Question

That pilot who safely landed a commercial airliner in the Hudson River has been called a hero and was even invited to attend the president's State of the Union address. But there are hundreds of pilots in northern Alaska, Canada, and other remote areas who deliver supplies via seaplane and often land safely on water. Why don't they get invited to attend the president's State of the Union address?

Answer 1

Answer:

The difference between the case of the landing on the Hudson River and the hundreds of landings in remote areas lies mainly in two factors:

-US Airways flight 1549, whose pilot was Chesley Sullenberger, was flying with 155 passengers and 5 crew members on board, therefore, it would have been a tragedy if they crashed, due to the high number of deaths that would have been caused, that is, in this case the pilot's actions saved the lives of all these people.

-Commander Sullenberger was to land at Charlotte airport, and piloted a large aircraft intended to be landed only at airports; on the other hand, the planes that travel to Alaska and northern Canada are adapted to the climatic circumstances, and their pilots know the routes as well as the landing zones in advance, so a landing in the water is not a surprise factor.

-Finally, a forced landing in the middle of New York City has a much greater social impact than a difficult but planned landing made in the middle of nowhere.