Post 9-11 the last thing NYC needed was another airplane-related tragedy. The recent US Air airbus water landing on the Hudson River was truly amazing story not only for the passengers, but for NYC. The ferry operators and emergency authorities all worked together to pull off an incredible rescue. The pilot, Chesley B. Sullenberger ("Sully'), was the perfect person to execute the miracle landing.
Landing an airbus in the water safely is a one-in-a million occurrence. I am fortunate to be surrounded by aviation experts who were able to explain the miraculous landing in detail. My friend and pilot Paul Berberian has a great blog post on how amazing the landing was from a pilot's perspective. My other pilot friend, Doug Wagstaff, gave me his take on how pilots handle emergency landings. Doug is an incredible pilot with an enormous amount of experience as a corporate, airline, and military pilot. Like "Sully," Doug is the kind of guy you want in the cockpit if there's ever an emergency. Anyway, Doug recounted an instance in his career when he took off from an airport, had smoke in the cockpit, and what he did to declare an in-flight emergency and bring the plane back to the airport safely. My wife Missy was also able to give me a unique perspective on the event as she works in management for the FAA and used to be a full time air traffic controller.
I think Mayor Bloomberg said it best in a press conference afterwards – "Today is a day for thanks, but also a day for smiles." So go ahead and smile NYC – you really needed this one…
