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Saturday, January 17, 2009

Of course, he is an ex-fighter pilot !

The pilot who saved NYC from another disaster is of course a former USAF fighter pilot. Exhibiting sharp military skills and acumen which came handy in such a precarious situation, former F-4 pilot, Chesley B "Sully" Sullenberger III, not only landed the plane in an unusual location but also ensured the safety of inhabited areas of NYC and all his passengers in the finest military traditions.

The released officer was commissioned into the Regular US Air Force from the USAF Academy, Colorado Springs. The multi-faceted man also runs a safety consulting firm and is a visiting Professor at University of California at Berkley. Flying commercial aircraft remains a full time hobby.

A good argument for encouraging citizens to garner military skills and be associated with the defence services – National Guard in the US, and the Territorial Army (TA) in India.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Kudos to the fighter pilots n the military community on the whole

Anonymous said...

@Navdeep
You forgot to mention that it was a double bird hit - both engines non-ops - rarest of rare case. The pilot actually glided the plane on to the river...after one of the engines caught fire and fell off. In fact, deciding to ditch on the river itself speaks volume of his confidence and competence as an ex-fighter pilot. Bravo!

Anonymous said...

Moral of the story, Migrate to a place where there is respect for your service.

Anonymous said...

Dear friends The challenge is the way of life. Create respect where there is none. However we all have great respect in India. India that is real. We all have to be worth it at our individual level.Our AF i have no doubt is full of many many great pilots. Those who get opportuinity in this world are lucky ones. And the bravest ones are those who create opportunities for self and others.Leaders. We need to create leaders.Jai Bharat

Anonymous said...

Today the country requires a reorientation in accordance to the changed situation and requirements.
Suggestion
All grade 1 post in Govt of India should be filled from candidates who have served the countries Defence forces for minimum Five years.

Advantages
1. Impove the social fibre of our society with the nation which will be little more patriotic
2. Reduce the problem of young officers in the Armed forces.
3. Civil servants who are physically and mentally more fit and robost.
4. A positive move towards a better military and civil relationship.

The small modalities can be worked out. Other countries are successfully using this model

Anonymous said...

fantastic, isn'nt it. speaks volumes for his confidence.
no wonder their military is highly revered.in the USA , irresepective of your Rank, the moment you say are ex service , their respect for you goes up. One time it used to be so In India too. hope those days will come back. I still remember the way the public used to treat mlitary personnell in Punjab in the seventies.

Anonymous said...

Guys, you gotta see this video to experience the plane ditching in the Hudson river.
http://edition.cnn.com/2009/US/01/17/usair.splash.video/index.html