Water Cooler (watercooler syndication domain)

NEW YORK (CBS) ― The "Miracle on the Hudson" pilots are back together.

Capt. Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger and 1st Officer Jeffrey Skiles flew Thursday from Charlotte, N.C., to New York -- their first flight together since they were forced to ditch a disabled plane in the Hudson River, saving all 155 people on board.

"I was overwhelmed when I found out it was him," said Don Lambert, 61, of Fort Mill, S.C., who was on the early morning flight to LaGuardia Airport. "You feel like you have the best pilot in the world fixing to fly you to New York."

US Airways had told reporters that Sullenberger's first flight would be later Thursday out of LaGuardia, but that wasn't true.

Airline spokesman Jonathan Freed acknowledged that the flight out of LaGuardia would actually be Sullenberger's fourth flight since landing in the Hudson. He flew two passenger flights Sept. 11 as part of his re-training process.

His flight Thursday morning from Charlotte was his first with Skiles. The Daily News of New York was first to report the earlier flight.

When asked why US Airways released incorrect information, Freed said the flight out of LaGuardia was important because it was "symbolic" for the crew.

"It's the one that they're emotionally attached to," Freed said.

Sullenberger ditched the Airbus A320 on Jan. 15 in the Hudson after a collision with a flock of geese killed power in both engines minutes after takeoff from LaGuardia. All his passengers were saved, and "Sully" was celebrated as an American hero.

Skilles said at a press conference Thursday morning that in general it is a very diffiuclt job to keep birds away from airlplanes, and that every particular type of bird requires a different means of dealing with them.

"Everybody cheered and clapped when we got on the plane in Charlotte," said Wyatt Smith, 41, also from Fort Mill. "I put my seat back and took a nap. I felt really honored and safe that it was him."

Charlotte also was the destination of the disabled plane they ditched in the Hudson River on Jan. 15. They saved the lives of all 155 people on board.

US Airways announced Monday that Sullenberger will be making regular flights and supervising other pilots as part of its safety management team.

But Sullenberger will also be taking it easy.  "I think I will not be able to fly as much as I like," Sullenberger said at Thursday's press conference.  "Most of my time will be out of the cockpit."

Thursday's flight traveled the same route as the January 15 one that ended up famously in the Hudson River. The flight lost both engines because of a double bird strike caused by a flock of geese. Sullenberger coolly glided the airbus A320 down onto the surface of the freezing New York City river, saving all 155 passengers.

In the months that followed, "Sully" was feted and celebrated, doing the talk show circuit and writing his autobiography. CBS station WCBS-TV followed him around one exhausting day in February and was struck by his kindness and modesty.

"I am not tired of the outpouring of support. It has been phenomenal," said Sullenberger.

Despite being America's most celebrated and trusted pilot, because he'd taken a break from flying, the 58-year-old had to go back to ground school, take some new simulator training and fly with a captain from the training department. He says he's now eager to get back to his regular job and he always reminds everyone there was more than one hero that cold January day.

"There were five of us on that airplane that had a big hand in the successful outcome in addition to the first responders and passengers who behaved so admirably throughout."

(© 2010 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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