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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Veteran pilot and Texas native Captain Chesley |
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Burnett "Sully" Sullenberger III demonstrated extraordinary skill |
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and composure when he landed his crippled commercial airliner on |
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the Hudson River on January 15, 2009, saving the lives of his |
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passengers and crew while also avoiding all the traffic on the river |
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in an incident that has come to be known as "the miracle on the |
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Hudson"; and |
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WHEREAS, On that fateful day, Captain Sullenberger was |
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piloting a U.S. Airways flight with 155 people on board out of |
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LaGuardia Airport in New York City; moments after takeoff, each of |
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the plane's engines was struck by birds and shut down; and |
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WHEREAS, Realizing that the airplane would be unable to make |
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it to a runway for an emergency landing, Captain Sullenberger, in a |
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breathtaking display of expertise, courage, and resolve, put the |
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81-ton aircraft safely down on the waters of the Hudson River; and |
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WHEREAS, The passengers were evacuated onto the wings of the |
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plane and into rafts; a few suffered minor injuries, but no lives |
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were lost; after checking the waterlogged cabin twice to make sure |
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no one was left behind, Captain Sullenberger was the last to leave |
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the plane; and |
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WHEREAS, Born and raised in Denison, where a street is named |
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for his pioneering family, Captain Sullenberger is a |
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fourth-generation Texan; even before this harrowing incident, he |
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had won great distinction as an aviator, earning his pilot's |
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license at the age of 14 and logging more than 19,000 hours of |
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flying time in the course of his career; he is a graduate of the U.S. |
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Air Force Academy, where he received the Outstanding Cadet in |
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Airmanship Award given to the top flier in each graduating class, |
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and he flew F-4 Phantom fighters for the Air Force for seven years, |
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attaining the rank of captain; and |
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WHEREAS, Captain Sullenberger has been a pilot for U.S. |
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Airways since 1980, and he is a flight instructor and a highly |
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respected expert in aviation safety; he has investigated aviation |
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accidents for the Air Force and the National Transportation Safety |
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Board; and |
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WHEREAS, A consummate pilot and a selfless steward of the |
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lives in his care, "Sully" Sullenberger is most worthy of the |
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worldwide acclaim he has won for his lifesaving actions, and it is |
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indeed a pleasure to pay tribute to this remarkable Texan; now, |
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therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 81st Texas |
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Legislature hereby honor Captain Chesley B. Sullenberger III as a |
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true Texas hero for his heroic rescue of all those aboard U.S. |
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Airways Flight 1549 on January 15, 2009, and extend to him sincere |
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best wishes for nothing but blue skies ahead; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for Captain Sullenberger as an expression of high regard |
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by the Texas House of Representatives. |
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Phillips |
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______________________________ |
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Speaker of the House |
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I certify that H.R. No. 1891 was adopted by the House on May |
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14, 2009, by a non-record vote. |
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______________________________ |
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Chief Clerk of the House |
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