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Hero Pilot Chesley 'Sully' Sullenberger to Retire

MyOwnDrum

MyOwnDrum

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Hero Pilot Chesley 'Sully' Sullenberger to Retire - Local News | News Articles | National News | US News - FOXNews.com

It sounds to me as if standards of safety have deteriorated since Sully started his career. I hope he can be a positive influence to change that in his retirement years...

NEW YORK — Captain Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger, who was hailed a hero after piloting the US Airways flight that landed safely on the Hudson River in January of last year, is retiring.

Sullenberger will fly his final flight Wednesday afternoon, along with his co-pilot during the Hudson landing, First Officer Jeff Skiles. Sullenberger will end his 30-year career when he lands at his home base at Charlotte (N.C.) Douglas International Airport. He will officially retire at a private ceremony there with fellow pilots and other US Airways employees.
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Since that famous flight last year, Sullenberger has testified before Congress regarding pilot safety, given speeches about education and written a book, "Highest Duty."

He became a member of US Airways' flight operations safety management team last September.

Capt. James Ray, a spokesman for the US Airline Pilots Association, which represents US Airways pilots, said a US Airways pilot with as much experience as Sullenberger makes about $130,000 to $150,000 a year, about the same as 1989. Pilots at US Airways lost their pensions as the airline went through two bankruptcy proceedings after Sept. 11.
Ray said that Sullenberger plans to spend more time with his family in retirement. He will also continue to talk to lawmakers about raising minimum qualifications for pilots and work to lower the maximum number of hours pilots are able to work in a single day.

"Each generation of pilots hopes that they will leave their profession better off than they found it," Sullenberger said in a statement. "In spite of the best efforts of thousands of my colleagues, that is not the case today.
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It's bad news for the flying public but great news for Sullenberger. I'm happy for him moving on while he can and still be able to enjoy his family.

The law recently changed from requiring Airline Pilots to retire at 60 to allowing them to fly until 65.

Here is a true American HERO as are the entire crew of that flight and those on the boats in the river.


SALUTE!
 
Councilman said:
Here is a true American HERO as are the entire crew of that flight and those on the boats in the river.
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I would argue had it not been for the river, this never would have ended the way it did. That river is an American hero. :cool:
 
MyOwnDrum said:
Hero Pilot Chesley 'Sully' Sullenberger to Retire - Local News | News Articles | National News | US News - FOXNews.com

It sounds to me as if standards of safety have deteriorated since Sully started his career. I hope he can be a positive influence to change that in his retirement years...
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That's too bad he feels it's not the case. He seems a very conscientious man and maybe his celebrity will carry some weight so that he can influence some positive changes. Here's hoping.
 
Cilogy said:
I would argue had it not been for the river, this never would have ended the way it did. That river is an American hero. :cool:
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True, that there was little to no chance of a safe landing without the river, but it's not a given that every pilot could do as well. He made it look easy, but from all the articles I read at the time, it was a very difficult maneuver to pull off.
 
Retiring from flying but not from fighting for his fellow pilots. The profession really needs you, Sully!
 
he performed the miracle on the hudson at just about the darkest time america has known maybe since pearl harbor

really, really tuff times when sully pulled it off

he gave us one real and big thing to be cheerful of in the depths of a very lonely, dreary period

and he did it all with so much class, crediting everyone else and pretty much keeping his mouth shut about himself

he's a great man, a great american, a rare EXAMPLE these days of what leadership and integrity are supposed to be about
 
The Prof said:
crediting everyone else and pretty much keeping his mouth shut about himself
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That's what I like most about him, he's not off on some yacht somewhere with blondes.
 
Cilogy said:
That's what I like most about him, he's not off on some yacht somewhere with blondes.
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Yeah a few days after the crash I started saying "Hey, how come the co-pilot never gets any credit?"

He may not have been at the controls, but that whole time Sully was flying, the FO was doing his damn best to get at least one of those engines spinning again, and preparing the aircraft for a crash landing. (isolating fuel systems to prevent a fire, etc)

And then there's the cabin crew. Flight attendants aren't there to serve you crappy pretzels and a half-cup worth of soda. They're there to make sure your ass gets out of the airplane in an emergency.

But the media found their darling. Hats off to the whole crew.
 
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