Hey man,
I re-read your post. True; you are the only one that brought up WN's safety record in response to Wil's mudslinging. Perhaps I should have only cocncentrated on refuting the egriousness of "I saw someone do something I thought was stupid, therefore all pilots at that airline are unsafe and I don't want to work there..." foolishness.
Although this is just my presonnal opinion, I'm still just a bit wary of any "chest-thumping" cocncerning anything with as many variables as whether or not a certain carrier has ever had an accident which resulted in fatalaties. You say you'll compare your regard to safety as well as the training involved to achieve it. Again, neither of you are aware enough of each others safety culture to make such a challenge. Then again, maybe we could turn this thread into a Southwest vs. ASA's (Wil's airline I think)safety culture and training. I think we would find that pilots at both carriers value their lives immensely, and take the concept of safe operations quite seriously. I thinks a comparison of the coprporate safety culture would yeild similiar results.
Southwest's overall safety record has been influenced in part by several factors:
Experience of pilots: With one type of A/C, most WN operations are crewed by two people with much more time in type than the industry average.
Frequency of experience: Although more takeoffs and landings = greater risk, this frequency combined with work rules factor into the experience levels mentioned above. WN pilots on average have a LOT more TOL operations than any other airline out there.
Terrain: Compared to other carriers, SW has a favorable ratio of "flat" airports.
Human Factors: As I mentioned briefly in my first post, SW's checklists, SOP's an cockpit work environment are some of the best in the business. Before 9-11, I spent quite a bit of time jumpseating in the cockpits of just about everyone out there. Being a human factors superfreak, I made a lot of notes. I can say with a fair amount of certainty that Southwest has one of the more freindly and efficient cockpits out there. (Please don't start flaming my un-scientific observations, everyone does a great job, but I did detect a difference.)
Company culture: A crewforce that is happy with the company and certain of their future is much less likely to make errors. I'm not the smart guy who came up with this comparsion, but take a look at USAir pilot deviations before, during and after the Piedmont merger back in the late 80's
(Normal, "through the roof", and normal again.)
O.K. Nerd alert, I'll stop typing now. You are justifyably proud of your company skydash. I probably read way too much into your orignal statement. (Post edited for spelling)
) The big difference is the Dallas mafia keeps that stuff off the six o'clock news better than anybody. When a carrier like Vanguard blew a nosegear tire on the taxiway, there were live news helicopter feeds. WN runs one into the grass, and there's no coverage whatsoever. I'm not complaining, I thinks it's great! Herb must have some Sicilian in him along with the Irish.
