As he fought to land his plane loaded with 155 passengers and crew safely on the Hudson River on that remarkable day in January 2009, Capt. Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger never once thought he was about to die.

His first thought was disbelief-"this doesn't happen to me."

"In four decades (of flying,) I had solved every problem; I had never been challenged to my limit," Sullenberger told an audience at Tukwila's Museum of Flight on March 8.

Disbelief was quickly followed by a realization that this would be his challenge of a lifetime and he would have no time to do everything he should do,

He took three steps that he credits with helping him successfully land the plane on the water.

"I forced myself to be calm, I imposed order on the situation, and I focused on the highest priorities," Sullenberger reported.

Sullenberger presented a highly inspirational talk to the sold-out crowd packed into two auditoriums at the Tukwila museum.

He emphasized preparation, integrity, realistic optimism, teamwork and high professional standards.

The heroic pilot noted he has known since age 5 that his passion is flying airplanes and described himself as a "regular guy who prepared himself well."

Sullenberger credited his father and mother for teaching him their values.

His father served as a naval officer in World War II-part of the "Greatest Generation," who were "ordinary people who found themselves in extraordinary situations."

His mother, a Texas first-grade teacher, instilled in him an understanding of the value of education and made him into a life long reader and learner, Sullenberger noted.

At the United States Air Force Academy, he volunteered for training as a safety officer, he noted.

Sullenberger defined integrity as "doing the right thing, even when it is not convenient."

An example is delaying a flight because of safety concerns, even when it means he and the passengers would not get home that night, he said.

"I was trained to be intolerant of imperfection," Sullenberger declared.

Realistic optimism comes from confidence through preparation, according to Sullenberger.

"It is the knowledge you will obtain your goal, but you know you could face hard times,' he said. "Every moment of that flight I knew we could solve the next problem. I knew I could do it, based on my preparation. I knew what was possible."

Sullenberger also stressed teamwork. He added that when employees are trusted, they are willing to go the extra mile.

He said that he knew if he could land the plane safely, the flight attendants would get the passengers out safely.

"Further action is always possible when you have teamwork," Sullenberger added. "If we work together, there is little we can not do."

He said in the days after the flight, former colleagues started remembering, "Sully Stories" and told him, based on his past actions, they were not surprised at the flight's outcome.

"My reputation was built one action at a time," Sullenberger said. ""It is the same for everybody.

"Everybody has the opportunity to be a leader, the opportunity to take responsibility, the opportunity to make a difference."

Following the speech, Sullenberger, who retired from U.S. Airways on March 3, signed copies of his book, "Highest Duty."

A line snaked throughout the Tukwila museum exhibits as people sought Sullenberger's autograph.