Preparation of a Hero
The moment was so dramatic that it’s tempting to just play it over and over. That’s pretty much what the media have been doing with “”Sully Sullenberger and his miracle landing of flight 1549.
If all you see is the miracle, you miss another story. It’s the story of how a boy from Denison, Texas became the man his wife calls “a pilot’s pilot.”
Denison was home to Perrin Air Force Base. The roar of the jets must have stirred something in Sullenberger. He got his pilot’s license when he was still in junior high and set his sights on the Air Force Academy.
After graduating from the Academy in 1973, Sullenberger flew fighters for the Air Force. . In 1980, he left the Air Force and began a civilian career as an airline pilot.
So far, the story is like a lot of military pilots who sign on with the airlines. But even early on there were some clues that Sullenberger was different.
He started as early as possible. He didn’t just fly for fun. He flew crop dusters. His log book was already fat by the time he got to the Air Force Academy.
He was always disciplined and learning. He learned about airplanes. He developed his skill flying gliders. He became interested in accident prevention.
He dug into the psychology of cockpit, helping develop his airline’s course on what’s called Crew Resource Management. That’s the training pilots and other crew members get to enhance safety and handle emergencies.
Along the way, Sullenberger has investigated accidents for the National Transportation Safety Board, authored an FAA Advisory Circular on the situations that induce pilot error, and served as Air Line Pilots Association safety chairman. He’s earned a couple of master’s degrees. And, just last week, he saved a planeful of people with some expert flying.
The heroism is great front page news. But Captain Sullenberger’s life offers lessons for you and me about how great careers develop.
He started with a passion for flying. But along the way he developed a passion for other things in addition to flying planes.
He worked at learning new skills and broadening his horizons. He made contributions to his profession and airline safety. The fact is that his work on flight safety and training may have saved more lives quietly than his piloting skills saved spectacularly.
The lessons for you and me are simple. Start with something you love. Keep working to get better. Add to your knowledge. Develop your skills. That won’t make you a hero. But it stands a good chance of making you a success.