Living the Dream: Robin Roberts Flies With Captain Chesley Sullenberger
May 4, 2010— -- Robin Roberts' father flew with a group of American heroes as a Tuskegee Airman and ever since, she said she wanted to follow in his footsteps some day.
With the help of another true American hero, Captain Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger, she got her chance as part of "Good Morning America's" Living the Dream series.
"Sully" became a household name in January 2009, after the Miracle on the Hudson, when Sully saved more than 100 lives by executing a perfect crash landing into New York's Hudson River after all the engines of the commercial plane he was flying went down due to a bird strike.
Robin saw the landing first-hand just outside her apartment window in Manhattan.
Click here to learn more about all the anchor's dreams at our special Living the Dream section.
Sully said he still thinks about that day that changed his life.
"Well, I get constant reminders, you know, in a good way about it," he told "Good Morning America." "I mean, every time on the street or going to a store and someone comes up and says 'Hi' and 'Thanks' and it's a nice reminder of what I call the enduring power of this story."
While they set out to fulfill Robin's dream, Sully said that he's been living his dream all his life by flying.
"I don't know what I would have done had I not been able to fly. It's clearly all I've ever wanted to do, and I was willing to work very hard at it to learn more about it, to become expert at it, to try to always make the next flight better than the previous one," he said.
His parents always encouraged him, but sadly passed away before he became a national hero.
"They said do whatever you want. Just do the best you can," he said. "I wish, I wish that they had been here to have participated in and witnessed the last 15 months. My dad would've been proud and my mom would've cried."
Robin joined Sully in the cockpit of a small plane to take a little ride over California's scenic San Francisco.
As the plane rose above the city, Sully predicted a "very spectacular view."
"I've never seen San Francisco quite like this," Robin said.
Sully said he still clearly remembers his first solo flight.
"I was 16 and a half. It was a late Saturday afternoon, June 3, 1967. And I was in Sherman, Texas. My instructor was a crop duster named L.T. Cook Jr.," he said. "It's one of those flights that's etched in my memory."
Robin said being up in the air always inspired her to get her pilot's license.
"I really feel a connection with my father whenever I board a plane, whenever I'm in the air," she said.
While they skimmed the clouds and took in the sights, Sully offered some simple words of wisdom -- not just for flying, but for life.
"The best advice is to follow your dream, but be willing to do the hard work," he said. "Look for others who have been very successful at what you want to do and try to find a way to emulate them."
