Everybody worked together, so everybody survived. This was the “Miracle on the Hudson.”
Capt. Chesley Sullenberger, the pilot of US Airways Flight 1549, landed in the Hudson River on Jan. 15, 2009, and he feels we are due for another lesson.
“This lack of civic virtue, this lack of remembering our common humanity, this lack of citizenship, is greatly harmful to our nation, to our democracy, to the world,” Captain Sullenberger, 67, said in an interview.
He added, “I feel that I have yet another mission, to be an advocate for our democracy, be a defender of our democracy, as many others have done.”
As for that flight, he said: “I have even greater appreciation now for what everyone did who pulled together. Especially in light of what’s happening in our nation now.”
The retired pilot known as Sully talked a little more with us about planes and politics:
Michael Bloomberg was mayor the day you landed in the Hudson. He and others may run for president.
I think like many of our fellow countrymen, like many Americans, I think I’m going to wait and see what all our options are.
Sounds like you are running for vice president.
No. First of all, it’s a great honor to be thought of that way by others, by some. But my way of answering that is that I run — in fact, I ran this morning — but I’m not running.
Anything you want people to remember about this flight?
I want to re-emphasize that this is the result, the successful flight was the result of the efforts of many: my crew, the passengers themselves who were cooperative especially in the evacuation, the rescuers, all the first responders of New York and New Jersey. I can’t say enough about the support of my family. And my wife, Lorrie, has been the best partner in all of this.
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