On Qantas Rain Man Got It Right
by Nigel Taylor
Have you ever heard of Qantas Airways? I bet you have. If not from Rain Man, maybe because you’ve heard it has the best safety record in commercial aviation.
My point here relates not to Qantas as an airline, but to the “human factor” lesson it has given us. If you acquired my Ebook “Before The Secret” you would have read about Captain Richard de Crespigny – Captain of QF32. Now I am HIGHLY recommending you read his book. But first back to the incident recounted in the book.
Life presents us with magnificent opportunities every moment of every day. How we receive these and what we choose to do with them are markers along the way to our full realisation of self. It could be something as simple as speaking truth when the consequences of such truth are less than palatable to the well being of oneself. Or it could be acting in a manner that demands strict adherence to a set of ingrained values, the result of which will affect many people’s lives. Both of the above are keys to the understanding of responsibility.
In 2010 the issue of responsibility showed its colours to Qantas Captain Richard Champion de Crespigny. Captain de Crespigny was piloting an Airbus A380 from Singapore to Sydney, Australia. Shortly after takeoff the aircraft sustained deep structural damage inflicted from an uncontained engine failure on the left hand side of the aircraft. His job had been routine most of his life, but on this particular day everything he had done since childhood, literally everything, from his childhood play and dreams of flying, through to his useful time during Qantas’ quiet period, during which he mastered computers and created state of the art aviation programmes for the industry, paid off.
Literally, he had in his hands the lives of 440 passengers, plus crew, and those on the ground. Decisions were made, analyses were considered. The team of his other four pilots, all of whom were well-tested, worked together to bring that terribly damaged aircraft to the ground. The experience was harrowing for all on board and it could have turned out a catastrophe. Right until the very last moment of the two hours he battled to keep that aircraft level and flying, he had to assume responsibility.
The crucial moments of the event came when, at the time of landing, the variables of speed, height, available instruments, power and so forth called upon him to act against the wishes of his logic and that of his fellow pilots. He drew upon a lifetime of ingrained wisdom, deeply recessed in his being, cultivated from landing small aircraft on dirt runways in the mountains of New Guinea as a military aviator, and knowing that one mistake could cost the lives of all.
Responsibility grows out of our Self-Concept
I won’t go into the details here but the book is a phenomenal read on life, training and responsibility. What you need to understand is that responsibility actually grows out of our self-concept. Captain de Crespigny had deeply ingrained self esteem. It was strong enough to empower him to take responsibility in such a way as to work with other team members and at the same time lead in a moment of crisis.
This is where we dig in to responsibility. It is never experienced alone and it is never called upon without consequence. Even if the decisions taken bring about undesirable consequences for self and others, there is an interconnectedness that cannot be denied. Our lives are intertwined and we need to work the principle of responsibility from the ground up.
In the end, each one of us is the sum total of all our actions. When you look back on your life, what you have done every day has brought you to where you are now; what you will do every day from now on will determine your future. The better you are at taking responsibility for that fact, the more successful and influential you will be.
Taking responsibility for everything in your life means the difference between managing your life or being a victim. Have you ever known someone who blames other people or fate whenever something goes wrong? That would not have worked very well on Captains de Crespigny’s watch. You can rest assured that if that were the case, the outcome of QF32 would have been catastrophic, not heroic. There’s a saying, “You can’t be a victim and a victor.” This is absolutely true. There’s no way around it. Either you take charge, take action, and then take responsibility for the results, or you take what’s left to you as a victim. That latter is really not a great way to live one’s life, is it?
Plus, remember this. A victim always but always curtails the free flow of the current of life abundance. There is always a cause, issue, person, challenge or obstacle that aligns itself against them to prevent wealth from coming their way. The currency of wealth is dammed at the source and other people alone are the recipients. Responsibility is a key to opening the vault of wealth. Responsibility also is heightened with two key factors.
First Key ~ Training: De Crespigny’s background of intense preparation meant he was ready for the task of averting a catastrophic event and loss of life on QF32. Anyone would want Captain de Crespigny at the helm. I would. Other pilots could perhaps have done what he did, but it was his destiny calling. He was primed. Are you primed to take the helm of your own life? Are you trained in the very essence of what it is to be human and how to work these skills of consciousness?
Second Key ~ Faith and Conviction: De Crespigny trusted that his inner guidance was right. If you read his book you will see how his life training was magnificently paired with his deep inner faith and awareness to achieve success when it was most needed. Do you trust your own inner guidance? If not, why not? What better time to learn than now!
I promise you two things. By reading this book you will be changed, and you will have enormous faith in the powers of your inner guidance to pilot you forward in your quest for a rewarding and success-filled life. Plus, if you truly wish to uplift your life and access the deep inner resources, come inside to the Community here at www.nigletaylor.com and learn the skill set that will change your life for the better – forever.
PS: For the aeroplane fanatics – I know the above image is not an A380. Yes, it’s a 737, but the issue is the human element. I sometimes go crazy watching a film when they take off in one plane, walk around in another and land in yet another, hence my acknowledgement for the enthusiast.
Captain de Crespigny’s QF32