Charlotte, North Carolina
Few of us will ever forget the “Miracle on the Hudson” or the images of passengers standing on the wings of a sinking Airbus A320. Thanks to the skill of Captain Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger III and his crew, all 155 people on board survived an emergency river landing after a bird strike disabled both engines on Jan. 15, 2009.
Near North Carolina’s Charlotte Douglas International Airport – the flight’s planned destination – you’ll see the actual plane, trucked down from New Jersey and reassembled in a hangar. Exhibits include the pilots’ uniforms, a life raft and items recovered from the plane such as passengers’ suitcases, a coffeepot, beverage cart and safety card. The culprit flock (remains were identified by a Smithsonian Institution team through DNA bar coding) is represented by a stuffed Canada goose.
The Carolinas Aviation Museum has other significant commercial, military and civil aircraft, and exhibits that trace the history of aviation. But attendance has doubled since US Airways Flight 1549 finally made it home.
For more information, call 704-997-3770, or visit www.carolinasaviation.org
