MODERN DAY HERO

HERO-Someone we admire. Someone we look up to. Someone who gives us hope. Not a myth, or an icon, or a legend—someone solid, genuine and real. An ordinary person who does extraordinary things. A hero picks us up when we are down. Believes in us before we believe in ourselves. Inspires us to expand and embrace what’s possible. Helps us realize that we can be heroes, too.

Are there any heroes alive today that exemplify that description?

On a cold day in New York City, January 15, that someone was Sully Sullenberger. A 1973 graduate of the United States Air Force Academy, former F-4 fighter pilot and pilot of US Airways Flight 1549, Captain Sully became a symbol of all of the above hero descriptions. Quite possibly the perfect candidate for this crisis, he was an ordinary man who performed the extraordinary feat of landing his jet on the Hudson River after it was disabled by a flock of Canadian Geese.

He had prepared himself well for this moment in time. Sullenberger, with over 40 years of aviation experience, had been well-trained in emergency situations, practiced them in simulators and continued his safety studies as he transitioned form the Air Force to the airlines. “It was obvious to me after loosing both engines at a low speed and flying over one of the most densely populated areas that we were in a crisis situation. I knew I had to take control as I felt the plane stop climbing and slow down. That’s when I put my hand on the side stick and said ‘my airplane.’

But one also needs to execute and as the Hudson River seemingly rose up to meet the crippled plane, he described his plan. “I needed to touch down with the wings exactly level, with the nose up, at a descent-rate that was survivable with a minimum flying speed, but not below it and all this had to happen simultaneously.” The few other water landings that had been attempted in aviation history had resulted in destroyed planes and casualties.

His new nickname became the ‘Hudson River Hero’ as onlookers described the amazing scene of that plane splashing down and all 155 passengers exiting safely, congregating on the wings and being rescued by police, fire fighters and EMTs. After he walked up and down the passenger cabin twice to make sure everyone had been evacuated, Sully quickly gave credit to the lifesaving river rescuers, “They were crucial, I felt like the weight of the universe had been lifted when I knew everyone survived.”

In the face of recent negative news of greed, drugs and wasted lives, it’s good to celebrate ordinary people who choose to live a life of sacrificial service and do the right thing. The world is looking for and loves to hear the story of a hero who can make a difference. Pilot Sully Sullenberger embodies that description; and encourages us with the right attitude and extra effort put forth, we too can choose to be heroes. The dictionary description truly illustrates a genuine real-life hero.