MPH:
But, that a civilian or military background pilot would have made the diference, I donīt buy that at all.
I think we've clarified that no-one is comparing Miv vs Civ pilots in this case. The journo in question has simply included a statistic.
Gnirren
The thing about this whole story was the fact that they were lucky enough to suffer dual engine failure at a place where there was a river to land on, a similar event without the Hudson would have been a disaster even with Mr Sully at the controls I imagine.
Er, the fact that it did occur near a river makes the above statement nugatory. Stating the bleedin' obvious comes to mind!
You're also implying that anyone faced with a similar situation would have had a similar result. Possibly, but maybe not. I'm guessing a calm surface was the key factor.
The guy did an awesome job. Fact. Live with it and learn from it.