Weeks before Flight 3407 crashed in Clarence Center, Jeff Skiles had his own in-air crisis.

He was the First Officer on the infamous “Miracle on the Hudson” flight that landed in the middle of the cold New York City river.

In the years that followed, Skiles served as vice president of the Coalition of Airline Pilots Association, lobbying for improved airline safety and security reforms to make flying safer for pilots.

He’s become a strong advocate with the families of those lost on Flight 3407, testifying with them before Congress and supporting them in their efforts to secure higher training standards for pilots.