When 'events' happen

I've been meaning to bring this up for a while now, especially after the incident in Kingston last week, but yesterday's news really hit 'home'. I mean, I could have had friends on that flight, and as one who 'regularly' hops out of DTW.... well, you know.

It was bad enough working when the AA flight went of the runway - we were in class, and one of the managers asked everyone to put their customers on hold for a moment - then we got the news about how the flight had been involved in an incident - thankfully not a REALLY bad one, but at that moment we all sucked in our collective breath - I can't imagine what it was like yesterday at work, and I don't even want to *THINK* about what it would have been like on that September - (one of my dearest friends was working in Res and for AA that day... he DID have friends on that flight http://www.nonrev.net/forums/style_e..._DIR#>/sad.gif )

Does it affect you when events happen? How do you manage? Take a deep breath and soldier on?

Gotta work today, and I don't know if we're going to get any kind of briefing... *gah*

Try explaining why you'll fly 1000 miles because you're desperate to fly on a certain aircraft, or better yet, try explaining to a non airline person, that angst you feel in the pit of your stomach when you're seated in coach and there are empty seats in First--- they won't understand it, will never get it, and will probably think you're crazy to boot.
There is an understanding, a camaraderie among airline people that crosses brands and countries. Maybe it's the fact that we have common experiences and problems, or maybe it's just that aviation gets in the blood, either way you feel a kinship will other airline people. When there is an "incident" or an aircraft goes down, you wonder is there anyone I know on that plane. If it's your airline, or if the plane was flying to/from your base, the feelings are even more intense.....I know.

On 9/11 I turned on the TV to see the first tower burning and watched the second plane hit the second tower. That morning shook the country, rocked the airline industry and devasted a friend. Later we found out that two of the planes involved were AA flights 11 & 77, both flights bound for LAX. I had flown those flights, we called them "non-rev specials" because they got us in early, usually had empty seats and you commonly got First. And while I didn't know any of the flight crews personally, only a nodding acquaintance, they were AA family. Later we found out, a friend, a wife and mother, was non -reving home. We attended memorial services there was such a sadness and a tireness. I remember looking at the current and former airline employees and all the various flight crews in their different uniforms from every airline that had come to offer comfort, and you knew they understood.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Migflanker @ Dec 27 2009, 04:39 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

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I remember looking at the current and former airline employees and all the various flight crews in their different uniforms from every airline that had come to offer comfort, and you knew they understood.[/b]

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That made me tear up - how lovely...

Yes, we may wear different uniforms (or as in res, none at all) but we are still part of the larger family...

I think it is tough when an incident happens to any of our companies.
Like Mig said, you see these fellow employees all the time.

I knew a few of the QX employees that were on AS 261 and that was tough to think about.

I also knew the First officer on Emery Worldwide 17 which went down near MHR airport in Sacramento. He was a relatively young guy with a wife and two young children. That really hurt! He used to light up like sunshine when talking about his kids.

I flew Valujet 594 from Miami to Atlanta about a month before 592 went down. I often thought they were probably shipping O2 generators on my flight too and I was just lucky...

Like you said Jumper, we could have been on that AMS-DTW flight. One of my co-workers was on the same flight a month before.

....and I was in Machu Pichu back in August, look at it now. People having to be rescued because the roads going up are washed away. That coulda been me washed down the slopes of Machu Pichu, imagine that.