airlines because of its once-poor safety record. Those noises seem to have died down in recent years because the official Taiwanese airline (though the name may sound misleading to people like Sarah Palin, who may mistake it for being owned by Red China) has replaced its retired Kuomintang air force pilot team who heroically fought the communists in a 1958 air war, with some Westerners. As soon as you hear the pilot’s greeting message broadcast shortly before take-off in a clear, brisk native English speaker’s voice—it doesn’t matter if it’s in a southern American drawl, or an Australian or Kiwi accent—you may buckle up, put on your eye mask and drift off to a relaxed sleep.
Such prejudice, but still a Chinese characteristic of pragmatic wisdom, was justified by a trivial accident involving a Cathay Pacific flight last week. A defective engine was spotted soon after the CX flight took off from Indonesia. With only one engine left, and given the choices of nearby airports, the pilots decided to head for Hong Kong, the designated port, rather than any other city for an emergency landing, because the aircraft could still fly safely for three hours with only one engine left.
Twenty minutes before touching down at Chek Lap Kok, the other engine partially malfunctioned. The two Australian pilots managed to bring the plane down acrobatically, with only eight passengers slightly injured while sliding down the emergency chutes that were later deployed.
The bravura of the two expat-pilot’s performance proved good value for money, especially considering the recent threats of strike during a dispute between local and expatriate staff. But some demented commentators in the local media have demanded their heads as they should have avoided the risk of flying on one engine by diverting to a closer destination.
Should the pilots have consulted the passengers by asking for a vote? With the complimentary offer of a one-night-stay at a five-star hotel pending a flight connection the next morning, some housewives on board may have boisterously demanded a diversion to Singapore, where they could seize the short break for a shopping spree down Orchard Road. Or the group of Hong Kong Chinese men, hearing that Sanya on Hainan Island was being considered as an alternative destination, would have perhaps lobbied vigorously for it with an obscene smile on their faces, thinking of the massage and a hot sauna that awaited them.
Thanks to the two Aussie pilots who took firm charge, the plane landed safely in Hong Kong without having to go through a democratic game of Russian roulette. Next time make sure it’s an English voice in the pre-take-off greeting message from the cockpit. You could always make that choice while selecting an airline beforehand, and then relax and snore your way peacefully through the journey.
Labels: Politically Incorrect, 陶傑
posted by Gemini Saga at 12:00 AM
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