MOBILE, Ala. — The pilot behind aviation’s most famous emergency landing is coming to Mobile. Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger will deliver the keynote address at the Hargrove Foundation’s eighth annual gala on Thursday, Nov. 30, at the Renaissance Riverview Plaza Hotel.
Sullenberger is best known for gliding US Airways Flight 1549 onto the Hudson River in January 2009 after a bird strike disabled both engines, saving all 155 people aboard in what became known as the “Miracle on the Hudson.” The landing was later dramatized in the 2016 film “Sully,” starring Tom Hanks and directed by Clint Eastwood.
From the Hudson to Diplomacy
In recent years Sullenberger served as U.S. Ambassador and Representative to the International Civil Aviation Organization, a post he was nominated to by President Joe Biden and confirmed to by the U.S. Senate in 2021. He is also a No. 1 New York Times bestselling author of “Highest Duty: My Search for What Really Matters” and “Making a Difference: Stories of Vision and Courage from America’s Leaders,” and works as a speaker and aviation safety expert.
“We are excited to welcome Ambassador Sully and add him to our legacy of incredible speakers in Mobile,” said Micki Kohn, president of the foundation’s board of directors. “We look forward to joining together once again with our community and championing the causes we support through the Hargrove Foundation.”
The Hargrove Foundation identifies charitable causes across the Mobile area to support. Individual tickets to the gala were priced at $300, with sponsorships also available.