HERO
Captain Chesley Sullenberger and the Crew of Flight 1549

On January 15, 2009 a US Airways plane took off from LaGuardia and was only seven minutes in the air when it hit a flock of geese. Both motors went silent. The pilot tried to get back to LaGuardia but could not, so he skillfully landed the plane in the Hudson River. All 150 passengers were saved.

The pilot of that plane, Chesley ‘Sully’ Sullenberger, is a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy who since 1980 has accrued 19,000 hours of experience. In TV interviews he refuses to take credit for his split second decision to land the plane in the Hudson River, saying that he and his crew spend hours practicing for such emergencies. In an article explaining the many conditions that allowed the plane to land safely, author Rick Newman wrote:

“Thorough training. Sullenberger may be a model aviator, but it wasn’t heroism that brought Flight 1549 down safely. It was rigorous training that’s inbred in the U.S. aviation system. Pilots have to fly for years before they can command an airliner, and even experienced pilots must routinely train in simulators and pass “check rides” at least once a year under the supervision of Federal Aviation Administration inspectors. Pilots sometimes gripe about overzealous FAA inspectors, but the oversight contributes to a culture of accountability and fastidious attention to detail in the cockpit.”

Since 911, Anita and I have not done any air travel. It’s not that we have a fear of flying or that we lack trust in the pilot and crew. We have traveled by plane to countries in Europe and in Asia. But we think we are getting a little too old for arriving at an airport two hours early and standing in line to take off our shoes.

But if and when we do fly again Captain Sullenberger and his crew have confirmed our long held belief that airplanes are the safest way to travel.

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