No man not buying that for a 75 passenger twin turbo. The asked him to land. He sad if he did(meaning he could) “they would rough him up”. There is something we are not being told.
Context is really important here. When Russel was told he could land at McChord AFB he said the military people might rough him up.
He made no indication whatsoever that he was afraid of that happening anywhere else.
And yeah, I could totally fly this.