Captain “Sully” Sullenberger Lands In Billings

I had the pleasure today, March 31, of attending the 2016 Billings Chamber Breakfast at MetraPark.   Today's keynote  speaker was Captain Chesley "Sully"  Sullenberger.

Sullenberger is the pilot famed for his miracle landing of flight 1549 on the Hudson River on January 15, 2009 and now works with CBS News as an Aviation & Safety Expert.

In the past, the keynote speakers have been more focused on motivating sales people.

It was a nice change to listen to him today.  There were so many great moments in his speech, some very serious and some really funny.

I could go into all of the things he said about the landing of flight 1549, but I wanted to share the positive things I took away from the event.

He talked about how he has gotten all the fame since the miracle landing, but that it was a team effort to bring the plane down safely and protect the lives of everyone on board.

In that 208 seconds, he wondered, did I make the right choice?  Did I make a difference?

I think everyone on that plane knows he made the right choice and certainly he made a difference.

He said that he knew if he could solve the problem of landing the plane then things would be all right.  I thought about my own personal issues and decided that he's right. If you can solve the problem, then things will be all right.

At one point during the speech, he talked about training and that dedication, knowledge and skill is what can take a team of experts and mold them into an expert team.

One of the most important things I took away from the event, was his advice of never stop investing in yourself. Keep learning and reinventing yourself and embrace change before you are forced to.

I loved it when he talked about growing up and his parents and that by just doing their jobs, they changed the world.

By just doing our jobs and working hard, being honest and investing in ourselves, we can change the world.

Now not to make this blog from the event today into a political platform, his advice makes a ton of sense.

Don't you think we need to change the world and make it a better place?

Capt. Sullenberger has written two books, "Highest Duty: My Search for What Really Matters" and "Making a Difference: Stories of Vision and Courage from America’s Leaders."

Actor/director Clint Eastwood is directing a biopic of Sully’s life, called "Sully," which is set to be released in September 2016. It will star Tom Hanks and Laura Linney.

I will leave you with this quote from the Captain;

"The facts tell us what to do and how to do it, but
it is our humanity which tells us that we must do
something and why we must do it."
— Sully Sullenberger

I was overall pleased with the event.  Did you go?  What did you think?