IV 
House Calendar No. 218 
111TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. RES. 1401 
[Report No. 111–543] 
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) sub-
mitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on 
Transportation and Infrastructure 
JULY 15, 2010 
Additional sponsors: Ms. MOORE of Wisconsin, Mr. SHULER, Ms. MCCOLLUM, 
Mr. REHBERG, Mr. CAPUANO, Mr. ISRAEL, Mr. HARE, Ms. RICHARDSON, 
Mr. GARAMENDI, Mr. COSTELLO, Mrs. MILLER
of Michigan, Ms. 
WASSERMAN SCHULTZ, Mrs. CAPPS, Mr. SCOTT of Georgia, Ms. HIRONO, 
Mr. LEWIS of Georgia, Mr. COURTNEY, Ms. CLARKE, Ms. MARKEY of 
Colorado, Ms. SUTTON, Mr. TEAGUE, Ms. PINGREE of Maine, Mr. CAR-
NEY, Mr. LOBIONDO, Mr. WEINER, Mr. MEEKS of New York, Mr. 
HOLDEN, Mr. FILNER, Mr. WU, Mr. DEFAZIO, Mr. KLEIN of Florida, 
Mr. CAO, Mr. BOSWELL, Mr. WESTMORELAND, Ms. CORRINE BROWN of 
Florida, Mr. BISHOP of New York, Mr. HALL of New York, Mr. NADLER 
of New York, Mr. MCMAHON, Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas, 
Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia, Mr. CUMMINGS, Mr. HASTINGS of Florida, Ms. 
BERKLEY, Mr. DEUTCH, Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN, Mr. WALZ, Mr. SIRES, Mr. 
ROONEY, Mr. CARNAHAN, Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD, Mr. PERRIELLO, Mr. 
LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida, Mr. SCHAUER, Mr. ENGEL, Mrs. 
MALONEY, Ms. LEE of California, Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California, 
Mr. HODES, Ms. MATSUI, Ms. SPEIER, Ms. WOOLSEY, Mr. MITCHELL, 
Mr. KANJORSKI, Mrs. KIRKPATRICK of Arizona, Mr. ROE of Tennessee, 
Mrs. HALVORSON, Mr. ACKERMAN, Mr. LIPINSKI, Mr. MARIO DIAZ- 
BALART of Florida, Mr. DANIEL E. LUNGREN of California, Mr. 
MICHAUD, Mr. GERLACH, Mr. BUCHANAN, Mr. JOHNSON of Illinois, Mr. 
POE of Texas, Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia, Mr. GUTHRIE, Ms. GIFFORDS, 
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Mr. CHILDERS, Mr. YOUNG of Alaska, Mr. SHUSTER, Mr. ELLSWORTH, 
Mr. ALTMIRE, Mr. COHEN, Mr. PAYNE, Mr. ROGERS of Michigan, Mr. 
DONNELLY of Indiana, Mr. MORAN of Kansas, Ms. KOSMAS, Mr. 
YARMUTH, Mr. LARSEN of Washington, Mr. PASCRELL, Mr. THOMPSON 
of Pennsylvania, Mr. STARK, Mr. BERMAN, Mr. WOLF, Mr. PASTOR of 
Arizona, Mr. CRITZ, Ms. SCHWARTZ, Mr. DENT, Mr. TIERNEY, Mr. 
GRAVES of Missouri, Mr. MCNERNEY, Mr. WITTMAN, Ms. SLAUGHTER, 
Mr. BOOZMAN, Mr. RAHALL, Mrs. NAPOLITANO, Ms. TITUS, Mr. TONKO, 
Ms. NORTON, Mr. PATRICK J. MURPHY of Pennsylvania, Mr. BOCCIERI, 
Mr. EHLERS, Mr. DOYLE, Ms. FALLIN, Mr. PETRI, Mr. COBLE, Mr. TIM 
MURPHY of Pennsylvania, Mr. SCHOCK, Mr. ARCURI, Mr. ROSS, Mr. 
HINCHEY, Mr. LEE of New York, Mrs. DAHLKEMPER, Mr. YOUNG of 
Florida, Mrs. CAPITO, Mr. DUNCAN, Mr. POSEY, Mr. DAVIS of Kentucky, 
Mr. BRADY of Pennsylvania, and Mr. SESTAK 
JULY 15, 2010 
Reported with amendments, referred to the House Calendar, and ordered to 
be printed 
[Strike the preamble and insert the part printed in italic] 
[Strike out all after the resolving clause and insert the part printed in italic] 
[For text of introduced resolution, see copy of resolution as introduced on May 26, 2010] 
RESOLUTION 
Expressing gratitude for the contributions that the air traffic 
controllers of the United States make to keep the trav-
eling public safe and the airspace of the United States 
running efficiently, and for other purposes. 
Whereas air traffic controllers dedicate themselves to the pro-
tection of the flying public; 
Whereas air traffic controllers react to dangerous and complex 
situations on a daily basis, doing so in a calm and profes-
sional manner; 
Whereas air traffic controllers work all day long and all year 
long, including holidays, to provide services to aircraft in 
their assigned airspaces; 
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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 by 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 Ter-
minal Radar Approach Control (‘‘TRACON’’) facility di-
rected a new pilot back on course and above minimum al-
titude who had been stuck in the clouds in a small aircraft 
with zero visibility, successfully using her knowledge of 
local 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 air-
craft with an engine fire to a safe landing in Butte, Mon-
tana, providing detailed weather reports for several pos-
sible 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 facility guided 
to safety a twin-engine King Air aircraft after the pilot 
died in-flight, assisting Doug White, an individual with 
limited private pilot experience in smaller aircraft, to lo-
cate 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 traf-
fic advisory to a jet aircraft landing at Los Angeles after 
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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 air-
craft stuck above a cloud layer to navigate through per-
ilous 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, Vir-
ginia; 
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 deterio-
rating weather conditions by employing, with daylight 
waning and the aircraft near mountainous terrain, a road 
map to direct 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 fa-
cility 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 fa-
cility worked as a team to assist a confused and dis-
oriented pilot of an experimental aircraft, redirecting other 
aircraft in the area and suggesting an approach into Navy 
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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 15,600 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 approximately an additional 1,250 civilian contract 
controllers and more than 9,000 military controllers also 
provide air traffic services; 
Whereas, from fiscal year 2001 to fiscal year 2009, according 
to the Federal Aviation Administration (‘‘FAA’’) there 
have been 94,600,000 successful flights of United States 
commercial 
aircraft 
safely 
carrying 
more 
than 
6,340,000,000 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 May 22, 2010, the FAA operated 315 air traffic 
control facilities and the Air Traffic Control System Com-
mand Center in the United States; 
Whereas, in the past 5 years, the FAA has hired more than 
7,500 air traffic controllers in order to meet continuously 
changing traffic volumes and workload; and 
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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, throughout the year; 
(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 mod-
ernization 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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House Calendar No. 218 
111TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. RES. 1401 
[Report No. 111–543] 
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. 
JULY 15, 2010 
Reported with amendments, referred to the House 
Calendar, and ordered to be printed 
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