- Capt. Rex Parker: Being alone makes you strong, makes you independent. I actually prefer being alone. Although I admit sometimes when I'm all by myself here at the controls, I stare out at this big blue void in front of me, and the nothingness of it engulfs me. All of a sudden, I see all of the pain and suffering of every person on this planet stretched out in front of me like some gigantic road to nowhere. Then it occurs to me I'd be doing myself and every passenger on this plane a great big favor if I just plowed this baby right in the side of a mountain!