"For 42 years, I've been making small, regular deposits in this bank of experience, education, and training. And on January 15th, the balance was sufficient so that I could make a large sudden withdrawl. -Captain Chesley "Sully" SullenbergerThis quote comes from a Katie Couric interview with Captain Sully, after he successfully landed his US Airways plane on the Hudson River after birds knocked out both engines.
Captain Sully saved the lives of 155 passengers. It's a heroic story but it is also a great tale about experience and hard work.
Many things that appear to happen effortless are often the result of lots of practice and effort! Kind of like the old joke about the way to get to Carnegie Hall is to practice, practice, practice!
I just finished reading the book, Highest Duty; My Search for What Really Matters, by Captain Chesley Sullenberger. It's a touching book. On January 14th, 2009, "Sully" is just a regular guy; a husband and father who happens to be a pilot for US Airways. But the circumstances of January 15th, 2009 change everything! But, despite all the fanfare, the accolades and invitations to speak, Chesley Sullenberger is still at heart, just a guy who loves his family and loves to fly!
There is a great quote near the end of the book by this heroic pilot:
"I flew thousands of flights in the last forty two years, but my entire career is now being judged by how I performed on one of them. This has been a reminder to me: We need to try to do the right thing every time, to perform at our best, because we never know which moment in our lives we'll be judged on." -Chesley Sullenberger
