Pilot Gets Hero's Welcome

By John Johnson,  Newser Staff
Posted Jan 24, 2009 7:57 PM CST

The small town of Danville, Calif., welcomed home its resident celebrity pilot, Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger, the Los Angeles Times reports. Thousands filled the town green to cheer the man who landed Flight 1549 safely in the Hudson River. "I know I can speak for the entire crew when I tell you we were simply doing the jobs we were trained to do," said Sullenberger in brief remarks. "Thank you."

Sullenberger asked town officials to keep the event low-key—they did the best they could by limiting it to an hour—and declined through a spokesman to take questions from reporters. "I seem to have this uncontrollable problem with my tears lately," Sullenberger's wife, Lorrie, told the crowd. "I am so sorry." (More Flight 1549 stories.)

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