think back to the Air Florida crash in 1982 where two inexperienced pilots took off in a snowstorm in Washington DC.result many killed. Other passengers on the plane have felt similarly that since the crash their lives have become more essential, less dragged down by daily encumbrances. Capt. Five people were seriously injured, but there were no fatalities. "I definitely wouldn't do it again.". Ten years ago, 60 Minutes was there when he reunited with them . "And he is a hugger. You can find out more and change our default settings with Cookies Settings. Should I devote myself to charity? Her first experience of being in the middle of the Hudson, exactly a year before, had taken her right into its icy waters. An Airbus A320-214 passenger plane, registered N106US, was damaged beyond repair in an accident off Weehawken, NJ [Hudson River, NY], United States of America. In the weeks following the crash, the survivors were drawn to one other. Others stood on the wings or, fearing an explosion, swam away from the plane. '", Theresa Bischoff, CEO of the American Red Cross of Greater New York, introduced Gov. You can find the latest entries at nytimes.com/diary and on our New York section online. Eye damage from jet fuel caused one passenger to need glasses. Smithsonian Institution scientists . I waslivid.". Who were the passengers on Flight 1549? On January 15, 2009, the Airbus A320 serving the flight struck a flock of birds shortly after take-off from LaGuardia, losing all engine power. Skiles then made a $5,000 donation to the American Red Cross for earthquake relief efforts in Haiti. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Full Star-Ledger coverage of the Hudson River 'Perfect Landing'. "A feeling I could do anything, I could walk in front of a bus. Flight 1549: One Year Later. "[18], At 3:27:11, during climbout, the plane struck a flock of Canada geese at an altitude of 2,818 feet (859m) about 4.5 miles (7.2km) north-northwest of LaGuardia. When airplanes crash, it's usually because a bunch of unexpected things go wrong all at once, or one after the other . Contributing factors were good visibility and fast response times from the ferry operators and emergency responders. All passengers survived and hence the flight is known as The Miracle on the Hudson. I'm on the ferry going to pick up the people. [93], It was featured in an episode of the TV show Mayday with the title "Hudson River Runway"; the episode is from season 10, episode 5.[94]. It soon hit a flock of migrating Canada geese and both. Mario Tama/Getty The US Airways jet in the Hudson River. Since 1976, Metropolitan Diary has been a place for New Yorkers, past and present, to share odd fleeting moments in the city. Photograph: Janis Krums/AP, Bradley Wiggins capped his remarkable sporting year by taking home the big prize at the ceremony in London, A glass of wine with a rough sleeper, Santa in trunks, a thousand partying Muscovites in a My Best Shot special, top photographers pick the image that sums up winter for them, Kimon, an eight-year-old pet female long-tailed monkey, treats a kitten as her baby in Bintan Island, Indonesia. Chesley (Sully) Sullenberger III, and 150 passengers. Corrections? To have safely executed this emergency ditching and evacuation, with the loss of no lives, is a heroic and unique aviation achievement. Seagle's dark moment was more personal. On January 15, 2009, US Airways Flight 1549[a] with call sign "Cactus 1549" was scheduled to fly from New York City's LaGuardia Airport (LGA) to Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) in Charlotte, North Carolina, with direct onward service to SeattleTacoma International Airport. After the crash, we talked a lot about how we wanted the future to be. He couldn't sleep for five nights. Flight attendants Donna Dent, Doreen Welsh and Sheila Dail quickly and safely evacuated the 150 passengers. Life, said Bostic, is "a lot better. CNN A US Airways plane with 155 people on board ditched into a chilly Hudson River on Thursday, apparently after striking at least one bird upon takeoff from New York's LaGuardia Airport,. Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features. 'Sully' Takes Flight: Tom Hanks Hits the Red Carpet with Chesley 'Sully' Sullenberger at Film's Premiere. His Giants jersey was inscribed with the name "Sully" and the number 155 the count of people aboard the plane. Photo by David Tulis. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. However, as the plane continued to descend in a glide, Sullenberger believed that it would be unable to reach LaGuardia. [17], The weather at 2:51p.m. was 10 miles (16km) visibility with broken clouds at 3,700 feet (1,100m), wind 8 knots (9.2mph; 15km/h) from 290; an hour later it was few clouds at 4,200 feet (1,300m), wind 9 knots (10mph; 17km/h) from 310. I have to say I love stories with happy endings. to the National Transportation Safety Board. Both engines, missing large portions of their housings,[73] were sent to the manufacturer for examination. All About Tammy Bradshaw, Texas Boy, 8, Is Home on Family's Ranch with Beloved Cow After Heart Transplant and 453 Days in a Hospital, Who Is Tony Finau's Wife? Such questions have left him with a much more positive outlook. Flight 1549's landing in the Hudson River last year was said to be the only case in history of an emergency landing on water in which all passengers and crew survived. Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. Yeah but CR I think weve had enough of these Flight 1549 stories theyve clogged the whole blog all week. A passenger of US Airways flight 1549 is carried out on a stretcher from a Hudson River terminal Jan. 15, 2009, in New York City. The plane headed north and rose. Still, becoming a hero has "given us wonderful opportunities we wouldn't have had otherwise," says the soft-spoken, now retired pilot, who'll turn 72 later this month. [69], It was found in the investigation that two days before the accident, the aircraft had experienced a compressor stall[70] on the right engine, but the engine had restarted and the flight completed. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. Flight 1549 Passenger List Earlier this year everyone was glued to their monitors/TVs watching footage of the plunge of flight 1549 into the frigid Hudson River. Some at the breakfast referred to what happened on that chilly afternoon a year ago with a certain understatement. He embraces everyone. Sully Sullenberger and First Officer Jeffrey B. Skiles masterfully guided the helpless plane to an emergency landing on the Hudson River. [d] One passenger was in a wheelchair. But this group did not say cheese or Hudson river plane crash survivor John Howell with his wife Allison who wasn't on the plane. Notably a flight attendant was cut on the leg during the landing and required surgery. A view from American Airlines plane window. Last month Pam Seagle found herself for the second time in a year bobbing up and down in the middle of the Hudson river as it flows past New York. "And, I know, Sully's looking forward to meeting Hudson.". It was 15 January 2009, shortly after 3.30pm. It was at one of the "celebrate life" nights in Charlotte. It is featured in season 1, episode 1, of the TV show Why Planes Crash. However, most of the communications with the pilot while the aircraft was in the air are contained in the tape and transcript for the New York Tracon. The return to the water has brought up mixed feelings for some of the survivors. "And so I think over the passing years I feel evermore gratitude that we were able to achieve such a good outcome and save every life.". But Captain Sully didn't land the plane on the Hudson River in New York City alone. US Airways Flight 1549 passenger Casey Jones reflects on the Jan. 15, 2009, flight when Captain Chesley Sullenberger III and First Officer Jeff Skiles landed an Airbus A320 on the Hudson River after dual engine flameouts. "We have so much to be grateful for," he said. Leonard has since pursued a bucket list that includes reaching the summit of Mt. Updates? 70 years old (January 23, 1951)Chesley Sullenberger/Age. [18] Air traffic controller Patrick Harten[25] told LaGuardia's tower to hold all departures, and directed Sullenberger back to Runway31. In Laura Zych's case the social bond extended to forging a relationship with one of her fellow 1549ers, Ben Bostic. He has had his memoirs published, been hailed a Time magazine Top 100 Hero, had honours showered upon him at the Super Bowl and been stalked by numerous filmcrews. US Airways 1549 . How did that come about? Bank of America, which had 20 employees on the flight, presented the Red Cross with a $21,549 donation for Haiti relief. (Photo by Daniel Barry/Getty Images) US Airways Passenger Jet . Sullenberger and Skiles will follow the same route they took on January 15, 2009. He thought it was about to explode and that he was adead man. The first officer was flying. "Sully" Sullenberger saved all 155 people on board US Airways Flight 1549. She watched transfixed from the ferry, as the setting sun bathed the Manhattan skyline in an orange glow. Some 3 1/2 minutes after colliding with the birds, the plane landed in the river. As of 2017, 70,000 birds had been intentionally killed in New York City as a result of the ditching. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement (updated 4/4/2023), Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (updated 1/26/2023). As if experiencing deja vu, she saw her breath emerge in clouds in the crisp cold air. It does not store any personal data. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). [47] Other agencies provided medical help on the Weehawken side of the river, where most passengers were taken. Though no longer on City Room, New York Today continues to appear every weekday morning, offering a roundup of news and events for the city. Cookies collect information about your preferences and your device and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. Flight 1549 was in the air for only 90 seconds before the planes two engines swallowed some birds Canada geese, according [5]:24 Some evacuees waited for rescue knee-deep in water on the partially submerged slides, some wearing life vests. Chairman Has a Gripe With the M.T.A., and a Desire to Fix It. Weve just celebrated the 1 year anniversary. This was delivered new to US Airways in . Laura Zych and Ben Bostic, who were both passengers on Flight 1549, began dating after a passenger reunion last "Thank you so much," she said, clutching a copy of Sullenberger's book to her chest. [28] The last person was taken from the plane at 3:55 pm. At approximately 3:29 pm, Sullenberger announced over the intercom This is the captain. Balks at Claims From Jet Ditching in Hudson", "Air Traffic Controller Tells Gripping Tale of Hudson Landing", "For Culprits in Miracle on Hudson, the Flip Side of Glory", "Nearly 70,000 birds killed in New York in attempt to clear safer path for planes", "Applauding the airliner on which lives changed", "Aviation Museum lands flight 1549 engines", "Engine still attached to plane in Hudson, agency says", "Hudson jet's wreckage moved to New Jersey", "Crews hoist plane's engine from Hudson River", "US Airways Plane Crash-Lands in New York City's Hudson River, Everyone Survives", "NTSB Sending Go team to New York City for Hudson River Airliner Accident", "Plane's recorders lend support hero pilot's story", "Third Update on Investigation into Ditching of US Airways Jetliner into Hudson River", "Second engine of US Airways Flight 1549 that landed in Hudson River has been found", "NTSB Issues update on investigation into ditching of US Airways jetliner into Hudson River", "Second Update on investigation of ditching of US Airways Jetliner into Hudson River", "NTSB Confirms Birds In Engines Of Flight 1549", "Accident, Weehawken Hudson River, on 15 January 2009, AIRBUS A320, N106US", "Statement of EADS (Airbus) Re: US Airways Flight US 1549 Accident in New York (La Guardia)", "Media Information on US Airways Flight Number US 1549", "The Miracle on the Hudson The Incredible Story of Captain "Sully" and US Airways Flight 1549", "Hero crash pilot Chesley Sullenberger offered key to city of New York", "In a Split Second, a Pilot Becomes a Hero Years in the Making", "Statement by the President on Plane Crash in New York City", "Chesley B. Sully Sullenberger Praised By Obama", "Obama Invites Flight 1549 Pilot and Crew to Inauguration", "Mayor Bloomberg Presents Captain and Crew of US Airways Flight 1549 With Keys to the City", "Mayor Bloomberg and US Airways Chief Executive Officer Doug Parker Honor Civilian and Uniformed Rescuers from Flight 1549", "Hero pilot: Splash landing in Hudson 'surreal', "Mountain View school reunion at Giants' opener", "Clint Eastwood's Next Movie Revealed: Capt. About 100 people applauded earlier in the morning as Capt. More Good News stories. [6] The incident was dramatized in the 2016 film Sully, starring Tom Hanks as Sullenberger. [42] No pets were being carried on the flight. "[66][79][bettersourceneeded] About a minute after taking off from New York's La Guardia Airport on January 15, 2009, US Airways Flight 1549 collided with one of the aviation industry's most threatening foes: a flock of. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Flight 1549: One Year Later A look back at Jan. 15, 2009, when a US Airways jetliner with 155 people aboard made a splash landing in the Hudson River. The biggest reunion so far was the anniversary of the crash last month. The ferry ride to the place where the plane hit the water began in a familiar place, the New York Waterway terminal, where West 39th Street meets the Hudson River. water landing, Hudson River, New York, United States [2009]. I'm more open to opportunities. Brace for impact.. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. US Airways flight 1549, also called Miracle on the Hudson, flight of a passenger airliner that made an emergency landing in the Hudson River on January 15, 2009, shortly after taking off from LaGuardia Airport in New York City. ", Some of the passengers suffered severe trauma after the crash. Away from the Sully circus, far from the TV cameras, the lives of the 150 passengers on board the plane have also been affected in profound ways. [14] There were 150 passengers and three flight attendants on board. [29] Meanwhile, air traffic controllers asked the Coast Guard to caution vessels in the Hudson and ask them to prepare to help with the rescue. Likewise the air traffic controllers were experienced and calm under pressure and. Thank god for these pilots..Capt. Before the ferry pulled out, the passengers lined up for a group photograph, like people at a college reunion, only with countless television cameras zooming in. A number of the passengers were treated for hypothermia, but only five people suffered more serious injuries. [67], The initial National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) evaluation that the plane had lost thrust after a bird strike[68] was confirmed by analysis of the cockpit voice and flight data recorders. The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. Within days of the emergency landing, the aircraft was removed from the river, and in 2011 it was put on display at the Carolinas Aviation Museum in Charlotte. He said he would ask Captain Sullenberger to be his best man, if the relationship should get that far. The plane shook as the tail dipped into the water, then jerked violently to the left and spun round. [6] New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg presented the crew with the Keys to the City, and Sullenberger with a replacement copy of a library book lost on the flight, Sidney Dekker's Just Culture: Balancing Safety and Accountability. But this month, Flight 1549 passengers are starting to get special deliveries: FedEx boxes containing dried and cleaned wallets, handbags, coats, cameras, jewelry, clothing, important papers, even toothbrushes rescued from a watery grave. A year ago Friday, he went there by airplane. [3] Though the Board found the ditching could have been avoided by returning to LaGuardia,[4] it affirmed the ditching as providing the highest probability of survival, given the circumstances. "The best way I can describe it is, I've become a betterme. "Brace for impact." She was tall and glamorous, he said. For Flight 1549, Sullenberger had the experience, skills and competencies to land the aircraft safely on water. "I got a call from a job recruiter, who told me he can pay me twice as much as I used to make. kept counting us and counting us and then we figured out everybody must have been off the plane, which was a surprise, because after we first hit the water, I could see the back of the plane. He said he How come I'm alive? Andrew Theodorakis/NY Daily News Archive via Getty. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. [26] The ebb tide then began to take the plane southward. A further simulation, in which a 35-second delay was inserted to allow for those, crashed. But having Zych with him, he said, makes it easier. [52][80] U.S. President George W. Bush said he was "inspired by the skill and heroism of the flight crew," and praised the emergency responders and volunteers. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. Now that its over, I dont think we need to read about the story anymore. About two minutes into the flight, the airplane flew into a flock of Canada geese. by e-mail. When people think of the emergency plane landing into the Hudson River known as the "Miracle on the Hudson", people usually think of Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger the pilot of US Airways Flight 1549. Later, she recalled the dread she felt after getting a call that her husband's plane had gone down, then not knowing for 23 minutes whether he was dead or alive as she watched the rescue on television. All 150 passengers and five crew members survived. On 21 June, five months after the crash, her sister Jennifer fell suddenly sick with an aneurism. Many were on hand to celebrate at a reunion to mark the 14th anniversary of the Hudson River landing. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. ", Even after landing the plane in the chilly waters, Sullenberger maintained his calm, going through the aircraft twice to "make sure nobody was left behind," he says. Bostic found his self-confidence soar. Slowly, organically and with no outside involvement or help, they began to coalesce. But everyone did. ", Miracle on the Hudson: The Survivors of Flight 1549 Tell Their Extraordinary Stories of Courage, Faith, and Determination is published by Ballantine Books, One year on, the passengers of Flight 1549 are coming to terms with their miraculous escape from an emergency landing on water, in the middle of New York the 'miracle on the Hudson', A picture taken by a passenger on a nearby ferry showing the 1549ers awaiting their rescue. [4], On May 4, 2010, the NTSB issued its final report, which identified the probable cause as "the ingestion of large birds into each engine, which resulted in an almost total loss of thrust in both engines". Another social tick emerged. All About Alayna Finau, Michael Bubl and Luisana Lopilato's Relationship Timeline, Passenger-Turned-Pilot Thought of Pregnant Wife When He Took Over Plane in Emergency: 'I Can't Die Today', Harrison Ford and Calista Flockhart's Relationship Timeline, Sarah Michelle Gellar and Freddie Prinze Jr.'s Relationship Timeline. Sullenberger said that, to date, he has met two-thirds of the passengers and hoped to meet all of them eventually. muddy stretch of the river. Should I leave my job? [33] One passenger, after helping with the evacuation, found the wing so crowded that he jumped into the river and swam to a boat. summer. ", For her new partner Bostic it is to be true to himself. The pilots' view was filled with the large birds;[19] passengers and crew heard very loud bangs and saw flames from the engines, followed by silence and an odor of fuel.[20][21]. But Howell recalls none of that. Realizing that both engines had shut down, Sullenberger took control while Skiles worked the checklist for engine restart. Her savior is former pilot Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger III. Whether it's traveling together or just spending quiet time with each other, Bostic says he's intent on making sure he doesn't miss out on anything. As of 2021, Skiles was working for American Airlines, flying Boeing 787 Dreamliners. "It's not important to me whether anyone shops for T-shirts and dresses," she says. For Howell it is to think positively. "I thought, 'Oh my God, now I'm watching my husband die. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". "Usually there's a lot of tears around the table," Leonard, a semi-retired consultant from Charlotte, says. [5]:24 At 3:26:37, Sullenberger remarked to Skiles, "What a view of the Hudson today. All rights reserved. The sound was like an explosion. After the initial panic had passed, he was overcome by awe and bewilderment at what had happened. We also share information about your use of our site with our social media, advertising and analytics partners. But many are eager to reunite with the others who shared in the harrowing experience. I appreciate everything. Who is the crew of US Airways Flight 1549? "What I took away from it was that I'd better be more confident, I'd better go after what I wanted, as tomorrow may not be here." Capt. The report made 34 recommendations, including that engines be tested for resistance to bird strikes at low speeds; development of checklists for dual-engine failures at low altitude, and changes to checklist design in general "to minimize the risk of flight crewmembers becoming stuck in an inappropriate checklist or portion of a checklist"; improved pilot training for water landings; provision of life vests on all flights regardless of route, and changes to the locations of vests and other emergency equipment; research into improved wildlife management, and technical innovations on aircraft, to reduce bird strikes; research into possible changes in passenger brace positions; and research into "methods of overcoming passengers' inattention" during preflight safety briefings. That's when Seagle, together with about two-thirds of her fellow 1549ers, found themselves once more bobbing around in the Hudson. All rights reserved (About Us). With Skiles in control, the crew made its first report after becoming airborne at 3:25:51 as being at 700 feet (210m) and climbing. "When you look at the sequence of events, everything had to be perfect for us to survive. And Skiles, for the first officer, Jeffrey B. Skiles. 42 years of flying experience..a spiit second decision to land in the HudsonI [c][5] The aircraft slowed but continued to climb for a further 19 seconds, reaching about 3,060 feet (930m) at an airspeed of about 185 knots (213mph; 343km/h), then began a glide descent, accelerating to 210 knots (240mph; 390km/h) at 3:28:10 as it descended through 1,650 feet (500m). "We have become bonded," the former pilot adds. Sully, an air force veteran and commercial pilot since 1980, was joined in the cockpit by first officer Jeffrey Skiles. On January 15, 2009, US Airways Flight 1549 took off from LaGuardia Airport in New York, bound for Charlotte Douglas International Airport in North Carolina. The media quickly dubbed this water landing of a powerless jetliner with no deaths "the Miracle on the Hudson"[2] and a National Transportation Safety Board official described it as "the most successful ditching in aviation history". "I'm looking forward to him meeting Sully," says Leonard. I told him, 'Where you are located is colder than the Hudson River.' This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The crew began evacuating the passengers through the four overwing window exits and into an inflatable slide/raft deployed from the front right passenger door (the front left slide failed to operate, so the manual inflation handle was pulled). Captain Chesley Sullenberger III; first officer Jeff Skiles; and cabin crew members Sheila Dail, Donna Dent and Doreen Welsh participate in a roundtable discussion in Charlotte, North Carolina, during a 10th anniversary celebration of the US Airways Flight 1549 event, known as Miracle on the Hudson. "We're eternally grateful and indebted to him," says Seagle, 56, who works for Bank of America as its Global Women's Programs executive. I had on this shirt. Hudson River plane crash survivor Pam Seagle, a drama that has acquired near-mythic status, BBC Sports Personality of the Year in pictures, Dinner, dusk and dancing Russians: my best winter shot. on the Hudson. But he added: Im not sure if it was a miracle. I was surrounded by all my new friends.". In August 2010, aeronautical chart publisher Jeppesen issued a humorous approach plate titled "Hudson Miracle APCH," dedicated to the five crew of Flight 1549 and annotated "Presented with Pride and Gratitude from your friends at Jeppesen". Sullenberger commanded over the cabin address system to "brace for impact"[28] and the flight attendants relayed the command to passengers. Five people were seriously injured, but there were no fatalities. Furthermore, the NTSB report called these simulations unrealistic: "The immediate turn made by the pilots during the simulations did not reflect or account for real-world considerations, such as the time delay required to recognize the bird strike and decide on a course of action." "But with those memories, it also reinforces that gratitude we have.". Passengers, crew and their family members, of the US Airways flight that made a water landing in New York's Hudson River last year, celebrate with a toast aboard a ferry on the anniversary of the incident, in New York today. As the river rose up to meet them, Howell braced himself for impact, just as Captain Sullenberger instructed him to. Chalk it up to a skilled set of people who trained for the worst. Ten years ago today, Captain Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger safely maneuvered US Airways Flight 1549 into an emergency landing over the Hudson River, saving all 155 passengers in what became known as the Miracle on the Hudson. "A wave of sadness came over me and I started crying. A look back on Jan. 15, 2009, when a US Airways jetliner with 155 people aboard made a splash landing in the Hudson . Paul Jorgensen recalls in a new book of survivors' tales that the 1549ers have compiled themselves, Miracle on the Hudson, that for a week after the landing he cried uncontrollably. "We're like extended family," Sullenberger says of the passengers on his flight more than a decade ago. These people knew what they were supposed to do and they did it and as a result, no lives were lost. They raised their glasses at 3:31 p.m., the moment of impact, on one of the ferries that plucked them from the water. It says "survivor". Seagle, now 42, an executive with Bank of America, was one of the 155 people on board US Airways Flight 1549 from New York's La Guardia airport to her home town, Charlotte in North Carolina. Sullenberger's co-pilot, Jeffrey Skiles, called all the rescuers, from the fire and police departments to ferry and boat operators, "the true heroes of that day.". There was the sky: the bluish-pink of late afternoon, just like before. "It does bring back memories of being out there and what we went through," Bostic said previously. We celebrated the one-month anniversary, two, three, four. At 3:25 p.m., the plane took off from runway 04, at La Guardia airport. This time was amazing. And, yes, he said, strange.. At the end of his final flight he was reunited with Skiles and a number of the passengers from Flight 1549. "It was devastating, for all of us," she says. This sensor had been replaced and the inspection also verified the engine had not been damaged in that incident. Amid the elation and renewed purpose that gripped the 1549ers in the weeks after the Hudson landing, there were dark moments too. 25 Best Things to Do in Casablanca (Morocco), 15 Best Things to Do in East Hartford (CT), Co-pilot of US Airways Flight 1549 with Chesley Sullenberger. Sully Sullenberger, left, and passenger Barry Leonard. Kilimanjaro, donating a library to a Masai tribe, and overcoming his great fear of skydiving with a jump from 12,000 feet a few years ago. It was a wonderful thing that happened. "You cannot fully appreciate what it feels to be sitting there looking out of the window and be 100% confident that this is your last day, these are your lastmoments.".