Since January 15, 2009, Sully has needed no introduction. On that fateful day, US Air’s Flight 1549 had a chance encounter with geese that killed both engines, turning the Airbus A320 into a 150,000 pound glider. The next 208 seconds, during which he glided the jet to a landing on the Hudson River, changed his life and ours. Many people remember exactly where they were on that day. I was on the phone when I heard. Later that evening I appeared on the evening news at the local NBC affiliate to provide perspective on the “Miracle on the Hudson.”

Most people,particularlypilots, already know...

a lot about what unfolded that day.Now his first book, Highest Duty answers the questions: Who is Captain Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger? What life experiences and philosophies prepared him for that day? What thoughts were going through his mind during the emergency?

Sully also talks about his transformation from ordinary pilot and family man to American hero. “We all have heard about ordinary people who find themselves in extraordinary situations…I believe many people in those situations actually have made decisions years before. Somewhere along the line, they came to define the sort of person they wanted to be, and then they conducted their lives accordingly.”

I enjoyed reading about his time as a cadet at the Air Force Academy; I hadn’t known about the hazing that occurs. He believes the hard training and attention to details during his time as a fighter pilot helped prepared him for that fateful day. We also learn about his family, how he met his wife Lorrie and the adoption of their two daughters. He talks candidly about the challenges they’ve faced including his 40% pay cut, loss of pension plan, and loss of a tenant in a commercial building they own.

The last third of the book goes into details about the 208-second glide down to the Hudson. Much of that portion of the story is already known, due to the high level of publicity since the incident. However, Sully does offer a few new details that I hadn’t heard before.

The book is a fun read. I found that my copy arrived while I was away for the weekend. I started reading it mid-afternoon Sunday and finished it late that night. On Monday I learned that Sully would be doing a book signing on Tuesday, so I decided to go meet the man himself. Like many people, I first met Sully on the Hudson, or more correctly—I met him at the Hudson Books in the International Terminal of the San Francisco Airport.

Not surprisingly, the Sully I met in person is identical to the man that America has seen interviewed on radio and television. He’s a tall, distinguished looking gentleman who appears confident and professional. Initially a quiet man by nature, he’s gotten used to being the public face for aviation and interacting with the public. When we met, I thanked him for becoming the co-chairman, along with his first officer Jeff Skiles, for the EAA’s Young Eagles program. The program flies over 100,000 teenagers a year, giving them their first exposure to aviation. We talked about how important the program is to sparking the interest of young people in becoming involved in aviation. Sully signed my book “To the 2008 National CFI of the Year” and also signed another book I bought for a friend on Twitter who’s working to get his CFI rating.

In his book, Sully says “The airline industry has its problems, and a lot of the issues can be troubling and wearing, but I still find purpose and satisfaction in flying.” The airlines and EAA couldn’t ask for a better spokesman. I hope you enjoy Highest Duty as much as I did. My thanks to Harper Collins for sending me an evaluation copy—which I won’t be sending back to them!