American Hero

[Aus_MD]

Altruism, or even the idea that it exists, seems unfashionable now. Here is a hero. His selflessness was news here, but I am not sure that it got much coverage in the US. I hope you remember his bravery.

 

[LabelKing]

Rather a beau geste?

 

[Aus_MD]

Originally Posted by LabelKing

Rather a beau geste?


Label King, go and read some PC Wren novels, lest you become too cynical.

 

[LabelKing]

Originally Posted by Aus_MD

Label King, go and read some PC Wren novels, lest you become too cynical.

I'm rather keen on Richard Halliburton.

 

[Quirk]

Originally Posted by Aus_MD

Altruism, or even the idea that it exists, seems unfashionable now. Here is a hero. His selflessness was news here, but I am not sure that it got much coverage in the US. I hope you remember his bravery.

My sense that acts like this are more commonly considered to be foolish, rather than merely unfashionable.

 

[Renault78law]

I don't want to detract from this guy's selfless act, I just want to ask an honest question: Why didn't they jump of the plane? Wouldn't the odds of surviving a jump at the wrong speed and altitude be greater than surviving a crash landing inside the plane?

 

[imageWIS]

Originally Posted by Renault78law

I don't want to detract from this guy's selfless act, I just want to ask an honest question: Why didn't they jump of the plane? Wouldn't the odds of surviving a jump at the wrong speed and altitude be greater than surviving a crash landing inside the plane?

My thought exactly, weren't they skydiving after all?

Jon.

 

[DNW]

Originally Posted by imageWIS

My thought exactly, weren't they skydiving after all?

Jon.

Perhaps they didn't have the neccesary altitude for the chutes to completely open. I'd defer that judgment to a skydiving instructor.

Nothing can take away what he did. A hero indeed.

 

[EL72]

Originally Posted by Renault78law

I don't want to detract from this guy's selfless act, I just want to ask an honest question: Why didn't they jump of the plane? Wouldn't the odds of surviving a jump at the wrong speed and altitude be greater than surviving a crash landing inside the plane?


I thought the same. I would have taken my chances with the chute rather than a sure death in the plane crash. Who knows? I am no skydiving expert but perhaps once the plane is in vertical descent, I would imagine jumping out is not as easy as it sounds.

At any rate, the guy is still a hero no doubt.

 

[imageWIS]

Originally Posted by DarkNWorn

Perhaps they didn't have the neccesary altitude for the chutes to completely open. I'd defer that judgment to a skydiving instructor.

Nothing can take away what he did. A hero indeed.

I wasn't trying to take away anything from his actions, I was merely wondering that as well and I posted the question because I thought there might be someone on the forum who knows more about skydiving than I (and I know diddly-squat) that might answer the question.

Jon.

 

[zjpj83]

Originally Posted by Aus_MD

Altruism, or even the idea that it exists, seems unfashionable now. Here is a hero. His selflessness was news here, but I am not sure that it got much coverage in the US. I hope you remember his bravery.

True that

 

[drizzt3117]

Originally Posted by Renault78law

I don't want to detract from this guy's selfless act, I just want to ask an honest question: Why didn't they jump of the plane? Wouldn't the odds of surviving a jump at the wrong speed and altitude be greater than surviving a crash landing inside the plane?

I'm assuming they don't open the door etc until they are at the altitude to do so, if they had engine failure when they took off, it's likely they never got to that altitude. I imagine they could have opened the door and prepared for the jump but if they were at only a couple hundred feet it's probably likely they wouldn't have been able to make it.

 

[Fuuma]

Honor is like matches, you can only use it once...