February 23, 2010 - Captain Chesley B. "Sully" Sullenberger to speak at The Museum of Flight. As pilot in command of the US Airways Flight 1549 that was dubbed the "Miracle on the Hudson," Captain Sullenberger has been hailed as a national hero for his quick thinking and outstanding aviation skills that saved the lives of 155 passengers and crew on January 15, 2009. 

On that day, shortly after taking off, Sullenberger reported to air traffic control that the plane had hit a large flock of birds, disabling both engines. After discussing his options with air traffic control and determining that he could neither return to LaGuardia Airport nor attempt to land at the Teterboro Airport in New Jersey, Sullenberger determined that ditching in the Hudson River was his only option.

Telling the passengers to "brace for impact," he piloted the plane to a smooth ditching in the river, where all passengers and crew members were rescued. The last to leave the aircraft, Sullenberger checked the passenger cabin twice to make sure everyone had evacuated before retrieving the plane's maintenance logbook.

A pilot for US Airways and its predecessor, Pacific Southwest Airlines, since 1980, Sullenberger has more than 40 years and 27,000 hours of flying experience, and has run his own safety consulting business since 2007. He has served as an instructor, Air Line Pilots Association safety chairman, accident investigator, and national technical committee member.

Over 30 aircraft representing the first century of aviation are displayed in the all-glass T.A. Wilson Great Gallery. The evolution of space flight and a look into the future are presented in the exhibit, Space: Exploring the New Frontier. The Airpark includes outdoor displays including the first jet Air Force One, a supersonic Concorde airliner and the prototype Boeing 747 jumbo jet. Interactive displays in The Flight Zone provide educational and entertaining activities for young children. 

The Museum's aeronautical library and archival holdings are the largest on the West Coast. More than 140,000 students are served annually by the Museum's on-site and outreach educational programs--the most extensive museum-based youth aviation and space education program in the country. The Museum is the only air and space museum in Washington State that is both nationally accredited with the American Association of Museums and a Smithsonian affiliate.