Originally Posted by mrboh

I understand that the pilot's job is to know what to do in non-standard or emergency situations but the suggestion seems to be from a few posters that the US pilot hasn't done anything special. If landing an A320 on a river with no engines, limited electrical power and little to no simulator training for such an eventuality isn't special then what is? If every commercial pilot was put in such a position would the success rate be 100%? He hasn't run out of the trenches to save a wounded colleague on a battlefield but he has saved 150+ lives through his knowledge and skill. It's not as if he took off from LGA with the expectation of landing in the Hudson. He's a hero in my eyes, much more so than any sports star.