CHARLOTTE, N.C. – March 3, 2010 – Members of the US Airline Pilots Association (USAPA), representing the pilots of US Airways, will join Captain Chesley B. “Sully” Sullenberger, III, today to celebrate his retirement at age 59. Captain Sullenberger, the pilot in command during the world-renowned ditching of US Airways Flight 1549, will officially retire at a private ceremony at Charlotte Douglas International Airport accompanied by fellow USAPA pilots and other US Airways employees this afternoon. Captain Sullenberger will fly his last flight today with First Officer Jeff Skiles, his copilot during the skillful ditching in the Hudson River on January 15, 2009.
“Sully has always been a pilot’s pilot and a fine example of a professional aviator. He has also done a remarkable job of focusing the American public’s attention on the need for well-trained and experienced pilots at the controls of commercial aircraft,” said Mike Cleary, president of USAPA. “Sully’s final flight reminds us all that another veteran pilot is leaving the skies – and an experienced, well-trained pilot is the single most important component of safety on any aircraft. Congress, airline companies and the flying public should demand that the next generation of expert aviators have incentives to do the hard work to take the place of Sully and the many others nearing retirement age – and not to further tarnish this once-proud profession.”
“It was the investments made in years past that helped attract the Captain Sullenbergers to the airline pilot profession,” said Cleary. “We must now find the will to once again invest in our pilot employees to encourage the best and brightest to enter and remain in our profession. When things go wrong, we want a Captain Sullenberger in the cockpit.”
Captain Sullenberger has worked for US Airways and its predecessor airlines for 30 years; he has served as a check airman, helped create the Crew Resource Management (CRM) course used throughout the industry, has testified before Congress regarding pilot safety and is a sought-after speaker on the topics of preparation, life-long education and constant preparedness.
President Cleary added, “Sully’s fellow pilots will miss him, and we wish him godspeed during his well-deserved retirement.”
Headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., the US Airline Pilots Association (USAPA) represents more than 5,000 US Airways pilots in seven domiciles across the United States. Visit the USAPA Web site at www.USAirlinePilots.org.
