Flight 1549
CBS News correspondent Katie Couric in her interview Sunday night with Captain Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger introduced the story she called Flight 1549: A Routine Takeoff Turns Ugly with the following words: "When U S Airways flight 1549 crash-landed into New York's Hudson River, what seemed destined to be a tragedy became an extraordinary tale of success and survival. By the time all 155 people were pulled from the ice waters by a flotilla of rescue boats, a story began to emerge of a highly trained pro with a cool demeanor who had deftly guided his doomed aircraft to safety."
"A tragedy became an extraordinary tale of success and survival" because "a highly trained pro with a cool demeanor deftly guided his doomed aircraft to safety." How did "Sully" do it? Because "Sully" fleshed out the principle of living in the present moment -- a critical principle very few people seem to understand. Richard Carlson, Ph.D. in his book You Can Be Happy No Matter What discusses five principles for keeping life in perspective. One of those principles called "The Principle of the Present Moment" is the basis for Sully's success and the principle that changed my life.
"I had this expectation that my career would be one in which I didn't crash an airplane," Sully said, which is quite similar to the one I had about being an English teacher. I thought Iwould be one for life but God thought something different. "I knew it was a very challenging situation," Sully continues. "The airplane stopped climbing and going forward, and began to rapidly slow down. That's when I knew I had to take control of the airplane." Taking control of his thoughts is what enabled Sully to take control of the plane. "The only way a thought, or series of thoughts, can harm you is if you give them significance. If you don't, they have no power to hurt you without your consent, you will retain power over your life. Rather than feeling victimized or defeated by the thoughts that stream through your mind, you'll be able to keep them in perspective. As thoughts enter your consciousness, you'll decide whether to pay attention to them, take them seriously and respond accordingly, or simply dismiss them and go on with your day," Carlson writes. He continues,"Understanding the harmless nature of your thinking reminds you that it isn't something that happens to you but rather something that you create from the inside out. Once you see your thinking as an ability that can work for you or against you at any given moment, you'll be less frightened and bothered by your thoughts. You'll keep them in perspective. As thoughts enter your consciousness, you'll have a choice: You can look at them and respond, or simply let them go. It's up to you."
It was Sully's thinking, not his circumstance that determined how he felt. Sully knew that "You use the forward momentum to provide the air flow over the wings to provide the sufficient lift." "He knew immediately that this, unlike every other flight he'd had for 42 years, was probably not going to end with the airplane undamaged on the runway." He knew, "The only viable alternative, the only level smooth place sufficiently large to land an airliner was the river." Even though he knew all these things, he remained calm. Why? Because it was his thinking, not his circumstance that determined his feelings.
"My focus at that point was so intensely on the landing," he said, "I thought of nothing else." Captain Sully was living in the present moment. He had no time to be anxious about the future or worry about the past. "You will never be happy until you learn to live in the present moment," Dr. Carlson says. A mind that is 'out of the moment' is fertile ground for worry, anxiety, regret, and guilt" - worry and anxiety over the future-regret and guilt over the past.
"And he had to keep his cool. 'The physiological reaction I had to this was strong, and I had to force myself to use my training and force calm on the situation,'" he said. He told Katie that wasn't a hard thing to do. "It just took some concentration."
What did Sully do as he prepared for landing? "I made the brace for impact announcement in the cabin and immediately, through the hardened cockpit door, I heard the flight attendants begin shouting their commands in response to my command to brace. 'Head down. Stay down.' I could hear them clearly. They were chanting it in unison over and over again to the passengers, to warn them and instruct them. And I felt very comforted by that. I knew immediately that they were on the same page. That if I could land the airplane, that they could get them out safely," he remembered. "I was sure I could do it."
Why could he land the plane? Sully said, "I think, in many ways, as it turned out, my entire life up to that moment had been a preparation to handle that particular moment." ... "The thoughts and memories you need to grow as a person (even the painful ones) will surface at the appropriate time -- when you have the ability to handle them and the inner resources to know what to do with the information you receive. Wisdom is like a built-in emotional monitor. It helps you keep your bearings and your perspective."
After landing the plane, Captain Sullenberger told Couric, "Seeing the passengers standing on the wings was an "amazing sight"-- one he'd never forget. "Thank you for saving my life," one woman told Capt. Sullenberger at the celebration reuniting the survivors with the crew. One man's shirt read: "Sully is my co-pilot," which the captain signed.
Whereas Sully was this man's co-pilot, in comparison God is my pilot. Thinking I'm in control and know where I'm going, I start to fall. I stop climbing, going forward and start to slow down. God knows He has to take over. I must give Him control of my life. He provides Jesus to give the sufficient lift. On his wings I am carried to safety. I am saved through the water. I am His. He tells me to keep my eyes on Jesus. Don't think of anything else. Ignore your surroundings. God has a task He's prepared me to do. I hear the chanting of my brothers. They warn me. They instruct me. I hear them say, "Head down." I pray. "Stay down." I submit. I know God can get me out safely. I am convinced He can.
Couric continues in the segment she calls Flight 1549: An Emotional Reunion. When the crew walked into a hotel ballroom in Charlotte, survivors and some of their relatives gave them a good round of applause.
"Thank you for saving my life," one woman told Capt. Sullenberger.
"You just did an incredible job," a man said. "Really, really, really proud."
"It was an emotional experience for all of [the crew], following weeks that Capt. Sullenberger described as surreal; there was the Super Bowl, the inauguration and a chance to meet the president, and a celebration in his hometown of Danville, Calif."
Someday I will have a surreal experience, a celebration, a chance to meet my Savior who carried me on His wings. "Thank you for saving my life. You just did an incredible job. Really. really, really proud!" I will say to Him.
Captain Sullenberger has said, "Something about this episode has captured people's imagination. I think they want good news. I think they want to feel hopeful again. And if I can help in that way, I will."
I, too, feel hopeful when I hear the "GOOD NEWS" -- news I need to hear every present moment.
"A tragedy became an extraordinary tale of success and survival" because "a highly trained pro with a cool demeanor deftly guided his doomed aircraft to safety." How did "Sully" do it? Because "Sully" fleshed out the principle of living in the present moment -- a critical principle very few people seem to understand. Richard Carlson, Ph.D. in his book You Can Be Happy No Matter What discusses five principles for keeping life in perspective. One of those principles called "The Principle of the Present Moment" is the basis for Sully's success and the principle that changed my life.
"I had this expectation that my career would be one in which I didn't crash an airplane," Sully said, which is quite similar to the one I had about being an English teacher. I thought Iwould be one for life but God thought something different. "I knew it was a very challenging situation," Sully continues. "The airplane stopped climbing and going forward, and began to rapidly slow down. That's when I knew I had to take control of the airplane." Taking control of his thoughts is what enabled Sully to take control of the plane. "The only way a thought, or series of thoughts, can harm you is if you give them significance. If you don't, they have no power to hurt you without your consent, you will retain power over your life. Rather than feeling victimized or defeated by the thoughts that stream through your mind, you'll be able to keep them in perspective. As thoughts enter your consciousness, you'll decide whether to pay attention to them, take them seriously and respond accordingly, or simply dismiss them and go on with your day," Carlson writes. He continues,"Understanding the harmless nature of your thinking reminds you that it isn't something that happens to you but rather something that you create from the inside out. Once you see your thinking as an ability that can work for you or against you at any given moment, you'll be less frightened and bothered by your thoughts. You'll keep them in perspective. As thoughts enter your consciousness, you'll have a choice: You can look at them and respond, or simply let them go. It's up to you."
It was Sully's thinking, not his circumstance that determined how he felt. Sully knew that "You use the forward momentum to provide the air flow over the wings to provide the sufficient lift." "He knew immediately that this, unlike every other flight he'd had for 42 years, was probably not going to end with the airplane undamaged on the runway." He knew, "The only viable alternative, the only level smooth place sufficiently large to land an airliner was the river." Even though he knew all these things, he remained calm. Why? Because it was his thinking, not his circumstance that determined his feelings.
"My focus at that point was so intensely on the landing," he said, "I thought of nothing else." Captain Sully was living in the present moment. He had no time to be anxious about the future or worry about the past. "You will never be happy until you learn to live in the present moment," Dr. Carlson says. A mind that is 'out of the moment' is fertile ground for worry, anxiety, regret, and guilt" - worry and anxiety over the future-regret and guilt over the past.
"And he had to keep his cool. 'The physiological reaction I had to this was strong, and I had to force myself to use my training and force calm on the situation,'" he said. He told Katie that wasn't a hard thing to do. "It just took some concentration."
What did Sully do as he prepared for landing? "I made the brace for impact announcement in the cabin and immediately, through the hardened cockpit door, I heard the flight attendants begin shouting their commands in response to my command to brace. 'Head down. Stay down.' I could hear them clearly. They were chanting it in unison over and over again to the passengers, to warn them and instruct them. And I felt very comforted by that. I knew immediately that they were on the same page. That if I could land the airplane, that they could get them out safely," he remembered. "I was sure I could do it."
Why could he land the plane? Sully said, "I think, in many ways, as it turned out, my entire life up to that moment had been a preparation to handle that particular moment." ... "The thoughts and memories you need to grow as a person (even the painful ones) will surface at the appropriate time -- when you have the ability to handle them and the inner resources to know what to do with the information you receive. Wisdom is like a built-in emotional monitor. It helps you keep your bearings and your perspective."
After landing the plane, Captain Sullenberger told Couric, "Seeing the passengers standing on the wings was an "amazing sight"-- one he'd never forget. "Thank you for saving my life," one woman told Capt. Sullenberger at the celebration reuniting the survivors with the crew. One man's shirt read: "Sully is my co-pilot," which the captain signed.
Whereas Sully was this man's co-pilot, in comparison God is my pilot. Thinking I'm in control and know where I'm going, I start to fall. I stop climbing, going forward and start to slow down. God knows He has to take over. I must give Him control of my life. He provides Jesus to give the sufficient lift. On his wings I am carried to safety. I am saved through the water. I am His. He tells me to keep my eyes on Jesus. Don't think of anything else. Ignore your surroundings. God has a task He's prepared me to do. I hear the chanting of my brothers. They warn me. They instruct me. I hear them say, "Head down." I pray. "Stay down." I submit. I know God can get me out safely. I am convinced He can.
Couric continues in the segment she calls Flight 1549: An Emotional Reunion. When the crew walked into a hotel ballroom in Charlotte, survivors and some of their relatives gave them a good round of applause.
"Thank you for saving my life," one woman told Capt. Sullenberger.
"You just did an incredible job," a man said. "Really, really, really proud."
"It was an emotional experience for all of [the crew], following weeks that Capt. Sullenberger described as surreal; there was the Super Bowl, the inauguration and a chance to meet the president, and a celebration in his hometown of Danville, Calif."
Someday I will have a surreal experience, a celebration, a chance to meet my Savior who carried me on His wings. "Thank you for saving my life. You just did an incredible job. Really. really, really proud!" I will say to Him.
Captain Sullenberger has said, "Something about this episode has captured people's imagination. I think they want good news. I think they want to feel hopeful again. And if I can help in that way, I will."
I, too, feel hopeful when I hear the "GOOD NEWS" -- news I need to hear every present moment.
Comments