From taking off into the skies at a young age to landing on the Hudson and saving 155 people, Captain Sully has a long list of accomplishments to be proud of. Before he even graduated high school, he could pilot a plane with remarkable mastery (Sullenberger 120). Being able to fly a plane around age eighteen opened up many doors for him to try different things, such as being in the Air Force. His talent and passion towards flying gave him opportunities to learn from the best pilots. He was part of the Red Flag, a response to mistakes of the performances of pilots new to combat in the Vietnam War (Sullenberger 134). This experience resulted in him being an expert in analyzing emergencies and finding the best proper solution. During his time as part of the Red Flag, he learned how to respond to changes in the environment as quickly as possible. On January 15, 2009, Sully landed a plane in the Hudson River, filled with 155 people, in order to avert a crash due to a bird strike (Sullenberger 248). He used his plentiful amount of experience to take quick action to prevent a tragedy. Jeffrey Skiles, his co-pilot, and he worked efficiently to find other solutions, but they decided to take action on the only choice possible that would preclude any casualties. Although he was the owner of these great accomplishments, he never let them become his fame; he always remained modest and refused to call himself a hero.
Even though Captain Sully is known majorly for his accomplishments, his relationships with family and friends offered tremendous contributions in his successes. His dad was in the Navy and had great respect for aviators; after seeing Sully’s passion for flying, he found Sully a coach to take him to his goal (Sullenberger 5). The support that Sully’s dad showed for him enabled confidence in him. Having parents’ support is important in a person’s career and his dad made sure he had the encouragement he needed to get him where he wanted to go. His first teacher in aviation was a crop-dusting pilot named L.T Cook Jr., who had a landing strip nearby and took Sully under his wing (Sullenberger 6). Mr. Cook believed in Sully, and he knew that Sully would one day become a great pilot. Mr. Cook trusted Sully to take the controls because he saw the potential in him at a young age and wanted to help him realize it. His two daughters, Kate and Kelly, and his wife Lorrie became his strength while they supported him in the decisions he decided to make (Sullenberger 88). Any choices that Sully felt uncertain about, Lorrie was by his side to help him along the way. His daughters were his pride because they instilled the values he taught them in their lives and remained strong for their mom when Sully was away for long times. The relationships Sully created helped him through every aspect of his life, as they reminded him that he was not alone.
Although Sully had support from his friends and family, he faced many conflicts that he had to overcome alone. He had to fly for days to various places all over the world, and this meant that he would miss out on watching his kids grow (Sullenberger 67). Being far from family for long periods of time creates distance between them, and that distance sometimes causes people to miss out on important milestones. Missing the first word or the first step of children is something that can never be re-created. He worked with many pilots, and they were not always cooperative (Sullenberger 26-27). When working in such a diverse field, it is usual to meet all kinds of people; many times, those people have different routines and habits. When in an emergency, it is important to know who is in charge; when co-pilots are not cooperative, it is hard to remain in control. He was criticized by many people about his decision on landing in the Hudson (Sullenberger 326). Even though he did the right thing, people criticized his thinking. The arguments were divided into two groups; ones who held him high as an hero, and ones who thought he made a mistake because they believed he had other options. Throughout his life and career, he had many conflicts, but he chose to overcome them and not let them interfere with his goal of being a successful pilot.
Captain Sully was a mediocre person with an above average mindset. Throughout his life, Sully never asked for fame, but following his morals turned him into a hero. Being a courageous personality and a “lover of life”, Sully changed people’s perspective on life. I chose his story because I respect his passion towards flying and the decision he made on January 15, 2009. Sully inspires many people with his zest for life and his positive attitude. Nevertheless, he definitely inspires me.
(Such an amazing book! I highly recommend reading about him AND seeing the movie!!)
I like that movie based on this
ReplyDeletebook.