Some OutKick Readers Are VERY Confident They Could Land A Massive Jet

Plenty of OutKick readers have supreme confidence they could land a massive plane if they had to.

The internet and social media was set on fire Wednesday when I wrote about a poll that showed 46% of men believe they could land a plane in the event of an emergency.

Did the results surprise me? It's a bit hard to say because as I noted yesterday, every guy I know definitely fantasizes about being the guy who takes back a hijacked airplane and lands the bird to a cheering crowd and a cooler of iced down light beers.

The male mind is a fascinating thing. We love daydreaming about scenarios we'll likely never find ourselves in. So, no, the more I think about the results, the less surprising the data is.

It also got me thinking one very simple thing:

How many OutKick readers believe they have the gravel in their stomach to be a hero on a plane if they were left with no other choice.

OutKick readers react to potentially landing a plane.

The answer is a lot. A lot of them believe it, and that's why I love this audience so much. So much confidence. So much grit.

A poll I ran on X nearly exactly matched the YouGov one discussed by CNN. Of the 3,077 voters, 44.6% believe they could get the job done.

While we didn't hit the 50% mark, there were plenty of people who left no doubt they could do it, including our very own Geoff Clark.

And this might be the best response of the 100+ we received. It's easy, folks! Just get low, slow down and get the landing gear. Don't overthink it.

As I stated yesterday, I was in a position back in 2018 flying to a location on the eastern seaboard where I would have 100% had to take over if the pilot had gone down. I got a VERY quick crash course on the controls, as did the other handful of passengers.

I've always believed I could land a plane if I had to. Still do. However, once your hands hit those sticks and you're zipping through the air and can't even see the ground, I promise you the dynamics change just a shade. On the return flight of that trip, I watched a 747 fly in front of us, and the ripple impact of that alone put a bit of a pit in my stomach.

However, this is OutKick. We can get the job done.

"Adapt. React. Readapt. Apt." - Michael Scott - David Hookstead

Above all else, I'm glad our audience isn't full of wimps who would just throw the towel in. Have you never seen "Air Force One"? Does the 55.4% who voted not want to go down as absolute legends?

Think of it this way, you either land the plane and are a hero or you crash it and everyone dies and nobody really blames you because it was an emergency. If the latter happens, it's not like you'll be around to deal with the fallout.

OutKick readers discuss if they can land a plane in an emergency. (Credit: Getty Images)

So, get your hands on the controls, get the headset on, have a great one-liner in the can ready to roll, and then land that bird like your life depends on it......because it does! Shoutout to everyone who wrote in. I want to be near the 44.6% who voted yes in a foxhole. That much I know for sure. Send me your thoughts to David.Hookstead@outkick.com.