America's newest hero has called it a career. Capt. Chesley Sullenberger, the pilot who safely landed a stricken US Airways plane on the Hudson River, flew his last flight Wednesday.

Mr. Sullenberger's water landing, which all 155 people on the plane survived, came after birds struck and disabled both engines. Last week his retirement was announced by the airline along with that of Doreen Welsh of Ambridge, one of the plane's flight attendants.

"Sully," as friends and now his adoring American public have come to know him, will do some of the usual things retirees do, like spend more time with the family. But he also plans to speak out in areas where he is uniquely qualified -- like raising the qualifications for pilots and reducing the hours they can work in a day.

While Mr. Sullenberger's cool head and steady hand helped him save the day in January 2009, he can rescue even more passengers by persuading lawmakers, regulators and airline executives that safety in the skies must be paramount. Air travelers like convenience and low fares, but an industry that cuts corners to deliver either is gambling with people's lives.

In that way, the "Miracle on the Hudson" will have a second act and Sully Sullenberger will take flight again.

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