Airbus Jet Ditched Into Hudson River, NO Lives Lost!

Chesley B. "Sully" Sullenberger, III: A man who never has to buy another drink in his life. "Sully" was the pilot of the US Airways Airbus A320 jetliner flying flight 1549 today. They were in the air for all of six minutes at the beginning of a routine flight between Point A and Point B when they made an uscheduled landing. . .

. . . in the Hudson River.

By all accounts, the pilot made a masterful landing of his aircraft, as smooth as if it were on a runway. Then, as it sank into water so cold it would kill a swimmer in minutes, he walked up and down the aisles to make sure nobody was left inside.

.

.

Twice.

If you ever see this man, shake his hand if you can. If you cannot, at least salute him. You will probably never see another pilot who has done this, especially who has done this as well as he did.


Image from The Smoking Gun)

You will of course not be surprised when you learn that this man was a military aviator before he flew commercial planes. Those 155 were not the first lives he saved, either. The total number will never be known this side of Glory; he has been working to improve everyone's safety for years.

BZ.