This is what David Blatner wrote about flight crews in his fascinating book: “Another giant challenge to maintaining an on-time schedule is the logistical nightmare of having the right crew on the right flights at the right time... A rerouted flight may bump a pilot up against her maximum legal flight hour limits, making it impossible for her to fly another leg of a trip. A flight attendant who calls in sick needs to be replaced in order for the flight to take off. A mechanical difficulty could strand pilots and attendants for hours.”

I think one of the greatest shows of flight coordination occurred on 9/11. Within a few hours of the terrorist bombings, every plane in the United States had landed. Miraculously, no planes hit each other or crashed. It was only when all the planes had landed that we could breathe again knowing that all flights were accounted for except the ill-fated four. I applaud all those pilots, flight crews, and air traffic controllers who participated in that effort.

Consider for a moment the greatest Air Traffic Controller of all, our great God. He coordinates this earth and all that is in it all the time. We can rest in His great power as we go about our day. God is in control. Why don’t you take a moment to thank Him for this today?