CHARLOTTE ó The ěMiracle on the Hudsonî Airbus 320 will officially go on display at the Carolinas Aviation Museum Jan. 15, on the third anniversary of its splash landing and amazing survival of all 155 people on board.
Floyd Wilson, former Richfield mayor and co-founder of the museum, was on hand for the Airbusí arrival June 11.
The main fuselage and the detached wings and tail made a weeklong journey from New Jersey to Charlotte, with thousands of people lining the route along the way.
On Jan. 15, 2009, Flight 1549 took off from New York for Charlotte when it flew into a flock of geese that disabled the 120-foot Airbus and caused Capt. Chesley ěSullyî Sullenberger to land it in the Hudson River, from where all the passengers were rescued.
US Airways donated the plane to the museum.
ěIt is a significant exhibit,î said Wilson, who founded the museum with his wife, Lois, in 1992. Lois Wilson died in 2007.
In a press release, US Airways said, ěFlight 1549 is an internationally recognized aviation icon, which represents the highest reaches of human heroics and technological advancement, and is of inestimable historic value to the world.î
ěThe decision to conserve and exhibit 1549 is historic,î US Airways added. ěNever before has an insurance company preserved an airframe from an accident for future display.î
The company said the Airbus was made from ěspace-age,î not ějet-ageî materials and presents a unique opportunity to show the public how modern commercial aircraft are manufactured.
US Airways mechanics in Charlotte have volunteered to attach the wings and tail to the fuselage.
The interior of the $50 million plane remains pretty much intact.
The Carolinas Aviation Museum is the largest aviation museum between Washington, D.C., and Robbins, Ga.
Hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday and 1-5 p.m. Sunday. The museum is located at 4672 First Flight Drive in Charlotte.
Its website is www.carolinasaviation.org, and the telephone number is 704-359-8442.