U.S. Air Flight 1549 pilot Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger, a true American hero. He executed what experts say was a perfect emergency water landing, didn't crumple the plane at all, so all the exit doors were still functional. The plane was structurally intact after the water landing and floated for over two hours. This was all done in a really short span of time, snap judgements had to form a sequence of emergency response reactions, all of which needed to be correct and were.
MSNBC.com
"He is the consummate pilot," his wife, Lorrie Sullenberger, told the New York Post. Sullenberger is an U.S. Air Force Academy grad who flew F-4 fight planes while in the Air Force, she said. "He is about performing that airplane to the exact precision to which it is made."
Sullenberger is an airline safety expert who has consulted with NASA and others, according to his resume posted on the Internet. He has 40 years of experience, 29 with US Airways, and hold masters' degrees in public administration and industrial psychology.
For those searching for competence in this country these days, here's an example of excellence in one's chosen profession, a trial by fire.
If it was a story someone made up, it would be a perfect allegory to what Obama faces at the beginning of his first term. An attack by bird brains renders the ship of state inoperable and the whole system of government is screaming towards a horrific crash. After a commercial break, enter the hero to save the day when all seems lost.
This pretty much sums up what Sullenberger did, and what Obama needs to do quickly. To make the story even better, it turns out that everyone onboard the stricken plane performed their duties with rigid competence. From the flight attendants, who executed the emergency evacuation with precision, down to the passengers, who reportedly cooperated en masse and allowed an orderly and safe rescue to play out. The pictures of rows of people lined up on the floating plane's wings and debarking on boats were simply amazing. Sullenberger walked the interior of the plane twice to check for any remaining passengers before he left, the last one out.
A true success story, just what we all need these days. A competent captain leading a competent crew save a group of passengers who understand the situation they find themselves in and have enough common sense to cooperate. A truly miraculous story and one that should stand as an example of what competence can accomplish in a crisis.
Sullenberger should be Obama's guest of honor at the inauguration, and not just because it would be a smart poltical move, but because he's become a symbol of excellence in a time of crisis, and this is a time of crisis for the country.