What We're Listening To: Abby

Highest Duty: My Search for What Really Matters by Chesley B. Sullengerger and Jeffrey Zaslow. Unabridged Audiobook on 8 Sound Discs (9 hrs 15 mins). HarperAudio, 2009. Read by Michael McConnohie with Selections Read by the Author.

On January 15, 2009 Captain "Sully" Sullenberger and his crew of US Airways Flight #1549 were hit by a flock of geese shortly after taking off from LaGuardia Airport in New York City. They lost all thrust in both engines forcing Captain Sullenberger to make some very quick decisions. It was as if he has prepared for this moment his entire life. Captain Sullenberger has decades of flight experience logging over 27,000 hours not just with US Airways but with the Air Force flying F-4 Phantom jets. He is a student of aviation history as well as aviation disasters and has participated in accident investigations for the National Traffic Safety Board. Knowing that the plane would not make it back to LaGuardia the Captain made the decision to land in the Hudson River. We are able to follow the actual exchange between the pilot and the air traffic controller from beginning to end. All-in all it took only 3 1/2 minutes from the time the birds hit to the landing but it felt much longer to everyone involved. All 150 passengers and 5 crew members survived with few injuries. Captain Sullenberger is the ideal pilot, always cool and calm even in the face of imminent disaster.

This book covers many other aspects of Captain Sullenberger's life from his family to the hardships faced by the airline industry since 9/11. He details how his salary has been cut 40% and pensions almost eliminated. I was shocked to learn that on long flights from San Francisco to Pittsburgh they don't feed him! He packs a turkey sandwich, peanut butter & jelly sandwich and a banana which he eats while smelling all of the food from First Class.

In this time of constant bad news it is no surprise that Captain "Sully" Sullenberger is being hailed as a hero and will continue to be for quite some time. I found this book to be very inspirational.