The first public appearance by the “hero of the Hudson” could be at the most publicized event of the year. President-elect Barack Obama has invited Flight 1549 Capt. Chesley Sullenberger to his inauguration on Tuesday. Sullenberger has been kept under wraps by authorities investigating the dramatic ditching of the US Airways A320 in the Hudson River last Thursday and has not spoken to anyone but them, his family, Obama and other politicians since. His wife Lorrie told reporters in their home of Danville, Calif., about the invitation to the inauguration and says she and her teenage daughters are excited. Meanwhile, NBC’s Today Show says Sullenberger will appear in his first media interview this morning on their program.
The Contra Costa Times reported Saturday that Sullenberger’s family was scheduled to fly to New York for a reunion on Sunday. It also said that the Air Line Pilots Association has asked Sullenberger to refrain from public comment until after investigators are finished interviewing him.
