If Hemingway was right, and guts is "grace under pressure", then listen to this:

[11 Bravo]

http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/02/05/1549.voice.recorder.tape/index.html

There's another current post quoting a pilot who claims that Capt. Sullenberger was more of a passenger than a hero, and that the Airbus fly-by-wire system landed the crippled bird safely in the Hudson River. But it is a matter of record that the success rate of water ditchings ain't that great. You're listening to the voice of a man who had every reason to believe that he might be dead in a matter of moments.
(I don't say this just because my dad was also a fighter pilot with a commercial license, but I swear, these guys must have to take a special course in "cool".)

[Fresh_Start]

1. Yes

and the traffic control at both Laguardia and Teterboro were also "COOL"

I was surprised that the LGA traffic controller still had responsibility for other planes in addition to the plane in distress

I guess I would have thought that once this type of situation occurred, he would have been in charge solely of that critical situation.

[mitchum]

2. Redd Foxx: "Heroes are not born; they are cornered"

[mitchum]

3. Redd Foxx: "Heroes are not born; they are cornered"

[rrneck]

4. Training, training, training. He knew

exactly what the aircraft could do, and he knew exactly what the weather conditions were regarding the condition of the surface of the water etc. Absolute professionalism all the way.

He was lucky the weather cooperated and no doubt a lot of other factors as well that were beyond his control.

That's not saying he doesn't have a set, considering what he does for a living.

Contrast that with the story about the Aeroflot flight the other day when the passengers mutinied to get a drunk pilot thrown off the plane.

My face-to-face encounter with the 'drunk' Aeroflot pilot

[Uzybone]

5. Much respect to all who were involved

especially Sully.