SkyKing ruled the air 8 years ago today

MS Flight Simulator is scary good.

Kinda sad and kinda the most awesome thing ever.

The system broke/failed him. We all wished we could do what he did minus the suicide aspect.

I had a sky king song at one point. Let me see if I can find it

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He asked ATC if he could get a job as a pilot with Alaska Airlines if he successfully landed the aircraft. ATC said, "they would give you a job doing anything if you could pull this off", to which he replied, "Yeah right! Nah, I'm a white guy."

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lol!

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He asked ATC if he could get a job as a pilot with Alaska Airlines if he successfully landed the aircraft. ATC said, "they would give you a job doing anything if you could pull this off", to which he replied, "Yeah right! Nah, I'm a white guy."

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Based

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Tell me again why we celebrate a suicidal maniac?

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I don't think some of us celebrate him, but rather some of us empathize with him and project some of our own insecurities on to him. When you hear his radio messages, it's very human. He's not overtly deranged sounding. He has this peace and acceptance, but he's so broken, and it's sad. We see how the modern world could drive a young man to do this, and we recognize that had a few things gone differently in our own lives, then maybe we would be the one up there flying the plane. I don't agree with what he did, but I understand where he's coming from.

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ATC: Okay, and what’s your name?

Russell: That’s a question I’ve been asking my whole life. Identity issues.

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ATC: All right, Rich. Welcome back. So, did you give any extra thought as to what you want to do? Do you want to try and land at McChord? Or were you thinking about on the water? Or what are you thinking?

Russel: I kinda fly by the set of my pants. Pun intended. I’m not quite sure what I want to do yet. I do want to see if I can land. That’d be cool, but I don’t feel like living anymore, so... that’s kind of the problem that I’m dealing with.

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Russel: I got a lot of people that care about me, and it’s going to disappoint them to hear that I did this. Um... I would like to apologize to each and every one of them. Just a broken guy. Got a few screws loose, I guess. Never really knew it until now. Um... It’s, you know--

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Russell: Man, and you know, the sights went by so fast. I was thinking I’m gonna have this moment of serenity. You know, be able to just take all in all the sights, and-- there’s a lot of pretty stuff, but I think they’re prettier in a different context.

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Russel: I think this is part of the reason why I decided to do something so extreme, is just ‘cause everything is always business all the time. Even when you know, you’re hanging out with people, it’s just business. Um... I just-- You know, those real close personal moments are just so few and far between. Um... Yeah, it sucks. So, like, I wouldn’t mind just shooting the shite with you guys, but it’s all business, you know.

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Russel: Yeah, I don’t think I’m going to land it. Like, in a safe, safe kind of manner. Think I’m gonna try to do a barrel roll, and if that goes good I’ll just go nose down and call it a night.

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just bunch of internet losers lionizing a suicidal loser.

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just bunch of internet losers lionizing a suicidal loser.

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I get the sentiment, but I think it misses why the story struck a chord with so many people. As somebody else said, it wasn’t just what he did. It was the combination of this completely insane act with how human, resigned and strangely likable he sounded while doing it.

A lot of people know that feeling of grinding away and watching their world go nowhere, whether it’s a dead-end job, disillusionment with the American dream, or just feeling trapped in a life they never really chose. That doesn’t make what he did right, and it certainly doesn’t make the ending something to celebrate.

It reminds me a little of Falling Down. You know the guy is crossing lines, you know this can only end badly, but you also understand the frustration underneath it. There’s something compelling and sadly beautiful about watching somebody suddenly break completely out of the matrix and, for a few hours, live entirely on his own terms.

That’s what people connected with. Not “suicidal loser worship.” It was tragic, reckless, funny at moments, deeply sad, and very human.

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That’s what people connected with. Not “suicidal loser worship.” It was tragic, reckless, funny at moments, deeply sad, and very human.

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we listened to the radio chatter this weekend and my wife and I both felt sad.


he wasn't a psychopath (despite having some screws loose,) he didn't want to hurt anybody. and being able to do a barrel roll obviously shows some talent and wherewithal. It's just sad that an obviously intelligent person decided to end it all.