The Day a man lifted our hearts.
The Day Flight 1549 landed on the Hudson River.
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It was the afternoon of January 15, 2009 and the temperature was hovering between 15-20° with a wind-chill of less than 10°. I’d just been within Central Park on the upper west side and I was now driving along the West Side Highway towards lower Manhattan. Little did I know what was to transpire to my very right along the Hudson River. Little did I know of the heroics to be carried out from the skies above and onto the waters. I would not find out until hours later when I’d finally reached home later that day.
Bound for Charlotte, North Carolina, US Airways Flight 1549 had just taken off from LaGuardia Airport. The Airbus A320-200’s engines took a hit from a flock of Canadian Geese and Captain Chesley Burnett “Sully” Sullenberger was in charge; Full Charge. Moments later he was in touch with air traffic controllers who calmly and quickly tried to find a way for him to land but having realized that both engines were without power Sullenberger coolly announced the unthinkable. He was going to land the aircraft within the Hudson River.
From this day forward an entire nation and possibly the world would come to know the name ‘Sully’. It was a week for so many of us to take heart not merely in the audacious heroics of a single man who quite possibly saved the lives of the 155 occupants on board; but as well in the quick action of first responders who immediately came to their aid from all over the immediate area. It’s one of those extreme ‘feel good’ stories that gives you hope and optimism. If only the world were filled to the brim with such individuals. If only there were more stories like this to go around. Thank you Mr. Sullenberger. Thank you.
Anyone interested can have a look at the Carolinas Aviation Museum Page to see How Flight 1549 Airbus A-320 got to CAM.
You can visit Mr. Sullenbeger’s Facebook Page Here…[/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]