Hero Of The Hudson Visits Alma Mater
Capt. Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger, who saved U.S. Airways
Flight 1549 with a heroic water landing in January, returned to the
roots of his aviation career here Wednesday to accept a coveted
flight award from the Air Force Academy. Captain Sullenberger, a
1973 graduate, received the 2009 Colonel James Jabara Award for
Airmanship during a ceremony on the Academy's Terrazzo that
included a pass and review of 4,400 cadets.
"It's humbling to be in such company - it's quite an honor,"
said Captain Sullenberger, a seasoned pilot. Past winners of the
award include 1st Lt. Karl Richter, a 1964 Academy graduate, who at
the age of 23 was the youngest pilot in the Vietnam conflict to
shoot down a MiG in air-to-air combat.
During his two-day return to the Academy, Captain Sullenberger,
who was classmates with Lt. Gen. John Regni, Academy
superintendent, and Gen. Norton Schwartz, Air Force chief of staff,
made a visit to his old Cadet Squadron-18, held a
question-and-answer assembly with cadets and took a glider for a
flight.
"The flight was wonderful, beautiful," said the captain, who, as
an Academy glider instructor pilot, amassed more than 1,000 flight
hours - an unprecedented number for a cadet. "I spent a big part of
my time here flying gliders. People seemed to think that it was
really exceptional that I was able to fly so much while I was here.
It was a great sense of satisfaction that I was able to do that.
And this glider flight was a great reminder of that. It was a
pleasure to be on the airfield again and fly with a cadet."
Captain Sullenberger, a native of Denison, Texas, and his crew
with 155 people aboard Flight 1549 earned international acclaim
Jan. 15 when they collectively put their emergency evacuation
skills to the test.
Almost immediately after takeoff from New York's LaGuardia
Airport, the Airbus 320 that Captain Sullenberger piloted lost
power in both engines after striking a flock of birds. With
extraordinaire calm and coolness, he began to make decisions and
maneuvers that resulted in a successful emergency landing the world
is still talking about.
The captain explained how he and the crew showed so much
composure during the crisis that carried over to the 150
passengers.
"Jeff [First Officer Skiles] and myself had been doing this for
so long that we were just focused on doing our jobs," Captain
Sullenberger said. "You don't allow other things to distract you.
It was the experience and training of the flight attendants, who
displayed an outwardly calm and professional demeanor, that got the
passengers to respond in kind."
Exhibiting Air Force core values, he walked the length of the
aircraft twice to ensure everyone had safely evacuated the
plane.
Three months after the "Miracle on the Hudson," Captain
Sullenberger said he continues to get a large quantity of letters
and gratitude from admirers and well-wishers. He said he thinks
often about a reunion meeting of his crew and passengers along with
their families that took place in Charlotte, N.C., in February.
"The most touching part for me during the reunion was when women
came up to me and said, 'Thank you for not making me a widow,'
'Thank you for allowing my 3-year-old son to have a father,' and
'Thank you for keeping my family intact," he recounted.
He said the story of Flight 1549 captured the imagination of
America and the world because, "People were looking for good news,
they were looking for a reason to be hopeful again."
"I think this event was an anecdote to all the bad news that has
happened in the last couple of years," said the former F-4 Phantom
pilot.
He said it's difficult to point to any particular training he'd
received at the Academy that guided him during the heroic act on
the Hudson River.
"It was many little things that added up to an important whole,"
he said. "It was the entire experience [at the Academy]."
Captain Sullenberger, who lives in Danville, Calif., with his
family, said it's "been a gradual concept" to fully realize the
impact of his heroic actions.
"It's taken time to process and incorporate those events into my
persona," he said. "But I'm confident that we made the right
choices. I'm confident that we had the best outcome that we could
have under those circumstances. I'm satisfied and very grateful for
a successful outcome with no injuries. Over time, I really
appreciate how remarkable that event was."
Captain Sullenberger last visited the Academy about 25 years ago
during his 10-year reunion.
"I'd had forgotten what a beautiful location it is," he said.
"I've always loved this part of Colorado, with the big sky and a
very dramatic landscape. I'm gratified to see so much construction
going on. I'm glad to see the investment being made."
The airline captain said being with cadets was refreshing.
"It was great to be with the cadets," he said. "It couldn't have
been more wonderful. The cadets have taken good care of the Academy
while I've been gone. The future is bright."
Cadets returned the praise.
"He's down to Earth," said Cadet 1st Class Anne Marie Wathen, a
native of Atlanta. "He's not in it for the fame. He deserves all
the recognition he gets."
Cadet 2nd Class Erik Nelson of Uncasville, Conn., said he has
great respect for Mr. Sullenberger because of the passion he shows
for flying.
"He's a notch above the rest," Cadet Nelson said. "His passion
for flying gave him the edge to do what needed to do to land the
plane safely." [ANN Salutes Tech. Sgt. Cortchie Welch, US Air Force
Academy Public Affairs, for the story]