Co-Pilot in (Miracle on the Hudson) Crash-Landing Thanks Union

Source: The Street

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- In the first public statement from a pilot of US Airways(LCC Quote - Cramer on LCC - Stock Picks) flight 1549, first officer Jeff Skiles has thanked his union for assisting him in the aftermath of the flight's emergency landing on the Hudson River on Thursday.

"You all need to know that when you are at the weakest, most vulnerable time of your airline career, USAPA will be there to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with you," Skiles said in a letter to fellow members of the U.S. Airline Pilots Association. A copy of the letter was obtained by TheStreet.com.

"I have incurred a debt to these people that can never be repaid. I can only say thank you, and tell you that you have made a difference in my life," wrote Skiles, 49, who joined US Airways in 1986.

Skiles handled the takeoff and was at the controls when the birds flew into the engine of the Airbus A320. At that point, he handed the flying off to the captain, Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger. "Your aircraft," said Skiles, according to the cockpit voice recorder. Then, with Sullenberger at the controls, Skiles attempted to restart the engines and began working through emergency landing procedures.

Read more: http://www.thestreet.com/story/10458525/1/co-pilot-in-crash-landing-thanks-union.html?cm_ven=GOOGLEFI

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Full 3 page story

These guys did what they had to.

he still deserves his due.:thumbsup:

Various union officials dropped everything, and were right there to help them--providing lawyers to accompany them to debriefings, providing transportation and whatever they needed. Don't know about you, but this was news to me, and yet another example of the value of unions as personal support for workers in a time of crisis. From the tone of Skiles' letter (he can't think them enough), I get the feeling there were some issues or pressures, possibly the pilots vs management, or vs government authorities. He is REALLY GLAD that the union was there for him.

smart teaching himself to read using two different alphabets. And, proud of being "shop seward," as he pronounced it )almost reverently), even though the embroidery factory in which he worked was very small. And just as proud of being a Democrat.