FLT Lt Jon Dunn knows more than most how the Airbus captain must have felt when a bird strike caused his aircraft’s engines to fail in New York.

The flying instructor, who is based at RAF Linton-on-Ouse, found himself in a similar position 18 months ago when his Tucano developed an engine problem which forced him to shut down the turboprop and make an emergency landing in rural North Yorkshire.

No skyscrapers for him to contend with, but Jon’s fortitude may have saved lives.

Conscious of the potential consequences, he elected to stay with his stricken plane rather than taking the safe option to eject. For his skill and tenacity, Jon was awarded the RAF’s Green Endorsement.

He said: “I take my hat off to the Airbus pilot; it was an incredible display of flying skill. Luckily for me, the problem happened over a relatively unpopulated area. But he did a sensational job to negotiate one of the world’s largest cities and find a safe place to land. He used fighter pilot training in a situation that he would not have been trained for as an airline captain.

“There can’t be many out there who are as good as him. To perform at that level and in such a stressful position was nothing less than outstanding.”