[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 81 (Thursday, June 23, 1994)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: June 23, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
          TRIBUTE TO CAPT. JAMES J. WOODHEAD, AMERICAN AVIATOR

                                 ______


                         HON. NORMAN Y. MINETA

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 23, 1994

  Mr. MINETA. Mr. Speaker, throughout my 20 years in Congress, which 
includes service throughout on the Public Works and Transportation 
Committee, I have come to admire and respect the intricacies of our 
aviation system here in the United States.
  But more than admire a system, with its essential importance to our 
national economy and transportation network, I have now an unyielding 
admiration for the professionals who make that system the best in the 
world.
  One such professional, Mr. Speaker, is Capt. James J. Woodhead, a 
leader in American aviation, who is to be congratulated for his hard 
work and dedication during his 27 years as an airline captain and 37 
years as a pilot.
  I was saddened to head recently of Captain Woodhead's forthcoming 
retirement from US Air and his concurrent departure from the Air 
Traffic Procedures Advisory Committee as a representative of the Air 
Line Pilots Association. Captain Woodhead's thoughtful, reasoned 
approach to problem solving has made him one of the most widely 
respected members of the committee since 1979.
  In all that time, ATPAC has benefited in particular from his 
expertise in cockpit management and air operations, perhaps most 
especially when he chaired ATPAC from 1987 to 1992. Very simply, 
Captain Woodhead has helped to make our system safer over the years, 
and the loss of his guidance will be felt by ATPAC, by ALPA, and by all 
those who may not know him by name but who work in and rely upon our 
airports and airways every day.
  Captain Woodhead's aviation history is a very proud one indeed. After 
his graduation from Stanford University in 1956, Captain Woodhead 
joined the U.S. Air Force and flew a total of 4,500 hours around the 
world as an aircraft commander and flight examiner until he left the 
service in 1965.
  From 1967 through this year, Captain Woodhead has piloted a variety 
of aircraft for USAir and Pacific Southwest Airlines. He has logged 
22,000 accident-free hours, an invaluable experience which has 
reinforced his stature in ATPAC and helped the practical side of the 
Pacific Southwest-Piedmont-USAir merger in the late 1980's. Captain 
Woodhead certainly merited the Associate Administrator Air Traffic 
Service Award in 1992, as well as the Air Traffic Control Association's 
Special Medallion Award that same year.
  Mr. Speaker, individuals like Captain Woodhead are the key to a 
successful aviation system here in the United States. His retirement 
notwithstanding, I trust that we will be able to continue to draw upon 
his knowledge, expertise, and friendship in the years ahead. I ask that 
my colleagues join me in wishing him the very best in whatever endeavor 
he undertakes to make that possible, as I'm sure he will.

                          ____________________