The worst thing about this whole incident is the bashing by idiots in the media it inevitably generates with the resultant damage to the profession in the mind's-eye of the traveling public. We've seen it before when pilots have accidents ... pilots drink ... pilots make bad decisions ... pilots get arrested. What used to go unreported is now not only 'reported'; it becomes a media circus and an orgy of finger pointing. Letterman (while expected) is a fine example of someone judging anyone for anything. The negative fallout of this incident only serves to add additional fuel to the fire of those who think airline pilots are overpaid, under worked prima donas.
Lessons learned from this: complacency is a potentially dangerous thing and it's insidious temptations are always present -- in airline, civilian, or military flying. These guys succumbed to it and got bit in the butt, big time. These guys should lose their jobs and probably will ... their 'tickets' (certificates/licenses) should get suspended/revoked and probably will. These guys should not, however, get the death sentence. They are not criminals -- they had no criminal 'intent' ... they were just stupid ... incredibly stupid (is there any other kind?) & complacent.
All those who might read this and can attest to never having been stupid or complacent, please raise your hand.
"There but for the grace of God go many ... there but for the grace of God go I" ... keep repeating that phrase during the rest of your life when you feel the urge to vigorously criticize others -- especially when it's a 'were you there?' situation.
We occasionally see the 'exceptional' in the media and that gets it's 15 minutes of fame ... the Sullenberger (sp?) in the Hudson or the Al Haynes at Sioux Falls type of experience ... and they deserve the adulation & attention, however brief, that they receive from a fickle media. But what you never hear of or read about is the day-in, day-out, driving from Point A to B and back again, in any and all kinds of WX, in constantly changing situations and conditions that 'aren't in the book' that is the 'norm' of the airline pilots' existence.
You don't hear about that kinda' stuff ...
99 44/100% of airline jocks are professionals and take an immense amount of pride in their work -- and let's face it -- the job is very difficult to get even in the 'good times' when 'they're hiring' ... it is a rare bird that would not take his/her job seriously.
The piloting profession has suffered another black eye as a result of this incident. The only question is: how long will it take to heal ??