Chesley Sulenburger Accomplishments

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Chesley Sullenburger said,” There's no substitute for experience in terms of aviation safety.” Sullenburger showed this to be true when he glided the A320 into the Hudson River. This quote also shows how Sullenburger taught safety and other lessons to pilots that day. Chesley Sullenburger was an important figure in aviation because of his accomplishments in aircraft safety, his Air Force career, and what he accomplished in January of 2009.

Chesley Sullenburger III was born on January 23, 1951, in Denison, Texas. His parents were Chesley Sullenburger Jr, and Pauline Sullenburger. He received Masters Degrees from Purdue. He began his career as an Air Force pilot flying F-4 Phantom fighter jets. He reached the rank of captain and …show more content…

The academy started his career as a pilot and he gained a lot of experience there. He did not start out famous, but this first event was important in his famous career.

Most of his fame comes from the “Miracle on the Hudson” in 2009, when he successfully landed a jet airliner on the icy Hudson River. He saved all 155 on board when US Airways flight 1549, on an Airbus A320, suffered from a bird strike, disabling both engines. Unable to glide far enough to a runway, he landed in the Hudson. But he did much more in his long aviation career. He owned an aviation safety business, and was part of safety/ investigation boards. A big problem was when he faced criticism that maybe a water landing wasn't the best choice.

His career as a pilot changed the world, and aviation. He gave New York City hope when it came to an airliner crash. He was a hero in the United States and was looked up to. He demonstrated and taught aviation safety. He made aviation more safe through experience, research, teaching, and showing his experience on the Hudson