Archie League Award Winners Bring Members To Their Feet
Thursday, February 02, 2012

Two Chicago Center controllers guided the pilot of a plane with icing conditions, a lost localizer and low fuel to a safe landing. A team of three Seattle Terminal Radar Approach Control (TRACON) controllers directed the pilot of a plane that had run out of fuel at 3,200 feet to the nearest airport. A Denver Center controller saved the life of a pilot and his wife by instructing the pilot’s wife to an emergency landing route after the pilot became incapacitated from lack of oxygen during the plane’s ascent.

These three remarkable flights assists, and seven others from around the country were honored Wednesday night at the eighth annual Archie League Medal of Safety Awards banquet which brought the Communicating for Safety conference to an inspiring and memorable close before almost 800 people at the Westin Peachtree Plaza hotel in Atlanta.

“I congratulate each of the winners for their incredible performance during these unpredictable situations to make sure they ended safely,” said NATCA President Paul Rinaldi. “They each displayed the professionalism, composure and quick-thinking that defines our profession, and I am so proud they are a part of the NATCA family.”

The honorees were:

ALASKAN REGION: Kristina Kurtz, Anchorage TRACON

CENTRAL REGION: Todd Mariani, Kansas City Center

EASTERN REGION: Matt Reed, Potomac TRACON

GREAT LAKES REGION: Guy Lieser, Steve McGreevy, Chicago Center

NEW ENGLAND REGION: Chris Henchey, Ryan Workman, Boston Center

NORTHWEST MOUNTAIN REGION: Charlie Rohrer, Denver Center; Ken Greenwood, Josh Haviland, Ryan Herrick, Seattle TRACON

SOUTHERN REGION: Alvin Kent, Atlanta Center

SOUTHWEST REGION: Frank Fisher, Greg Fleetwood, Corpus Christi Tower/TRACON

WESTERN PACIFIC REGION: Kevin McLaughlin, Southern California TRACON

Rinaldi capped the evening by presenting the President's Award for most outstanding flight assist of 2011 to Seattle Terminal Radar Approach Control (TRACON) controllers Ken Greenwood, Josh Haviland and Ryan Herrick.

On Dec. 10, 2011, Greenwood, Haviland and Herrick worked to help the pilot of a Mooney to a safe landing at Renton (Wash.) Municipal Airport. The pilot had run out of fuel at 3,200 feet while trying to descend from above a cloud layer.

The pilot, Mr. Jim Lawson of Wyoming, was a surprise guest at the presentation and met Greenwood, Haviland and Herrick for the first time to say a very heartfelt thank you.

Lawson was the second pilot of the evening to take part in the presentations. During the New England Region presentation, RVP Mike Robicheau introduced Ms. Janice Peaslee of Vermont, who was the pilot of the Cessna 150 that Henchey and Workman assisted during a flight assist in which Peaslee’s engine failed.

In addition, two members from DAB, Ken Palmer and Marc Ciprioni, were honored with a special award from AOPA’s Air Safety Institute for an outstanding flight assist in 2011. ASI Director of Education Paul Deres made the presentation.

To watch the President’s Award presentation, please click here.

The entire Archie League Medal of Safety awards presentation program is now available for viewing HERE.

For complete information about each of NATCA’s 15 winners of the Archie League Medal of Safety Awards, along with links to media coverage about the winners, please click here.

Media highlights of the week:

Fox News Channel
: Rohrer was interviewed live on Wednesday about his extraordinary flight assist. You can watch the interview here.

WSB-TV Atlanta
: One of the local TV stations in the host city for CFS and the awards presentation came to the hotel to interview Kent about his flight assist. And they had a surprise for him: They had interviewed the pilot, John Luckett. Mr. Luckett videotaped a thank you message for Al that the reporter surprised Al with and got his reaction on camera. A very special report, which you can watch here.