It is a split-second decision by the pilot that makes a difference between life and death. Of course, the final outcome is generally attributed to lady luck. But the saga of the the man flying the aircraft, his gut instinct and experience, in saving the passengers inevitably turns into another legend in the fascinating history of man and the flying machines.
The Times of London has more on the rescue of passengers in New York. “Dramatic new details have emerged of the last moments of the US Airways Airbus before it crash-landed in New York’s Hudson River on Friday, with its pilot telling air traffic controllers: ‘We’re gonna be in the Hudson.’
“Captain Chesley B ‘Sully’ Sullenberger — hailed as a hero for guiding his crippled airliner to safe landing in the river, saving the lives of all 155 on board — told investigators that he decided to head for the river because trying to return to the airport carried the serious risk of a ‘catastrophic’ crash in a densely populated area.” More here…
The NYT recalls: “Captain Sullenberger, 57, the US Airways pilot…had been with the airline for nearly 30 years and was steeped in the safety side of the industry.” More here…
Photo above courtesy Associated Press: “Chesley B. Sullenberger III, the US Airways pilot who made an emergency landing in the Hudson, left. At right, he is seen during his days as an Air Force Academy cadet.”
Swaraaj Chauhan describes his two-decade-long stint as a full-time journalist as eventful, purposeful, and full of joy and excitement. In 1993 he could foresee a different work culture appearing on the horizon, and decided to devote full time to teaching journalism (also, partly, with a desire to give back to the community from where he had enriched himself so much.)
Alongside, he worked for about a year in 1993 for the US State Department’s SPAN magazine, a nearly five-decade-old art and culture monthly magazine promoting US-India relations. It gave him an excellent opportunity to learn about things American, plus the pleasure of playing tennis in the lavish American embassy compound in the heart of New Delhi.
In !995 he joined WWF-India as a full-time media and environment education consultant and worked there for five years travelling a great deal, including to Husum in Germany as a part of the international team to formulate WWF’s Eco-tourism policy.
He taught journalism to honors students in a college affiliated to the University of Delhi, as also at the prestigious Indian Institute of Mass Communication where he lectured on “Development Journalism” to mid-career journalists/Information officers from the SAARC, African, East European and Latin American countries, for eight years.
In 2004 the BBC World Service Trust (BBC WST) selected him as a Trainer/Mentor for India under a European Union project. In 2008/09 He completed another European Union-funded project for the BBC WST related to Disaster Management and media coverage in two eastern States in India — West Bengal and Orissa.
Last year, he spent a couple of months in Australia and enjoyed trekking, and also taught for a while at the University of South Australia.
Recently, he was appointed as a Member of the Board of Studies at Chitkara University in Chandigarh, a beautiful city in North India designed by the famous Swiss/French architect Le Corbusier. He also teaches undergraduate and postgraduate students there.
He loves trekking, especially in the hills, and never misses an opportunity to play a game of tennis. The Western and Indian classical music are always within his reach for instant relaxation.
And last, but not least, is his firm belief in the power of the positive thought to heal oneself and others.