CHARLOTTE (QUEEN CITY NEWS) – Home to famous U.S. Airways Flight 1549, the Miracle on the Hudson – The Sullenberger Aviation Museum takes flight this week.
Aviation enthusiasts rejoice! If you love all things flying you are in for a treat! If you haven’t fallen in love with aviation just yet, fasten your seatbelt because you are about to be smitten.
It was friends and family night this week at Charlotte’s new reimagined Sullenberger Aviation Museum, formally known as the Carolinas Aviation Museum, renamed in honor of Captain C.B. Sullenberger.
The facility’s new 35,000-square-foot state-of-the-art gallery houses one of the world’s leading institutions exploring the wonder of flight.
While museums of yesteryear tend to be stuffy and stale, musty and mundane, drab and dusty, this is a breath of fresh air. It’s more than just an aviation museum, a game changer, especially for communities traditionally under-represented in aviation, namely women and people of color.
The museum’s mission is to advance equality through the Carolinas and beyond.
“This is a modern aviation museum,” President Stephen Saucier, M. Ed., said with the Sullenberger Aviation Museum. “We are a Smithsonian affiliate and we really rise to that occasion of being a modern cultural institution here at Charlotte that is so much more than just about planes, so much more than a warehouse of aircraft.”
“This is about storytelling, about people, ordinary people that have done extraordinary things,” Capt. Sullenberger said.
“Extraordinary things that have pushed the needle, pushed the frontiers, that have done wonderful things that have innovated all that we see here in this museum,” Capt. Lindsey said.
It’s all about hands-on experiences, interaction for children of all ages, exhibits, projects, and learning events. See more below:
Officials said the Sullenberger Aviation Museum is a vehicle of opportunity to inspire, educate, and elevate the next generation of innovators, all through career exploration in fields related to science, technology, engineering, and math.
“Welcome to Honeywells’ Makerspace! Where kids get hands-on fund with STEM!” an organizer said to Queen City News.
“We’re looking to develop the next Captain Sullenberger,” another said.
And speaking of Captain Sully…preserving the history of one of our country’s most iconic aviation events, representing the indomitable human spirit, is the new reimagined Miracle of the Hudson exhibit. It isn’t just about recounting the past, it’s a catalyst for the future.
One of the most ‘feel good’ stories of all time
The Miracle on the Hudson is one of the most iconic survival stories in aviation history. A passenger jet’s successful ditching in New York’s Hudson River. All 155 passengers and crewmembers survived in one of the most feel-good stories of all time.
At approximately 3:29 p.m. ET on January 15, 2009, U.S. Airways Flight 1549 departed from Laguardia Airport in New York City, bound for Charlotte.
On climb-out, the Airbus A-320 hit a flock of geese, knocking out both engines. Each second, the crew lost momentum and options. Air traffic controllers suggested landing at one of three close airports. But losing the altitude and airspeed to safely reach those runways, the flight crew had to make a split-second life-or-death decision.
Finally, the plane’s captain told controllers they were going in for a landing on one the busiest waterways in the world.
“We’re going to be in the Hudson…,” Captain Sullenberger said to the Air Traffic Control Tower. “I’m sorry, say again?” the responding air traffic control specialist said.
In the few minutes from takeoff to touchdown, the plane and all aboard become an incredible story, eventually landing on the silver screen.
Captain Chelsea B. Sullenberger, and the third and first officer Jeffrey B. Skiles, became heroes for what is known as the most successful ditching in aviation history.
Millions watched the live news coverage of rescue efforts. There are images of passengers standing and shivering on the wings, with a few jumping into the freezing river.
The airframe remained intact, thanks to the high experience level of the crew, and the captain’s training as a former glider pilot. Everyone survived with only five serious injuries.
Ferry boats rescued passengers and crew.
The crew received praise for their river landing, with no loss of life, and the airliner became the famous centerpiece in a remarkable survival story.
The Miracle on the Hudson captured the nation’s attention, even leading to a major motion picture, Sully, directed by Clint Eastwood and starring Tom Hanks as Captain Sullenberger. The movie detailed the historic event and its aftermath.
Was ‘Sully’ only movie magic? Pilot part of NTSB investigation discusses ‘Miracle on the Hudson’
Battle-scarred from the ditching, the plan drifted and started to sink. After the evacuation, it was moved, and anchored to a dock where waves beat it up. It was eventually lifted out of the river with cranes, causing even more damage.
The ailing airbus was destined to be broken up for parts and scrap, when Charlotte officials had a different fate in mind, a museum piece, an artifact.
Workers took the plane apart, driving it from New York to North Carolina on a flatbed truck.
People stopped along the roadways to snap pictures, cheer, and wave to the plane on its journey. It was a symbol of survival and that miracles really do exist.
After some time in storage, the Airbus was reassembled in her new home at the Carolinas Aviation Museum. Now, years later, Flight 1549 has landed in her final resting place at the reimagined Sullenberger Aviation Museum adjacent to Charlotte Douglas International Airport.
We know what became of the jet, but what about the passengers? Many of them were from Charlotte, on a one-day business trip to New York and back when the unimaginable happened on the return flight home. Twenty-one passengers were employees of Bank of America.
The group flew this same flight weekly. It had become ho-hum. Pam and Brian Seigal, same last name, but not related, were associates with the bank.
‘Going to be late…my plane landed in the Hudson River.’
“Oh, there was definitely fear. I was never an easy flyer, never enjoyed the process of flying. I was frightened I would crash and never see my family again,” Pam Seagle said.
“I was in Row 8, went off the front side of the wing onto the water,” Brian Siegel explained.
“This is me, out in the water…smaller of the two heads, but that’s me,” Pam Seagle explained, pointing at previous footage of the water landing.
Pam Seagle and Brian Siegel recalled January 15, 2009. The day that changed everything. Prior to the January 15, 2009, ditching, Pam, a mother of two teenagers at the time, said she had taken many things in life for granted. Brian, a new father of a 6-week-old baby, was juggling work and parenthood. He still grapples with the notion that he shouldn’t have been on that flight. He was the last standby passenger to grab a seat.
“When things started to happen, the immediate thought that went through my mind was I’m not supposed to be here. I didn’t have a ticket,” he said.
It was another routine flight until the bird strike. A bang, engine fires, the smell, and then…
“I realized I didn’t hear either engine and that was the first time for me, that sickening feeling, it’s just too quiet,” Siegel said.
“We started to lose momentum…scariest thing…now going down…no noise…frightening to me,” Seagle said.
Lacking altitude and airspeed to return back to the airport, the only option became the Hudson River.
“I was on the left side of the plane, saw we were going into the Hudson. I thought this is survivable,” Seagle said.
The lack of control is what scares most people about flying. Seagle telling herself a river landing could be survivable was her way of feeling some control of her fate.
“It wasn’t until the captain said brace for impact…what does that mean? We are in the air. What are we going to impact? Had to figure out what that meant,” Siegel said.
The plane landed level, hitting the water at 140 mph, but it instantly and violently lost its momentum. There was a long second of silence, then the order to evacuate.
“It was cold. It was January. The water was cold. The air was cold. I was wearing a suit. My coat was in the overhead. I walked out on the wing in dress shoes, suit pants, feeling the wind, smelling jet fuel, wing was slippery, an unnatural place you are not supposed to be,” Siegel said.
Pam Seagle got out on the emergency exit on the left wing. That side was lighter and slightly elevated because it lost an engine. The splashing river water froze on the wing, making it slippery with each step. Fearing a fall, she chose to jump in the water. She soon swam to a liferaft. Ferry board arrived to rescue passengers from the wing, the rafts, and the water.
“I actually reached into my pocket, got my phone, still dry, called my wife. I said I’m going to be late, you aren’t going to believe this, my plane landed in the Hudson River,” Siegel said. “Before something like this happens, you have this image in your life as to what your life should be, almost like a jigsaw puzzle, gets thrown up into the air, pieces are scrambled, have to put the puzzle back together, not good or bad, the picture is different, not better or bad, recognize its different. WHen you have a bad day, you realize there’s a chance I might not have been here.”
“Talk about your life flashing before your eyes. It’s not in the past. It’s the future. The hole you would leave. The absence of you in the future. Yes, I was frightened,” Seagle said.
Pam Seagle and Brian Siegel are excited to visit the plane at the reimagined aviation museum in Charlotte. Both still work for Bank of America, where Pam runs the Global Women’s Empowerment Program.
They credit their company’s Life Events Services, a program created to provide support for the Miracle on the Hudson survivors in dealing with the aftermath and healing. The program remains in place today to assist other employees dealing with other traumatic life events. Pam Seagle said a takeaway from the ditching was to listen to her gut and respect her intuition.
A week before the river landing, she had a premonition, a dream forecasting an airplane in the river. Pam Seagle and Brian Siegel eventually flew commercially again, but not without some occasional lingering anxiety.
‘Miracle on the Hudson’ and dozens of notable aircraft
The iconic ‘Miracle on the Hudson’ is the most prominent display at the Sullenberger Aviation Museum. The star of the show. But there’s more.
If you look up and down – and all around – you are surrounded by notable aircraft.
One, in particular, enjoyed 15 minutes of fame in a Blockbuster movie.
“People walk in the door and go wow!” Vice President of Collections Katie Swaringen said. “Every aircraft does have a story and a specific history.”
One on display at the museum is an F-14 Tomcat that landed a cameo appearance on the big screen in Top Gun.
“The artifact itself is the capturing point! It’s the wow factor,” Swaringen said.
If you feel the need – the need for speed, the supersonic fighter jet, and other aircraft on static display at the reimagined Sullenberger Aviation Museum, can fill the bill.
“We have over 40 aircraft in our collection,” Swaringen said. “We have aircraft that span over 100 years of aviation history.”
At the time of acquisition, many of the aircraft were in pretty rough shape and in need of serious TLC and extensive makeovers before they were ready for their close-ups in the new museum.
“That’s one of the stories we tell in the exhibit, talking about aircraft to artifact, and what we have done to preserve, conserve, and make sure this history is something we can continue sharing for years to come,” Swaringen said.
Each aircraft artifact features a tablet with immersive augmented reality technology where visitors can piece together each aircraft’s journey.
“These pieces of technology matter because of the people that worked on them, flew them, and have relationships with them, and that’s what we want to share with our community, inspiring them to find their own journeys,” Swaringen said.
Swaringen explained there is so much content in this exhibit, that folks will have to come over and over again to experience everything the museum has to offer!
Sullenberger Aviation Museum: Carolina Lady Pilot Pioneers
When you take an airline flight, how often do you see a woman pilot in the co*ckpit? Maybe once in a while? In the United States, women make up 47% of the total workforce, but professional female pilots represent only 5-6% of flight crews.
The military, too, has a small percentage of female pilots.
To encourage more girls to take flight, the Sullenberger Museum features Carolina lady pilot pioneers, demonstrating how a woman’s place is in the co*ckpit.
Queen City News was with Captain Jones for her first look at the exhibit Sullenberger aviation officials created to honor her remarkable career as a military aviator.
“This is so amazing! This is such an honor,” she said.
Captain Jones is the first African American female helicopter pilot for the North Carolina National Guard. Jones is part of the Trailblazing Women Exhibit at the Sullenberger Aviation Museum. A Raleigh native and citizen-solider, Captain Jones considers it a privilege to serve her country as an officer and helicopter pilot.
She also serves her community as a licensed clinical mental health counselor. She draws parallels between her two professions as a therapist and pilot, using the same tools to survive in each role.
Captain Jones is literally larger than life in her exhibit display, where her uniform, boots, and gloves are showcased. It’s a reflection of her history of breaking barriers as a Black woman in a traditionally male-dominated field.
“As a child, I never dreamed that my face would be on the wall of a museum, a Smithsonian museum, or any museum, could not imagine that happening,” she said.
As a role model, a 17-year National Guard veteran, and still the State Guard’s only female African American helicopter pilot, Captian Jones has a special message for girls.
“When little girls see that exhibit, I want them to know, that me, little Lindsey, as a private first class, I didn’t know I was going to be a pilot. I want them to know you do not have to know everything you’ll do in the future, just take the first step. That’s it,” Captain Jones said. “If a woman’s face does not come to mind when you think of a pilot, that already lets you know you have a preconceived notion of who is best suited for this. Erase those notions. Write your own future. We have a trailblazing exhibit for you to be motivated, you can do it.”
The museum has multiple interactive features. Check out this one below:
Captain Jones said when girls see her exhibit, they should know she is a representation of them, an extension of their potential. When they think about what a pilot looks like, she wants them to remember.
“There was a Black lady and she can fly, and she doesn’t look like what the normal depiction may be, but that could be me as well,” she said.
In addition to featuring Captain Jones, the Trailblazing Women Exhibit highlights other pioneering female pilots from the golden age of aviation to today.
Air Hostesses: Coffee, tea, or me?
From trailblazing women and World War II Heroes to charismatic cabin crew, the reimagined Sullenberger Aviation Museum has an exhibit that’s a blast from the past.
Did you know before flight attendants were called stewardesses, they were ‘Air Hostesses?’
Coffee, tea, or me? That’s what vintage ads would say when air travel was considered glamorous. Back then, air hostesses were required to be young, slim, and beautiful.
The late Sally Mabe was one of those hostesses for Trans World Airways. She was a glamorous fashionista in designer workwear. Her uniforms, from the late 50s and early 60s, are now artifacts donated by daughter Julie Vidotto.
“As you look at her uniform and graduation picture, you’ll note all the women are the same size, same makeup, same hairstyle, it’s very much a look,” Vidotto said.
Each airline had a preferred appearance for its cabin crew. These TWA uniforms were created by famed fashion designer Oleg Cassini:
Julie said her mother would be thrilled with the donation, allowing museum visitors to see how times have changed.
“The fact that her uniform is here now and will be seen by people all over the world is such a tribute to her as well an opportunity for us to remember this piece of aviation history,” she said. “And the fact that we’ve come so far and that every flight attendant doesn’t have to look like the next flight attendant and the fact that we have women not just in the cabin crew but also on the ground and in the co*ckpit and all of those wonderful spaces.”
Vidotto told Queen City News that air hostesses were required to be single. In addition to their safety duties, they were expected to ensure passengers had a terrific experience.
Aviation Society of Oral Histories: ‘Go fly, just go fly.’
Among the many themed exhibits at the museum is the Aviation Society of Oral Histories. It includes more than 50 stories of people in aviation from across the Carolinas — colorful people like the retired Air Force major and World War II hero who goes by the name ‘Pinky.’
“I’m 99 years old, will be 100 in March,” retired Air Force Major Tom Funderburk said.
Rock Hill’s Funderburk believes history is important.
“Once we’re gone, memories will be gone, what we did,” he said.
That’s why the major, nicknamed ‘Pinky’ for his bright red hair back in the day, donated some of his belongings to the Sullenberger Aviation Museum’s collection of artifacts.
“The things I donated were a continuation of me and the Air Force. When we go to Heaven, or… the exhibit items need to be utilized when we leave. I am impressed with what the museum will do with visitors,” Funderburk said.
The ‘Pinky’ Funderburk collection includes the major’s Eisenhower jacket.
“Battle jacket with medals on it,” he said.
The moments include training manuals from flight school, photographs from his military career, letters he wrote home during the war, and more. His oral history can be heard as well, detailing his enduring love of aviation.
“Flying is everything. As soon as your wheels leave the Earth there is a feeling that most people never have,” ‘Pinky’ said.
Funderburk flew the B-17 Flying Fortress in some of World War II’s most intense air raids. He received France’s highest order of merit, The Legion of Honor, for flying deep into enemy territory over Austria, and rescuing 31 French prisoners of war.
After the war, Funderburk traded his bomber for a small personal plane he flew for business in the Charlotte area. The major said he is delighted to be part of the museum, hoping his story will inspire the next generation of aviators.
“Go fly, just go fly,” he said.
Kids just wanna have fun (they just wanna)
Admiring aircraft is one thing. Flying them is quite another! For many pilots, the hankering to slip the surly bonds of Earth starts at a young age.
Educators at the Sullenberger know this. That’s why they have special spaces in place, where kids, who ‘just wanna have fun’ can fly everything from paper airplanes to vintage aircraft to futuristic flight simulators!
“This is a place where everybody comes to have fun,” said Dr. Misty Sweat Ed.D./VP Education Sullenberger Aviation Museum.
“Play is a very important part of learning and it’s sometimes overlooked, but this is a space where kids can play and take on the role of aviation professionals and see where their skills lie.”
It was a family affair for the Phillips clan of Charlotte.
“We have state-of-the-art paper airplane launchers, state-of-the-art experiences, nothing like it in the Southeast,” she said.
After exercising paper airplane skills, it was time to take a seat at the flight controls in the co*ckpit of an iconic Cessna Trainer and sophisticated simulator.
“Not only do we have a place in the Makerspace to try your hand at careers in aviation, but we also have a section targeted for our visitors to practice being a pilot,” Sweat explained.
“We didn’t know what to expect…this is so much fun!” parents Delilah and Jeff Phillips said.
Inspiring children like Easton and sister Annie Drew is a tradition here. As a boy, Corbin Mickle would visit the original facility of the Sullenberger. It was there he fell in love with aviation.
“When I was a little kid my parents brought me to the Carolinas Aviation Museum. It inspired me to get my pilot’s license, and now I’m going to an aviation school, if it can inspire me, it can inspire a lot of other kids to do cool things too,” private pilot Mickle said.
“Our museum is full of heroes, and we are looking for the next generation of heroes like Capt. Sullenberger,” Sweat said.
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