Chesley Sullenberger

Chesley Burnett Sully Sullenberger, III is a retired airline captain and aviation safety consultant. He was hailed as a national hero in the United States when he successfully executed an emergency water landing of US Airways Flight 1549 in the Hudson River off Manhattan, New York City, after the aircraft was disabled by striking a flock of Canada geese during its initial climb out of LaGuardia Airport on January 15, 2009. All of the 155 passengers and crew aboard the aircraft survived.

Sullenberger was born in Denison, Texas, to a dentist fathera descendant of Swiss immigrants named Sollenbergerand an elementary school teacher mother. He has one sister, Mary Wilson. The street on which he grew up in Denison was named after his mothers family, the Hannas. According to his sister, Sullenberger built model planes and aircraft carriers during his childhood, and says he became interested in flying after seeing military jets from an Air Force base near his house. He went to school in Denison, and was consistently in the 99th percentile in every academic category. At the age of 12, his IQ was deemed high enough to join Mensa International. In high school, he was the president of the Latin club, a first chair flautist, and an honor student. His highschool friends have said that Sullenberger developed a passion for flying from watching jets based out of Perrin Air Force Base. He was an active member of the Waples Memorial United Methodist Church in Denison, and graduated from

Source: Wikipedia