UNO flight instructor says Southwest pilots’ training kicked in on Omaha flight’s close call

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – Tensions are high after close calls in the sky, including one involving a flight from Omaha.

A private jet was in the way as a Southwest plane from Omaha tried to land as it approached Chicago Midway International Airport.

But the pilot quickly thrust back into the sky to avoid a collision.

SEE ALSO: ‘Kind of crazy’: Concordia track athletes recount near miss on Southwest flight

Now people are praising the pilots of the plane for their quick thinking and precise maneuvering.

Skip Bailey, the University of Nebraska at Omaha’s assistant director for flight training, said being a pilot means preparing for the worst.

“It is fast-paced, and it does require you to be able to make decisions,” he said.

Bailey said he trains his students for moments such as the near miss.

“First, we train them to say, ‘This is what the normal looks like, this is normal takeoff, this is normal landing and everything,'” he said. “And we teach them how to deal with those situations, with the obvious goal of getting yourself and a lot of passengers on the ground safely.”

SEE ALSO: Southwest flight from Omaha abruptly rises to avoid another plane crossing Chicago runway

The flight training is extensive. Bailey said aspiring pilots need at least 1,000 flight hours just to obtain a license.

He said the near miss serves a reminder of how complex and fast-paced the job of a pilot is.

“The pilots on that Southwest aircraft, they did an outstanding job of being ready for that go-around and executing it when they needed to do it, and that just shows how well they are trained,” he said.

Bailey said pilots are required by the Federal Aviation Administration to undergo training about every six months to a year to maintain their skills and, in some cases, their license.