Dalla quarta di copertina
Fred Berretta was an amateur pilot himself, so when U.S. Airways Flight 1549 struck a flock of geese and lost both engines, minutes after takeoff from Laguardia Airport on that fateful afternoon of January 15, 2009, he knew before most of his fellow passengers that something was seriously wrong. As the roar of the jets quieted and the aircraft ceased to climb, as the pilot guided the powerless plane towards a desperate crash landing and announced, Brace for impact, Berretta fingered the prayer book in his pocket and tried to prepare himself for death. A multitude of thoughts flooded his mind all at once. He reminded himself that the odds of surviving a water landing were slim to none. He thought of his wife and his four children, and how they would miss him. He remembered he had just been to confession and to Mass, and he wondered if his soul would be ready to meet the Lord. And he knew he had to pray. God, please be merciful to us, for the sake of your Son, he whispered. Please spare us. I trust in you. Jesus, I trust in you. Mother of God, please pray for us. At that very instant, Berretta felt a push or nudge on his conscience; a state of awareness he d never before experienced; and a keen realization that he had to do something. But what? Then God s voice sounded strong and clear in the depths of his soul: Are you going to accept My will for your life? For Fred Berretta, the events of January 15, 2009 were the crystallizing moment of a lifetime of conversion. In these pages he tells how he lost his childhood Catholic faith and embraced a secular, sinful life, how he suffered through family turmoil and the death of a child, and how by God s grace he slowly returned to His presence, humbled and grateful. And finally, how God used the Miracle on the Hudson to confirm him in his faith and set him on fire to share it with others. Flight of Faith is the inspiring true story of how God works in our lives in ways both simple and extraordinary.
L'autore
Frederick Berretta grew up in southeast Florida and is the son of a stockbroker. His parents' divorce as a young boy sparked his search for a greater truth in life. While exposed to many different Christian faiths during his youth, he embraced Catholicism in his mid-twenties. Through the span of a twenty year investment management career, he did his best to live his faith fully in the midst of a demanding job, constant change, business travel, fathering four children and losing a parent and a son in the same year. His experience of surviving a near death plane crash on January 15, 2009 in the Hudson River, profoundly impacted his Catholic faith journey and led him to a deeper realization of the importance of trusting in God's mercy and providence. He enjoys tennis, golf, flying and mostly just spending time with his family.
Frederick Berretta was a passanger on US Airways Flight 1549, which plunged into the Hudson one icey day in January, 2009. He is an amataure pilot and a writer.
