Sullenberger to lead Rose Parade

Chesley 'Sully' Sullenberger III, the pilot of US Airways Flight 1549 in which he made a forced landing on the Hudson River after the plane hit a flock of Canadian geese on January 15, 2009 and saved the lives of all the passengers and crew members aboard, testifies during a hearing before the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) June 9, 2009 in Washington, D.C. (Alex Wong, Getty Images)

PASADENA, Calif. (AP) — Hero pilot Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger has been named grand marshal of the 121st Tournament of Roses parade in Pasadena.

The theme of the New Year's Day parade will be "2010: A Cut Above The Rest."

Sullenberger safely ditched US Airways Flight 1549 in the Hudson River last January after bird strikes crippled the airliner during takeoff from New York's LaGuardia Airport.

All 155 people aboard safely escaped the aircraft.

The Tournament of Roses announced Sullenberger's selection on Thursday.

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