Pilot's heroic actions inspire old friends, new pilots

If anyone could have been prepared to land a crippled US Airways Airbus 320 on the Hudson River, saving all 155 passengers and crew, it was Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger III.

Described as a "pilot's pilot," Sullenberger spent a lifetime training for a moment that even one with the skill and courage he demonstrated Thursday afternoon had to dread.

Sullenberger graduated in 1973 from the Air Force Academy, where he flew the glider planes so familiar to El Paso County residents as they drive along Interstate 25. What he learned as a cadet and as an Air Force fighter pilot averted tragedy on the frigid waters between Manhattan and New Jersey.

Academy Superintendent Lt. Gen. John Regni said in a statement Friday that Sullenberger "showcased unbelievable airmanship" and "exemplary character as well" and also demonstrated "superb judgment under utmost pressure."

Regni said Sullenberger, who was named the outstanding cadet in airmanship, checked the plane twice to be sure no passengers were left behind.

Sullenberger's heroics inspired cadets like Justin Ledvina, of Mechanicsburg, Pa., a senior on the academy's flight team.

"I just think it was an awesome thing he did," Ledvina said. "It's awesome he would have the leadership and character to walk down the aisle twice. Other people come before you do. You try to help them out first."

Sullenberger's wife, Lorrie, told CNN his response wasn't surprising.

"This is the Sully I know," she said, standing outside the couple's Danville, Calif., home.

"I always knew this is how he would react. So to me, this is not something unusual. It's the man I know to be the consummate professional."

As a military pilot, Sullenberger flew the Vietnam-era F-4 Phantom fighter jet. The biography from his company, Safety Reliability Methods Inc., states he was a flight leader and training officer with experience in Europe and the Pacific and at Nellis Air Force Base, where he was a mission commander for red-flag exercises. That's the Air Force's version of "Top Gun" training.

Sullenberger, 57, who left the Air Force in 1980 as a captain, has been flying for US Airways ever since.

He also has served on aviation safety panels at NASA and the National Transportation Safety Board and has played a role in improving safety and training standards.

His wife called him "a pilot's pilot" who "loves the art of the airplane."

Bill Scott, of Colorado Springs, a 12-year Air Force flight test engineer and former writer for Aviation Week, said Sullenberger's expertise in gliding - he's a certified glider pilot - probably played a big role in the landing.

"Energy management - when the engine quits, that's all you have," he said, "so I'm sure his glider skills went to work."

After birds were caught in the engines and the plane lost power, Scott said, Sullenberger not only had to think about landing the plane safely on the water but also avoiding buildings, bridges and boats - all with no power.

"Every time you bank that airplane you lose lift, so you're losing altitude," he said.

"What do you have to give up to get lined up with the river? He did it just right, and again, that's glider flying."

Carl Dofelmier of Utah, a classmate and lifelong friend of Sullenberger, said "Sully" has shown the same skills he demonstrated Thursday for decades.

"Sully is the smartest pilot I have ever known," said Dofelmier, who also flew as an airline pilot after serving in the Air Force.

What made Sullenberger stand out, he said, was an other-worldly ability to anticipate problems so he could react perfectly.

"He made the right decision, but he made it so fast because it was already pre-thought out in his mind," Dofelmier said.

"He never got fazed by anything. He was just so calm."

Fighter pilots are known for their bravado; not Sullenberger.

"He was very confident, but never cocky," he said.

Sullenberger's techniques will be reviewed by cadet flight students, said cadet Tyler Clark, a senior flight instructor from Florence, S.C.

"We like to review these incidents and procedures and incorporate the lessons learned into training," he said. "It's definitely under discussion. It shows that emergencies do happen."

But Clark looked at the event as something to learn from more than a miracle. "He dug into his flying instincts, applied procedures and did what he had to do," Clark said.

Lt. Col. Bill Resnik, a 1988 academy graduate who teaches cadets to fly, said Sullenberger's landing serves as a graphic reminder.

"Anything can happen," Resnik said. "Better be ready. It's what we talk about all the time."

Even though Sullenberger has been out of the service for nearly three decades, his exploits Thursday will be used to train a new generation of airmen on what is expected of them, said 1973 classmate Maj. Gen. H. Mike Edwards, who heads the Colorado National Guard.

"It is something that we will use as a leadership skill," Edwards said, noting that Sullenberger's piloting made headlines, but the way he looked after his passengers and crew provide an example that will stand the test of time.

"That's something we can grasp," Edwards said.

Sullenberger's mailbox at his company was full on Friday, and a group of fans sprang up on Facebook within hours of the emergency landing, the Associated Press reported.

"Sully's" background

• 1973 Air Force Academy graduate, degree in psychology. Outstanding Airmanship Award.

• Master's degree in industrial psychology, Purdue University.

• Master's degree in public administration, University of Northern Colorado.

• F-4 pilot in the Air Force, 1973 to 1980.

• Airbus A319, 320, 321 captain, U.S. Airways, 1980 to present

• Visiting scholar, University of California at Berkeley.

• President and CEO, Safety Reliability Methods Inc.

• Served as NASA aviation safety consultant, worked with federal agencies on safety and operational standards, has investigated a major airline crash and is widely recognized as pilot advocate and champion of high professional standards.

• Married to Lorrie and has two daughters.

 
PASSENGERS FROM SPRINGS

Family members say Christopher Rooney and Karin Hill are flying back to Colorado on Saturday after their first attempt to return to home landed them in the Hudson River on board Thursday's downed US Airways flight.

The 23-year-old Rooney lives in Colorado Springs and has been working for Lockheed Martin as a physics engineer since graduating from the University of Colorado in 2007.

Hill, 24, lives in Boulder, attends Front Range Community College and provides in-home care to the elderly. Her father, Jeff Hill, said she was in New York City visiting friends.
Rooney and Hill have been dating for about four years.

Rooney's twin sister, Michelle, said the pair overcame their jitters and decided to fly home rather than drive. She said they "just wanted to get home, and a plane was the fastest way."

The Associated Press