Sully Sullenberger / Chesley Sullenberger: Flight 1549 pilot, HERO

Chesley B. Sullenberger III, also known as Sully Sullenberger, is pilot of the US Airways flight 1549 that crashed into the Hudson River yesterday. A former Air Force pilot, he is now being hailed as a hero for safely landing the jet into the river without any major injuries and fatalities - it appeared to be the first time in 45 years that a major aircraft crash-landed in the water - and every passenger on board made it out alive. Praises have been pouring in since the accident for it is truly a miracle that no one was seriously injured or died in the accident earlier reported to have been caused when a flock of birds (geese) blocked the path of the aircraft and clogged its engines.

New York City mayor Mike Bloomberg was one of the first to hail Captian Sully Sullenberger hailing his actions as "masterful". The Wall Street Journal, on the other hand, was even more generous with its praises, and even quoted fellow pilots who praised Chesley "Sully" Sullendberger's resolve under intense pressure:

For the first time in 50 years of commercial jet flight, the pilots of US Airways Flight 1549 successfully executed one of the most technically challenging maneuvers, landing a jetliner on water without fatalities.

Rick Kurner, another US Airways pilot, says he has flown with Capt. Sullenberger for 23 years. "He's always been an unbelievable professional," says Mr. Kurner, a first officer.

Mr. Kurner says when he heard it was Capt. Sullenberger who was flying the plane that landed safely in the Hudson, he wasn't at all surprised. "He held his cool. 'Where am I going to go? City? City? River.'"

Since news of the accident and its miraculous outcome spread through the media and the internet yesterday, people have been searching for more information about our new hero. For starters, Sully Sullenberger is a veteran pilot who flew F-4s for the U.S. Air Force from 1973 to 1980. He is likewise a flight Leader and Training Officer with experience in Europe, Pacific and at Nellis AFB, serving as Blue Force Mission Commander in Red Flag Exercises. A brief summary of his career and achievements can also be found on website of Safety, Reliability Methods, Inc. of which he is President and CEO:

Chesley B. "Sully" Sullenberger, III is a captain for a major U.S. airline with over 40 years of flying experience. A former U.S. Air Force (USAF) fighter pilot, he has served as an instructor and Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) safety chairman, accident investigator and national technical committee member. He has participated in several USAF and National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) accident investigations. His ALPA safety work led to the development of a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Advisory Circular. Working with National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) scientists, he coauthored a paper on error inducing contexts in aviation. He was instrumental in the development and implementation of the Crew Resource Management (CRM) course used at his airline and has taught the course to hundreds of his colleagues. Sully is a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy (B.S.), Purdue University (M.S.) and the University of Northern Colorado (M.A.). He was a speaker on two panels at the High Reliability Organizations (HRO) 2007 International Conference in Deauville, France May 29-31, 2007. He has just been named a Visiting Scholar at the University of California, Berkeley.

Another description of the man is provided by TMZ, together with a detailed resume of his past and present activities, achievement and credentials.

Bottom-line driven manager supported by progressively responsible experience across 40+ years in the aviation industry. Possess in-depth understanding of aviation operations acquired through real world flight experience, professional training and leadership roles with one of world’s leading airlines. History of achievement in safety, innovation, crew training, operational improvement, cost savings, productivity improvement and customer service; proven ability to maximize crew performance and flight safety. Combine strong industry knowledge and business leadership skills to consistently manage complex scheduling, lead high-performance, motivated teams and implement efficient processes that ensure smooth operations and quality customer service. Strong communicator, effective negotiator and motivational team builder; able to effectively communicate needs and merge disparate teams in the support of market objectives. Respected for wide range of industry knowledge, solid sense of integrity and demonstrated passion for industry as a whole as evidenced by lifelong career of flying.

For the complete resume of Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger, check it out HERE.

Report: US Airways crash / Captain Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger