Contacts: Dan Hubbard, (202) 783-9360, dhubbard@nbaa.orgPatrick Dunne, (202) 783-9263, pdunne@nbaa.org
Orlando, FL, October 19, 2009 – The National Business AviationAssociation (NBAA) is pleased to welcome Captain Chesley B.”Sully” Sullenberger, III, the iconic pilotof US Airways Flight 1549, as keynote speaker at NBAA’s 18th Annual Leadership Conference, February 24 to 25,2010, in San Diego, CA.
“We are delighted that Captain Sullenberger will join us for our 2010 Leadership Conference,”said NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen. “He is recognized around the world as a person whose experienceand dedication to professionalism were key to his steady leadership in a moment of great adversity. I can think of no one better suited to this event.”
Capt. Sullenberger is best known as the pilot who safely guided flight 1549 onto the Hudson River on January 15, 2009, after the airliner experienced a bird strike on takeoff. His feat, which has been called “one of the most technically challenging maneuvers” in aviation, was dubbed the “Miracle on the Hudson,” because the event concluded without major injuries or fatalities.
According to his biography, Capt. Sullenberger has over 40 years of flying experience. A former U.S. Air Force (USAF) fighter pilot, he has served as an instructor and Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) safety chairman, accident investigator and national technical committee member.He was instrumental in the development and implementation of the crew resource management (CRM) course used at his airline and has taught the course to hundreds of his colleagues. He is a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy (B.S.), Purdue University (M.S.) and the University of Northern Colorado (M.A.).
The NBAA Leadership Conference is an annual educational event that provides timely and valuable information on topics of interest to those responsible for coordinating the use of business aircraft. The organizers for this year’s event echoed Bolen’s enthusiasm about Capt.Sullenberger’s participation.
“Sully’s leadership and compassion in a time of crisis has been an inspiration not just to those of us in aviation, but to everyone,” said Janet Bressler, chief administrative officer with ExcelAire, and a Leadership Conference co-chair. “We look forward to this opportunity to gain from his perspectives.”
Jad Donaldson, chief pilot at AvFuel, and also a co-chair for the 2010 event, agreed, stating: “We thank Captain Sullenberger for agreeing to join us at next year’s Leadership Conference. We know his insights will help inform the way our attendees address the challenges in their own workplaces.”
Founded in 1947 and based in Washington, DC, the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) is the leading organization for companies that rely on general aviation aircraft to help make their businesses more efficient, productive and successful. The Association represents more than 8,000 companies and provides more than 100 products and services to the business aviation community, including the NBAA Annual Meeting & Convention, the world’s largest civil aviation trade show. Learn more about NBAA at www.nbaa.org.
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International Business Aviation Council Ltd.