Landing lesson 101...

Brave decisions sometimes taken in split seconds can prove to be the best. One such incident brought out the ingenuity of the human brain was witnessed in Heathrow Airport, UK.

A British Airways flight from Hyderabad was to land on the runway in a picture-perfect manner, but gusty winds made it a risky affair. The winds reportedly at the speed of 112 kmph were caused due to Storm Erik. The airport could be seen receiving the brutal lashings of the gusty winds. The aircraft itself was seen shaking vehemently against the winds. Just as it made a touchdown, within seconds the plane was seen taking off. Just like a climax of a thriller movie, the pilot did the totally unexpected, he decided against landing and did a perfect take off to do what is called the 'go around' that is he circled the aircraft around the airport and then landed the plane safely, again picture perfect landing. This spine-chilling incident was witnessed by 2.9 million viewers on social media. The pilot received raving praises for his quick thinking.   

British Airways praised the pilot and reiterated the airlines' commitment to passengers' safety. It said that this manoeuvre of aborting landing or 'go around', is part of their standard procedure during training for the pilots. 

No doubt, aviation is a highly skilled profession and these skilled pilots and co-pilots and traffic controllers and engineers have to be applauded for their dedication and commitment more often. Many times, news about overworked pilots and their inhuman schedules brings to us their hardships. The airlines, public and agencies must understand their obvious high-stress work culture and appreciate their commitment.