Quote Originally Posted by the_idiotb_stardson View Post
Let us say an airline pilot, had an exemplary record for 8 or 9 years and during that time took all the plaudits, winning pilot of the year on numerous occasions.

But then there follows a period when his abilities have started to decline, amid reports of erratic behaviour, puzzling decisions and a sharp increase in bumpy landings.


Would you stick by him because he did well in previous years?

More importantly would you buy a ticket to get on a plane he was flying?
It depends on whether there were flights with alternate pilots available.

I'd take heed of the fact that flights in this particular aircraft had suffered numerous near fatal misses before the current pilot took over.

I'd also bear in mind that I was contemplating taking a flight in a world in which numerous aircraft had crashed spectacularly after other pilots had ignored safety checks and pushed aircraft beyond their capabilities.

On that basis, I might well opt for the odd bit of turbulence and the occasional bumpy landing.