CHARLOTTE (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — There was a time when many museums were considered stuffy and stale, dusty and drab. But no more. If you’ve been to the Sullenberger Aviation Museum, you know times have changed.
Located on the campus of Charlotte Douglas International Airport, this modern-day Smithsonian affiliate has welcomed more than 60 thousand visitors since opening last summer.
“Passion in the job puts perfection in the work.” That quote by Aristotle is alive and well at the Sullenberger Aviation Museum. Case in point: Stephen Saucier.
You won’t recognize the name or face because museum president Stephen Saucier works in the background, rolling up his sleeves, behind the scenes.
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SULLENBERGER AVIATION MUSEUM
But you may recognize Captain C.B. “Sully ” Sullenberger- best known for his actions as Captain of US Airways Flight 1549 — the iconic “Miracle on the Hudson.” His aircraft has found a new home here- in the museum that bears his name, in the capable hands of Saucier. The plane is the crown jewel of notable aviation exhibits in the modern-day museum that aims to inspire, educate, and elevate the next generation of aviators and innovators.
“Stephen is wonderful. His passion is on par with ours. We’re overjoyed. This exceeded our expectations,” praises Sullenberger about the Miracle on the Hudson exhibit Saucier helped create. He says he can’t imagine anyone else other than Saucier being the shepherd of this important story both he and his wife Lorrie feel so dearly about.
Saucier, who worked closely with a dedicated team to make this happen says, “I was honored and very respectful to make use of his name and tell his story and attract those audiences that can come and be part of this next generation.”
Captain Sully became the hero pilot behind the most successful ditching in modern aviation history — after a flock of geese hit his plane on departure from New York’s LaGuardia Airport — knocking out both engines — leaving the powerless jet with just enough altitude and airspeed to glide to a safe landing in the icy Hudson River.
Remarkably, thanks to Sullenberger and his highly skilled flight crew, everyone on board survived. And thanks to the vision of Saucier and many others, the restored plane is not only surviving, but thriving on display in its final destination: a 35,000-square-foot state-of-the-art gallery, part of a 105,000-square-foot museum adjacent to Charlotte Douglas International Airport.
“What we like so much about Stephen, he treats it with the same care, the story, that we do… because of the lives involved, the fact that we were all able to survive… it would have been so tragic had anyone not. And Stephen gets that, he feels the same way we do,” Sullenberger continues.
For years the Airbus was displayed in a temporary exhibit in a borrowed hangar, without its own building, until being displaced in storage. In an attempt to rehome it, Saucier would lead a museum without walls- spearheading a $34 million capital campaign that would eventually manifest into this magnificent modern museum.
“I had many conversations with Captain Sullenberger and wife Lorrie about working together. We became good friends discussing how we could preserve the history of The Miracle on the Hudson — one of our country’s most iconic aviation events, representing the indomitable human spirit,” Saucier says.
It’s been said every job is a self-portrait of the person who did it. After eight years of autographing his work with excellence, Saucier is finally stepping down as president of the museum.
“I’ve been part of an incredible journey, an incredible group of people, a collective effort, and I just thought it was time for the next generation to take the museum to the next level,” he said.
While a new leader will soon take over, Saucier’s passion will live on.
“I’ve literally wanted to fly since I was 5 years old, and I was fortunate to be able to do that. Stephen has that same passion, that same drive, the need to inspire, and that’s what this is all about,” Sullenberger says.
Visit sullenbergeraviation.org to see the Miracle on the Hudson exhibit up close and personal.
