How to Get Capt. Sully Sullenberger as Your Pilot and Other Tips for Picking the Safest Flight

Sept. 30, 2009— -- The U.S. Airways pilot who safely landed his jet on New York's Hudson River after a collision with geese killed power in both engines is about to return to the skies.

Capt. Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger will soon be back at the helm of passenger jets and it is likely that after his incredible landing on Jan. 15 -- dubbed the Miracle on the Hudson -- passengers everywhere will clamor to be on his flights.

But even if you can't get Sullenberger as your pilot, there are still a number of steps you can take to stay safe in the air.

While it might not seem natural to cruise six miles up in the air over the country, it is a lot safer than driving from coast to coast.

"First of all, by any measure … this is the safest form of transportation in the history of mankind," said John Nance, an aviation expert and ABC News consultant. "Day by day, seven days a week, 365 day a year, almost nothing goes wrong."

Airplanes are designed with multiple redundant systems and Nance pointed out that over a five-year period starting at the end of 2001, the country went without a single fatality on a commercial airline.

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US Airways isn't saying much about Sullenberger's return to the cockpit. It should be soon and he will also take on a role as part of the airline's flight operations safety management team.

Sullenberger's return couldn't come at a better time for the airline industry. Today, airlines are among the most-hated businesses out there. Pilots have gone from once being everyday heroes -- think back to Pam Am pilots in the 1960s -- to now being seen as just another cog in the big corporate machinery.