Just as we planned
Written by Al Zylstra 
And then, miraculously, everything went perfectly…just as planned…
“Dire situations inspire ingenious solutions. If worse comes to worst, people will apply all their imagination and skill to deal with the problem.” This historically popular saying is summarized by Plato, simply, as “Necessity is the mother of invention.”
It would be difficult to appropriate a more immediate, and graphic, example of this than the recent “Miracle on the Hudson” of Flight 1549. The accounts of heroism and other forms of outstanding human performance are many, and I applaud them.
But, as a pilot for many years, I not only hold huge admiration for the skill and focus demonstrated by the flight crew of Flight 1549, I also have an additional perspective. The successful outcome of this incident, and the fact that it was an incident at all and not a disaster, really was all about preparation. You see, Capt. “Sully” Sullenberger and his First Officer Jeffrey Skiles performed a perfect execution of what every pilot contemplates, reads about, trains for, and practices on a regular basis, and is (or at least should be) thinking about every time we depart the runway, and throughout course of a flight: “Where on earth do I put this thing if the motors stop now?” And if you frequently fly over water, you will also have thought through and practiced many simulated ditchings, as Sullenberger acknowledges he has done.
While landing on the Hudson was indeed an extraordinarily difficult feat, it was the result of disciplined focus and years of practice and preparation for just such a moment. When the moment came, Capt Sullenberger “just” did what he had for so long prepared and practiced for. My guess is that he had gone over so often in his mind it probably even felt familiar to him. A less prepared and practiced pilot would easily have panicked and may have attempted one of a handful of other perceived options and crashed in a densely populated area with disastrous results.
Plato is also ascribed with saying: “A hero is born among a hundred, a wise man is found among a thousand, but an accomplished man might not be found even among a hundred thousand men.” Capt. Sullenberger and First Officer Skiles are, fortunately for the passengers, accomplished men.
The current economic “recalibration” represents a “dire situation” for many in our industry. And we need to apply all of our imagination(s) to deal with the problem. What can we do better? How can we improve our product to make it more appealing or more cost effective for the customer? How can we improve our operation to be better prepared for next season? Is your crew practicing now to be prepared for the inevitable oops that happens during a busy shipping day?
Never say die. When I ask growers and retailers about the forecast for the upcoming season, I hear from a few that they aren’t putting much on the bench this year, or they are holding back orders for their garden center because they are uncertain about the outcome. But, I continue to hear the more disciplined and accomplished professionals in our industry state their view that it still comes down to weather and preparation for the selling season ahead and they are ready and anticipating a good season this year. A successful year this year may not be defined as fantastic but if growers grow it, and retailers retail it, and the sun shines enough, the people will come and buy it, (same as always, huh!) we can have “as good a year as can be had” in these circumstances and we too will have a good landing, just like we prepared for.
Ready or not, here it comes………