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Virgin's Richard Branson LOVES Sully!


By

Jen Chung

Published Feb 1, 2009

Modified Feb 1, 2009


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By

Jen Chung

Published Feb 1, 2009

Modified Feb 1, 2009


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Count entrepreneur Richard Branson among fans of Captain Chesley Sullenberger, who managed to land US Airways Flight 1549 into the Hudson—with all 155 passengers and crew members suffering only minor injuries— last month. Branson, who founded Virgin Air, told Rush & Molloy how dazzling Sully was, "Every single thing he could have done right, he did right — from the second he made that decision not to go to that local airport, to put the plane down in the water, to the way he looked after everybody," and added, "I’d like him to come fly for us. We’ll make him the best-paid pilot at Virgin — we’ll give him double [the salary of] anybody else. He also can become one of the astronauts in my intergalactic spaceship company. The man can write his own ticket with me.” Sully's reaction? "That’s amazing. I hadn’t heard that... I will be happy to entertain all the things that are coming my way."

Tagged

Captain Chesley Sullenberg

flight 1549

richard branson

us airways flight 1549


Jen Chung

Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.

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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations


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