This afternoon, just after 2:30 p.m. (CST), I turned on the radio..; twenty seconds later, I turned on the T.V.
Unbelievable…
U.S. Airways Flight 1549 was in the water, and a miracle rescue was unfolding just west of Manhattan on the Hudson River.
How do you train for that?
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But, of course… they did. They all did.
Pilot Chesley Burnett “Sully” Sullenberger III, Air Force Academy graduate… a veteran with more than 40 years experience… a military fighter pilot… flight instructor… hero… then and now.
The flight crew, who managed keep 150 or so people calm before, during, and after the water landing… and who would lead when it mattered most.
The rescue workers, boat operators, emergency personnel, and medical teams who organized and executed a flawless operation with no time to spare.
And the Airbus Engineers who designed the A320 to float in such conditions… the real-world success of which might never be known… until today.
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They all figured it wouldn’t happen… yet they trained as if they knew it would.
Being prepared for the worst, whatever that is… in our lives… in our businesses… in our homes… can keep a bad situation from turning into disaster.
Tonight, along with thousands… no, millions… of Americans… I am thankful.
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