Miracle on the Hudson

People can be so amazing. Chesley Sullenberger, the pilot for that US Airways flight that landed in the Hudson river about 70 blocks from our house, is a hero in the truest sense of the word. Not only did he manage to miss the George Washington Bridge without power from his two engines, but after his amazing landing this is the account of his actions:

With water seeping into the plane, Sullenberger walked up and down the center aisle twice to make sure nobody was left before he fled the jet, the mayor said. "He was the last one off the plane," Bloomberg said.

The kind of skill, selflessness, and courage he and the crew of the flight displayed actually brought tears to my eyes. It is a beautiful thing to see how people can rise to occasions that seem absolutely impossible in the abstract. They deserve every single bit of praise and admiration they are surely due to receive in the coming weeks.

All of New York owes this pilot and crew a debt of gratitude. Unfortunately we are all too painfully aware of the damage one of those plans could do to a building in Manhattan. The actions he and the co-pilot took saved more lives than just those on that plane.

And hats off to the passengers. Especially the fact that they were letting women and children get off the plane first.