Chesley Burnett Sullenberger III

My hero is Chesley Burnett Sullenburger III “Sully” who was a commercial pilot. Sully was born January 23, 1951. Right now he is 59 years old. He grew up in Grayson Country, Texas. His mom was a teacher, his dad was a dentist, and he had a sister: Mary Wilson. Although he is today known as "Sully" by his friends, as a boy he was often called by his middle name, Burnett or "Burnie”. He began flying a crop duster in Texas at age 15. Sully earned a pilot's license at age 14. Brave and collected describe Chesley as a young boy and up to this day.

He got inspired by watching jets fly into Perrin Airforce Base. Sully flew F-4 fighter jets with the Air Force in the 1970s. Later he investigated aircraft accidents and participated in several National Transportation Safety Board investigations.

Sully made a huge difference on January 15, 2009, when a flock of birds disabled both engines. Chesley had to land an A320 commercial plane. The only place to go was the Houston River. Luckily, after the plane safely landed, all 155 passengers lived. There were only two serious injures. Chesley Burnett showed me to follow your gut in tough situations.

"You look at his training, you look at his experience. It was just the right pilot at the right time in charge of that plane that saved so many lives,” Anderson said. “He is a man who is calm, cool, collected.”

I would want Sully as my pilot any day. Saving over one-hundred people in my eyes, is a true hero.

http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/45381000/jpg/_45381159_006729121-1.jpg Sources

“Chesley Sullenberger.”Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 17 October 2010. October 22, 2010

“Hero Pilot of Flight US Airways Flight: Cesley Sullenberger.”A True American Hero. Cesley Sullenberger Pilot Flight 1549. Copyright © 2009. October 22, 2010

"Chesley Burnett Sullenberger, III." Biography Resource Center. Detroit: Gale, 2009. Gale Biography In Context.