Sully Surfaces...in DC

Leave it to TMZ to get apparently the first post-Miracle on the Hudson photo of Captain Chesley Sullenberger. The gossip website reports, "The most famous pilot on the planet made his first public appearance in D.C. last night, at a low-key dinner with some members of his heroic flight crew and several passengers from Flight 1549. The name of the restaurant -- Hudson... Seriously." Ha! Sullenberger also greeted various admirers—and "As if to take revenge on the birds that brought down his jet, Sully dined on buttermilk fried chicken." Sullenberger and the crew were in D.C. for the inauguration; in his hometown of Danville, California, the mayor is planning a "welcome home" event (the Governator is invited, too!) for the pilot. We hope he makes his way back to NYC for Mayor Bloomberg to give him that key to the city, too.

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By Jen Chung in News on January 21, 2009 9:29 AM

Comments [rss]

coilman

The chicken is great but Chef Ryan's other dishes are awesome too. Gotta try the tuna and the grilled heart of romaine. Sweet!!!!

LilEnosBurdette

Leave it to those 'bags at TMZ to ruin his dinner. Hey FOX5 - I change the channel every time I see the mere mention of that show. Yes - that means daily.

NannyState

'As if to take revenge on the birds that brought down his jet"?

Did Flight 1549 really encounter a swarm of chickens up there? And is that why Frank Perdue has been so silent on the matter? Better send Soledad O'Brien to investigate this.

snoopydog

The main reason Frank Perdue is not commenting on this is because he's been dead for three years.

NannyState

Really? He looks the same...

ohhleary

Okay, a lesson, folks: This was either a miracle or he's a hero. It can't be both. And it wasn't a miracle - it was a flight crew doing the best they could given the circumstances and their training. If it's a miracle, God is the hero. If it's not a miracle, Sully is the hero. I side with the latter.

MFer

Well, a miracle must overturn the laws of nature. And that didn't happen. So you are right. It can't be a miracle.

And if Sully is God, it is still not a miracle. And he is still a hero.

(Though we can argue over whether it is possible for God to be a hero ... for it is action He took on a situation He created. It is almost akin to a centerfielder slowing down on a fly ball in order to dive and make a snowcone catch.)

ANGRYGOD11

What if Sully IS God? Does that just blow your mind?

chickblao

what about the co-pilot, wtf, he probably mattered just as much

Spirit of 76

No, he didn't. You need to read the accounts again. As soon as the problem hit, Sully took over complete control of the plane. It was all his baby from there. The copilot helped with a checklist, but you can't have two people trying to fly the plane at the same time.

I'm surprised Obama's team didn't give him a pass to the inauguration, though.

snoopydog

It appears the copilot was "driving" when they "hit" the birds. Therefore no official kudos for him. You break the plane, you pay for plane. Company policy and it can't be changed.