Pilot was 'the right guy at the right time'

At left: Frequency of bird collisions with airplanes

When birds and planes collide

Friends and fellow pilots praise Capt. Chesley B. 'Sully' Sullenberger III for his 'masterful' job of safely landing a jetliner on the Hudson River.

By Matea Gold and Jennifer Oldham and Peter Pae
LA Times
January 16, 2009

Reporting from Los Angeles and New York -- It was just a few minutes after takeoff. The voice that came over the intercom was urgent but calm.

"Brace for impact," Capt. Chesley B. "Sully" Sullenberger III, 57, told the 150 passengers of US Airways Flight 1549.

(The rest is here.)