Review of Starflight: The Plane That Couldn't Land

I wasn't as annoyed with the speed they were able to launch, and re-launch, and RE-launch the space shuttle so much as I was in why they continued to launch. Their first attempt was to get Hal Linden off because he was needed on Earth.... What?!? "We can't possibly come up with a plan without the one guy who happens to be on that plane. So, before we do anything else, we have to get him back to Earth so he can solve this." So, they're already up there, they completely botch the first attempt to rescue ONLY Barney Miller, then they decide, "Well, a rescue pod DESIGNED to transfer personnel through the vacuum of space didn't work, but we do have a coffin on board, let's try THAT." Who thinks like this? So they manage to rescue the one person in the world who can devise a plan to.... Well, rescue the other 58 passengers. His genius solution? A giant trash chute strung between the space shuttle and the plane... IN THE VACUUM OF SPACE. Fortunately, (well, maybe not so fortunately for the five who were killed in the botched attempt) they were able to build this giant trash chute, outfit it to the space shuttle and re-launch AGAIN, with a perfect trajectory to intercept the plane within about twenty minutes. It reminded me of a group of kids trying to get a stranded Frisbee off the roof. "Let's try throwing a shoe at it..."