Before we found out, did anyone else find themselves hoping the pilot was a woman?

[11 Bravo]

Don't get me wrong, I am in awe of the skill and airmanship exhibited by Captain Sullenberger. But as the story was unfolding, and we didn't know anything about the flight crew, I turned to my wife and asked, "What do you think the 'no equal pay for equal work' jackasses will have to say if it turns out that this pilot is a woman?"

[stray cat]

1. As a female it didn't cross my mind one way or another - just a fine pilot

[hisownpetard]

2. No.

[John Q. Citizen]

3. My thought was I'm glad those poeple are glad.

[rox63]

4. When I heard the pilot's first name, I thought it might be a woman

Because I'd never heard of a guy named Chelsea.

[undeterred]

5. His first name is Chesney.

[11 Bravo]

6. Actually, it's "Chesley". n/t

[petronius]

7. That sounds like a republican name ... blech!!

:)

Seriously, I don't care and never speculated on the pilots' sex, race, creed, politics, or anything else. I don't think it would matter anyway - to bigots, a counterexample would just be the exception that proves the rule...

[The Straight Story]

8. I was wondering if anyone thought about his political leanings

:)

[11 Bravo]

9. He's an Air Force Academy grad.

His politics and his religious preference can probably be determined with about a 99% degree of reliability. But he is still one shit hot airplane driver.

[Captain Hilts]

10. I always hope that. I've been on Amtrak with a woman engineer. But we still don't trust women...

to host a #@*! game show, let alone fly a plane.

I know someone at Pax River Naval Air Base and they know a woman who flies F-18s for the Marines. Evidently, she's damned good. The guys just love her.

[Captain Hilts]

11. The co-pilot of Hawaiian Air that lost a chunk of fuselage was a woman. Probably still is. nt

[lonestarnot]

12. I never got the chance to hope that!

But now that you mention it, had I been given the opportunity, I might have hoped that! :toast: Zipper freaks come in both sexes! :toast:

[zbdent]

13. it never occurred to me to put a sex on the pilot ...

[deaniac21]

14. Please...

[11 Bravo]

15. Please what?

Or should I just say thank you?

[mnhtnbb]

16. I was on a flight not long ago--don't remember the airline--both pilots were women.

[ecstatic]

17. Yeah. Or someone nontypical of an American pilot

Oh well, he's a hero nonetheless.

[Hanse]

18. I was hoping it was this guy:

[TahitiNut]

19. To the degree it occurred to me, I merely appreciated the idea that it was more likely these days ..

... than it has been for 60 years ... and that it'll (hopefully) be even closer to a 50-50 chance in the near future.
:shrug:

[donheld]

20. How totally silly

I was hoping it was a gay black disabled little person with a lisp. :eyes: