Miracle on the Hudson

I spoke to a pilot friend of mine about the water landing last week. He said that was absolutely a miracle; and that, no offense to the pilot (who did a fantastic job!), he would not have been able to do it on another day. Under normal circumstances he would have shredded the wings and/or cart wheeled the plane across the water. He would have hoped to save a few, if he was lucky. My friend reminded me, and anyone who has ever flown can understand this; when you come in for a landing they are fighting turbulence, thermals, and cross winds. If you pay attention you will note the pilots flipping stabilizers on and off, changing speed, and generally trying to keep the aircraft "straight and level". It is the trickiest part of flying. So kudos to that pilot; he is an ace, but this really was a miracle!