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Fly by Wire: The Geese, the Glide, the Miracle on the Hudson Audiobook
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(3.05) - 166 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
On January 15, 2009, a US Airways Airbus A320 had just taken off from LaGuardia Airport in New York when a flock of Canada Geese collided with it, destroying both of its engines. Over the next three minutes, the plane's pilot, Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger, managed to glide it to a safe landing in the Hudson River. It was an instant media sensation—the "Miracle on the Hudson"—and Captain Sully was the hero. But how much of the success of this dramatic landing can actually be credited to the genius of the pilot? To what extent is the "miracle" on the Hudson the result of extraordinary—but not widely known, and in some cases quite controversial—advances in aviation and computer technology over the past twenty years?
In Fly by Wire, journalist William Langewiesche takes us on a strange and unexpected journey into the fascinating world of advanced aviation. From the testing laboratories where engineers struggle to build a jet engine that can systematically resist bird attacks, through the creation of the A320 in France, to the political and social forces that have sought to minimize the impact of the revolutionary fly-by-wire technology, William Langewiesche assembles the untold stories necessary to truly understand the "miracle" on the Hudson, and makes us question our assumptions about human beings in modern aviation.
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"This very short book is great on two counts. First, the moment-by-moment account from the flight deck is genuinely gripping even though you know exactly what's going to happen. Second, this book is more interesting for the way in which Langewiesche ties the example of flight 1549 to a bigger story about modern aviation and human performance. He walks such a fine line so well that it's hard to even describe what the book is about once you've read it."
— Noah (4 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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With inflection and timing, narrator David Drummond turns the playbacks of other less fortunate flights into thrilling nail-biters.
— AudioFile
Fly by Wire Listener Reviews
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" Story of Miracle on Hudson. Interesting how the Airbus model is made and how fortunate the circumstances were for this flight "
— Larry, 1/27/2014 -
" In the aftermath of the water landing on the Hudson many people were quick to praise the pilots and and crew - and rightly so. Langewiesche's account gives credit to other major player in the drama - the Airbus and its fly by wire avionics. Ultimately, that credit finds its way to Bernad Ziegler and the other engineers of Airbus that helped create bring into existence the A320. "
— Alan, 1/13/2014 -
" I like the details of the Airbus fly by wire envelope protection. The story of the Hudson River crash was a over dramatic. "
— Wesley, 1/11/2014 -
" An interesting look at how the refinement of the modern passenger airplane allowed this particular pilot to save his own life and that of all of the passengers when he lost power in both engines shortly after take-off from NYC. "
— Ron, 11/30/2013 -
" I thought this book would be way more interesting than it was. It got too much into the political side of the crash rather than sticking with what happened during the flight and the corresponding rescue. "
— Josh, 9/29/2013 -
" Langewiesche is a master at letting the drama of traumatic events speak for itself rather than trying to pump it up with flowery language. "
— George, 9/18/2013 -
" Very interesting. It's short, more like an extended magazine article than a book. I understand better how planes fly, and now I really like Airbus! "
— Sara, 5/19/2013 -
" A quick four hour read that adds some technical details to the account of the famous "Miracle on the Hudson" ditching by Sully Sullenberger. The author posits that some aspects of the Airbus alpha contraints assisted Sully in his successful landing on the river. "
— Wayne, 3/2/2013 -
" Lots of digression, but a solid depiction of the crash. "
— Joel, 2/12/2013 -
" pretty interesting for a quick read. "
— Sam, 10/3/2012 -
" read this before you fly. "
— Joel, 8/31/2012 -
" Langewiesche introduces interesting data and exposes us to a real picture of technology available at the time of the 'miracle'. "
— Rogerrohweder, 4/17/2012 -
" Terrific short read! You'll learn a lot about modern airplanes here. Highly recommended. "
— Simon, 2/6/2012 -
" It was good. The author seems to feel that the airplane was as much the hero as the pilots were. "
— John, 1/8/2012 -
" Good book. Very quick read. It's more about the developments of airplanes than it is the 'glide'. But that is a good thing. Every page has something interesting. Take it on a flight and listen. "
— Joseph, 7/23/2011 -
" Superb account of the landing on the Hudson and how, while Sullenberger acted with great skill, the plane was also a hero that day. "
— Steve, 5/4/2011 -
" I like the details of the Airbus fly by wire envelope protection. The story of the Hudson River crash was a over dramatic. "
— Wesley, 4/27/2011
About William Langewiesche
William Langewiesche is the author of eight books, including Cutting for Sign, Sahara Unveiled, Inside the Sky, American Ground, and, most recently, Aloft: Thoughts on the Experience of Flight. He is currently an international editor for Vanity Fair and was for years a national correspondent for the Atlantic Monthly, where he was nominated for eight consecutive National Magazine Awards.
About David Drummond
David Drummond has made his living as an actor for over twenty-five years, appearing on stages large and small throughout the country and in Seattle, Washington, his hometown. He has narrated over thirty audiobooks, in genres ranging from current political commentary to historical nonfiction, fantasy, military, thrillers, and humor. He received an AudioFile Earphones Award for his first audiobook, Love ’Em or Lose ’Em: Getting Good People to Stay. When not narrating, he keeps busy writing plays and stories for children.