Denzel Washington may have landed the plane. And he may be a terrific actor. And the storyline of "Flight," which did quite well in the box office over the weekend, may be gripping. But there is one group that would like to remind everyone that the story is, after all, fiction.
The Air Line Pilots Association, Int'l issued the following statement about the drama:
"Hollywood dramas can make riveting entertainment and a compelling character study may sell tickets, but fiction on a movie screen doesn't represent a profession in the real world. The more than fifty thousand ALPA pilots in the United States and Canada embody the highest possible standards of training and professionalism. These standards are borne out every day, as we safely transport hundreds of thousands of passengers and tens of thousands of tons of cargo across the country and around the world. We all enjoy being entertained, but a thrilling tale should not be mistaken for the true story of extraordinary safety and professionalism among airline pilots."
No movie reviews yet from Captain Chesley B. "Sully" Sullenberger, the pilot who saved an airplane full of passengers and crew when he landed a US Airways plane in the Hudson River in January 2009 -- all while sober, rather than jacked up on alcohol and cocaine.
Not sure I'm going to see the film because I suspect I'd play the reels in my head every time my plane hits a patch of turbulence. How about you?
