US | Chesley Sullenberger Flight 1549's Pilot a Dying Breed 'Sully' from age when pilots were trained to be mavericks By Matt Cantor Posted Feb 2, 2009 1:15 PM CST Copied Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger smiles during a homecoming celebration on Jan. 24, 2009, in Danville, Calif. Applauding him are his wife, Lorrie Sullenberger, left, and Danville Mayor Newell Arnerich. (AP Photo/Noah Berger) In an era when pilots are trained to minimize risk and stick to standard procedures, Chesley Sullenberger of Flight 1549 may be one of the last of his kind, New York magazine reports. He was trained in an earlier era, one in which pilots were treated as gods, and a military mentality was embraced. Many had fought in Vietnam, and thus were trained to take risks. Today, by contrast, much of piloting is automated, and pilots are seen as “a step above bus drivers,” said one. “The maverick pilot has given way to the professional—the captain who knows how to put aside his ego and not take unnecessary risks,” Robert Kolker writes. Ultimately, that’s probably the safest way for the largest number of passengers. But those on Flight 1549 were lucky to have Sully. Read These Next Beyonce leaves national anthem unfinished. A space capsule carrying ashes of 160 people crashed in the ocean. Iraq's national game of deception brings out the best bluffers. A lesson in minding your own business ... at 30,000 feet. Report an error