Leading Authorities, Inc. Signs Jeff Skiles, Co-pilot of U.S. Airways Flight 1549, 'The Miracle on the Hudson'

WASHINGTON, April 13 /PRNewswire/ -- Leading Authorities, Inc. has signed Jeffrey Skiles, co-pilot of U.S. Airways Flight 1549 which crash landed safely on the Hudson River. First Officer Skiles and pilot Chesley “Sully� Sullenberger successfully landed the Airbus A320 in the 20-degree water of the Hudson once they determined that nearby landing strips and airports were too far away to safely protect the passengers and the surrounding communities. All 150 passengers and five crew members survived. Skiles will be speaking about the training, preparedness, and adaptability in difficult times which led to the “Miracle on the Hudson.�

“We are extremely proud and privileged to be representing Jeff Skiles,� said Leading Authorities founder and CEO Mark French. “I can speak for our entire company when I say that we’ve been impressed and amazed by Mr. Skiles’ calmness and humility. He’s encountered circumstances that most of us don’t want to imagine, and he handled it perfectly. I have been struck by his great storytelling ability, his sense of humor, and professionalism.�

The son of two pilots, Skiles started flying at the age of 16, and to date has logged over 20,000 hours in the sky. Since 1986, he has served as both a U.S. Airways pilot and first officer. Flight 1549 was only Skiles’ second trip in the Airbus A320, and when the plane collided with the birds, he was still manually flying the plane.

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