how many times do you get to see the pilot anyway?!

At least half the time. The cockpit door is generally open when passengers board the plane not to mention seeing pilots IN the airport walking to and from various gates, or seeing pilots leave and enter hotels. I'm not saying they don't exist, but are very atypical so to cast a bIack actor in this role is a little odd.

After doing 1 minute of research: 2.7 percent are black

As of 2013, only 2% of pilots were black. As a private pilot working on additional ratings right now, I can tell you that training is EXTREMELY expensive. Since blacks are a minority and wealthy black families are fewer still, it seems there is a steep road for any young black men who want a career as a pilot.

Yeah, I understand all that. My concern as of late is unrealistic casting in films.

@MongoLloyd said:

Yeah, I understand all that. My concern as of late is unrealistic casting in films.

Unless he's cast as Colonel Sanders I'll never question Denzel's casting. Even then, I'd give him a chance to prove me wrong.

I'm pretty sure they had black pilots in the documentary When We Were Kings.

@AlienFanatic said:

Unless he's cast as Colonel Sanders I'll never question Denzel's casting. Even then, I'd give him a chance to prove me wrong.

In terms of casting, you think it's just fine that based on the fact that black pilots comprise only 2% of the whole pool, it makes sense to cast a black pilot in a story featuring a maneuver that's never even been attempted before?

my friend is sort of a black pilot, he's dark Indian :)

@MongoLloyd said:

Yeah, I understand all that. My concern as of late is unrealistic casting in films.

There's nothing unrealistic about it. Just cause you haven't seen one in your 50 plus flights doesn't make them leprechauns.

@AlienFanatic said:

Unless he's cast as Colonel Sanders I'll never question Denzel's casting. Even then, I'd give him a chance to prove me wrong.

Denzel could probably pull that off!