[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 1401 Introduced in House (IH)]
111th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. RES. 1401
Expressing gratitude for the contributions that the air traffic
controllers of the United States make to keep the traveling public safe
and the airspace of the United States running efficiently, and for
other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
May 26, 2010
Mrs. McCarthy of New York (for herself and Mr. King of New York)
submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee
on Transportation and Infrastructure
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Expressing gratitude for the contributions that the air traffic
controllers of the United States make to keep the traveling public safe
and the airspace of the United States running efficiently, and for
other purposes.
Whereas air traffic controllers dedicate themselves to the protection of the
flying public;
Whereas air traffic controllers react to dangerous and complex situations on a
daily basis, doing so in a calm and professional manner;
Whereas air traffic controllers work all day long and all year long, including
holidays, to provide services to aircraft in their assigned airspaces;
Whereas, due to the highly stressful and demanding nature of the job and the
total concentration required, air traffic controllers are required to
take regular 30-minute breaks, work in shifts, and retire at the age of
56;
Whereas air traffic controllers perform courageous acts every day;
Whereas, on January 1, 2009, air traffic controller Kristin Danninger at the
Madison, Wisconsin, Tower and Terminal Radar Approach Control
(``TRACON'') facilities directed a new pilot back on course and above
minimum altitude who had been stuck in the clouds in a small aircraft
with zero visibility, successfully using her knowledge of area geography
to point out a highway that led the pilot to the appropriate runway;
Whereas, on March 29, 2009, air traffic controller Troy Decker at the Salt Lake
Center facility guided a Piper Aztec aircraft with engine trouble to a
safe landing in Butte, Montana, providing detailed weather reports for
several possible landing options;
Whereas, on April 12, 2009, air traffic controllers Jessica Anaya, Lisa Grimm,
Nathan Henkels, Dan Favio, Brian Norton, and Carey Meadows at the Miami
Center facility and the Fort Myers Tower and TRACON facilities guided to
safety a two-engine King Air aircraft after the pilot died in-flight,
assisting Doug White, an individual with limited private pilot
experience in smaller aircraft, to locate the positions of controls and
switches on the aircraft and to navigate the high-traffic area of
southern Florida;
Whereas, on June 28, 2009, air traffic controller Ron Chappell at the Southern
California TRACON facility issued a traffic advisory to a jet aircraft
landing at Los Angeles after viewing another target on his radar screen
that was at an unknown altitude and approaching the jet, circumstances
that bore a similarity to a 1986 mid-air collision over Cerritos,
California;
Whereas, on July 5, 2009, air traffic controller Louis Ridley at the Potomac
TRACON facility assisted a Velocity aircraft stuck above a cloud layer
to navigate through perilous mountain terrain with limited fuel
remaining and, while doing so, reassured the pilot, gave detailed flight
and weather information, determined the best airport for a safe approach
and landing, and even had his wife, Carolyn, greet the pilot after the
pilot landed in Culpepper, Virginia;
Whereas, on October 9, 2009, air traffic controllers Kevin Plante and
Christopher Presley in Portland, Maine, helped guide an aircraft that
had become stuck in rapidly deteriorating weather conditions by
employing, with daylight waning and the aircraft near mountainous
terrain, a road map to guide the pilot to Portland using several
highways, lakes, and towns as guides;
Whereas, on November 14, 2009, air traffic controller Jessica Hermsdorfer at the
Kansas City Tower and TRACON facilities calmly helped guide back to the
airport an Airbus 319 aircraft that had hit multiple birds and
experienced engine trouble, directing other aircraft out of the way and
assisting the stricken flight to land safely;
Whereas, on December 7, 2009, air traffic controllers Natasha Hodge and Douglas
Wynkoop at the Dallas TRACON facility worked as a team to assist a
confused and disoriented pilot of an experimental aircraft, redirecting
other aircraft in the area and suggesting an approach into Navy Fort
Worth for the pilot, which resulted in a successful landing;
Whereas, on December 20, 2009, air traffic controllers Todd Lamb at the
Anchorage Center facility and Michael Evans at the Fairbanks Flight
Service Station ensured a safe landing for a Cessna aircraft that was
experiencing smoke in the cockpit, as Mr. Evans was able to assist the
pilot in locating a narrow dirt trail which was the only safe landing
spot in the area and Mr. Lamb helped a second aircraft locate the downed
plane's position;
Whereas approximately 15,770 Federal air traffic controllers, in airport traffic
control towers, terminal radar approach control facilities, and air
route traffic control centers, guide planes through the airspace of the
United States;
Whereas an additional 1,250 civilian contract controllers and more than 9,000
military controllers also provide air traffic services;
Whereas, since 2001, according to the Federal Aviation Administration (``FAA'')
there have been 93,000,000 successful flights of United States
commercial aircraft safely carrying more than 6,500,000,000 passengers;
Whereas air traffic controllers provide separation services over the entire
airspace of the United States and 24,600,000 square miles of
international oceanic airspace;
Whereas, as of October 1, 2009, the FAA operated 316 air traffic control
facilities and the Air Traffic Control System Command Center in the
United States;
Whereas, in the past four years, the FAA has hired more than 5,500 air traffic
controllers in order to meet continuously changing traffic volumes and
workload; and
Whereas air traffic controllers are facing staffing challenges, with an aging
workforce and a wave of retirements: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) expresses gratitude for the contributions that the air
traffic controllers of the United States make to keep the
traveling public safe and the airspace of the United States
running efficiently;
(2) commends air traffic controllers for the calm and
professional manner in which they handle air traffic, day and
night, all year along;
(3) acknowledges the heroic actions, dedication, and quick
and skilled decisionmaking that air traffic controllers employ
to help avert many accidents and tragedies; and
(4) encourages greater investment in the modernization of
the air traffic control system of the United States so that air
traffic controllers have the resources and technology needed to
better carry out their mission, both in the air and on the
ground, as air travel continues to grow.
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