Jeppesen recently presented “Miracle on the Hudson” pilots Captain Chesley Sullenberger and First Officer Jeffrey Skiles with a specially designed approach chart and engraved Jeppesen chart binders to commemorate the ditching of US Airways flight 1549 in the Hudson River in New York in January 2009.
Titled “Hudson Miracle APCH,” the one-of-a-kind chart includes several light-hearted notations that honor the famous water landing that saved the lives of 155 passengers and crew on board the flight disabled by bird strikes. In the “briefing strip” section of the chart, instructions include: “After water landing, oversee evacuation of ALL SOULS from airplane. Float via HUDSON RIVER to RESCUE point. Once everyone is SAFE aboard rescue boats, secure passenger list and double check cabin. Captain is last to exit. Give THANKS.”
The chart documents the historic five-minute flight with a unique graphic, beginning with departure from LaGuardia Airport, followed by a “Cooked Goose Transition” point and “Hudson River Approach,” which is then followed by “Splash” and “Rescue” points on the water. The humorous chart also salutes the career achievements of the crew of flight 1549, including Sullenberger, Skiles, and veteran flight attendants Sheila Dail, Donna Dent and Doreen Welsh.
Along with the commemorative chart, the pilots were presented with a special Jeppesen chart binder, engraved with the famous fortune cookie advice kept in Sullenberger’s flight bag: “A delay is better than a disaster.” The items were presented by Mark Van Tine, Jeppesen president and CEO, during the 2010 Gathering of Eagles fundraiser dinner and auction held during the EAA AirVenture fly-in and air show in Oshkosh, Wisc. The EAA Young Eagles event raises funds and awareness for youth involvement in aviation.
For more information: Jeppesen.com.
Truely terrific!
Scully and Jeff are true HERO’s….there were even some passengers who didn’t even get their feet wet. If you didn’t know, they are now the chairpersons for the EAA Young Eagles program…go to to see what they are doing!! Here is a SPECIAL MESSAGE from them, “The two of us come from different aviation backgrounds, but a passion for flight binds us together, as it binds us all within the EAA community. Through the Young Eagles progrm we look forward to sharing our passion with youth, both both through our local EAA Chapters and our individual efforts. We would like to add our own emphasis on training, preparation and leadership to the EAA Young Eagles vocabulary.”