US Airways pilot big on Facebook

Want some big exposure on Facebook? Just pull off a water landing in a fully loaded passenger jet.

For Chesley B. Sullenberger, who successfully landed US Airways Flight 1549 in the Hudson river Thursday, that happening appeared to have given him a cult-like following on the popular social network.

So far users have created nearly a dozen fan pages for Sullenberger, the most active of which is pulling in more than 100 new fans a minute and totals more than 51,000 members at the time of this posting. While it's nowhere near the millions attained by some celebrities and political figureheads like President-Elect Barack Obama, it's only been a day since the historic landing.

Pilot Chesley B. Sullenberger has a fan page on Facebook that's pulling in more than 100 new fans a minute.

(Credit: CNET Networks)

To put things in perspective, Sullenberger may end up being the most popular pilot on Facebook. Amelia Earhart who was the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean, has less than 500 fans, while sound barrier-busting Chuck Yeager has close to 1,600.

[karpenterskids]

Definitely article-worthy. :)

[TyFord]

I'm a singer-songwriter. Last friday morning I rose with the amazement of the miracle on the Hudson as most others did. I was scheduled to perform at a coffee house in Annapolis, MD that night. I thought it would be a good idea to play a song that resonated with the miracle that took place the day before. I could find no song. I began to write one. Two hours later I pretty much had it. Here it is.

http://www.soundclick.com/bands/default.cfm?bandID=666789&content=songinfo&songID=7244963

Regards,

Ty Ford

[gdmaclew]

How cheap.
The man saves 155 lives (and probably countless more) and he's supposed to be important because he's "big" on Facebook?
Why do writers have to look for another angle?
It's almost as if saving lives (and doing your job - briliantly in my opinion) somehow needs something else to validate it.
I just wish this kind of childish - and it is childish - search for importance would stop.
Accept it for what is it.

[PhaseDMA]

Please. What exactly is the technology relevance? There isn't one. So when Josh Lowensohn sees a way to write about him on a technology news site he takes it.

Seems pretty logical and straight forward to me.

[Josh.Lowensohn]

I think you're missing the point here.

Facebook is one of the largest social networks on the Web and its public figures pages are a great way to net public interest on something. If you had kept an eye on the rest of our coverage you would have seen that last week's news impacted other Web services like Twitpic to a different degree. This is just another layer to that.

[shahnyboy]

So doing your job automatically makes one a hero?
Interesting...

[cidman2001]

If a guy scores 4 touchdowns in the Superbowl (which is doing your job) he's a hero. But, the guy who beats very high odds and makes a successful water landing with a jumbo jet full of people isn't a hero because its his job.

Do you have any sense at all?

[gggg sssss]

landing the plane on a runway is his job. When the plane decides it would rather land on water, pulling THAT off is the hero part.

[shahnyboy]

@ cidman2001
I'm confused, did i say touchdowns = heroism? I dont know what you hear on t.v. has to do with me.

Anyway...
There are many jobs where things can go wrong and its that professional's job to make it right.
Should this guy get recognized? Sure, make him employee of the year - but dont slap a hero sticker on him for doing something he is EXPECTED to do.

What was he going to do, NOT try to land the plane safely? Please...

[PhaseDMA]

shahnyboy - He isn't expected to land a jet in water and have a single injury. He isn't expected to even land it with no deaths.

The expectations are that there will be many serious injuries, and deaths. That's the expectation.

And anyways. You can be a hero for doing your job regardless.

[cjoe071855]

It's my fervent hope that some day, after I get my pilot license, that I am at least half as good as Capt. Sullenberger.

[minnesotaflyboy]

@shahnyboy I signed up for a membership for the sole purpose of responding to your comment. In all of the months I have been reading this site I have NEVER read a more misinformed and ignorant comment such as yours. What he did has never been done before as successfully as he did it. I have been flying for years and am in awe of his skill.... Go deliver those pizzas, hero.... and cjoe1855 get your pilot's certificate and try to fly as safely as you can.

[Frexx]

Are you kidding me? Like above, I signed up to respond to your comment... In all honesty I think you're looking for your 15 minutes of fame; i.e. seeking all the attention you can gather in a days time. But your ignorance rings true and deserves all the negative attention you can get. I know busing tables make you a hero, especially after you cleaned up that 6 top with the 3 kids last night. You keep on keeping on Shannyboi... let the rest of us "heros" do our jobs as well

[minnesotaflyboy]

@Frexx,

Right on... I'm sure shahnyboy did it last night in Microsoft Flight Simulator after that busy night at Dennys. You know those floors won't mop themselves...

[Harrison912]

Thanks for the report, Josh. I'm typically on FaceBook to socially market my safety and security web site as well as raise awarness for it's products so any news about what's going on at FaceBook is of interest to me.