The Miracle of Speedbird9 - How a Quick-Thinking Pilot Saved Hundreds of Lives with Cpt. Eric Moody

[00:00:00] Introduction [00:04:06] Overcoming Medical Hurdles. [00:06:03] Flying scholarship and medical challenges. [00:10:14] A dream of flying long distances. [00:18:03] Engine failures on Jumbo jets. [00:21:27] A 12-year-old's fascination. [00:28:33] In-flight smoke emergency detection. [00:28:55] St. Elmo's fire display. [00:35:18] Autopilot in unexpected situations. [00:40:28] Pilots that think. [00:44:18] Handling engine failure on airplane. [00:51:29] Five engine failures in 20 minutes. [00:56:34] Volcanic eruptions and nature. [00:58:15] Airline management challenges. [01:03:09] Volcanic eruptions and expertise. [01:09:37] Long-lost connections among crew. “Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking. We have a small problem. All four engines have stopped. We are doing our damnedest to get them going again. I trust you are not in too much distress.” Those were the words of today’s guest, Captain Eric Moody all the way back on the 24th of June 1982 as he found himself at the helm of British Airways Flight 009, desperately trying to save the lives of the 248 passengers and 15 crew members on board. Find out all about this incredible story from the man himself as well as his life and lasting love of aviation.  KEY TAKEAWAYS Eric's fascination with aviation started in his childhood. As a teenager in the late 1950s, he learned to fly at the Hampshire Flying School and kept his pilot's licence active through self-funded flight hours After undergoing surgery to fix a deviated septum that initially disqualified him from commercial piloting, Eric was hired by British Airways in the early 1960s. Over the next two decades, he progressed through roles on various aircraft like the de Havilland Comet and Boeing 707, eventually becoming a captain on the Boeing 747. Eric Moody was the captain of British Airways Flight 9 that encountered a volcanic ash cloud from Mount Galunggung in Indonesia on June 24, 1982. All four of the Boeing 747's engines flamed out after flying through the ash cloud, leaving the plane and its 248 passengers stranded high above the Indian Ocean.  The "Jakarta Incident," earned Eric prestigious honours including a Queen's Commendation for Valuable Service in the Air. However, he expressed disappointment that the aviation industry did not utilise his expertise on volcanic hazards to improve safety protocols. Eric believes pilots should be free thinkers and decision-makers, not just procedure followers.