Thank you, Paul.  I’m honored to be here.  I’d like to start out by reading a note from a pilot a few of you helped.  Here it goes: 

“I’ve started this email at least a dozen times.  It’s hard to put into words the emotions, relief and gratitude I feel from the St. Louis Approach Control personnel, but more specifically Air Traffic Controller Mark Schad. 

Hard IFR was what I was flying when I began losing my vacuum while west bound around the Indiana/Illinois border.  I announced to St. Louis Approach Control that I was losing vacuum pressure and would like to be diverted to the nearest airport.  The controller I spoke to directed me to a close airport with an instrument approach and when I pulled up the approach plates I learned the weather was below decision height … . Shortly thereafter I lost all vacuum pressure.

So you see where this is going.  He’s in trouble, and he’s alone.  This is where everything Archie League stood for comes in.  Let me continue reading: 

“When I next spoke to St. Louis Approach Control I spoke to Mark Shad who informed me he was taking all responsibilities from me and all he wanted me to do was fly the plane.  He gave me a heading to Alton, Illinois which had an ILS approach.  He made sure I made only standard rate turns or less and maintained my attitude and altitude.  When it came time to intercept the glide slope he monitored and talked me through interception, capture and descent… .

At the very least, I can honestly say that Mark was instrumental in my successful landing at Alton and more likely was instrumental in saving my life… .  

The pilot goes on to express his appreciation for the professional service we provide, and praises the skill and ability of all of you, as our controllers.

I’ve seen a handful of notes like this over the years, and they always bring into sharp focus what we do and why we do it.  There’s a Traffic Situation Display in my office, and it’s covered with dots that crawl across the screen.  Notes like this remind me that those blips are people.  But they also remind me that every one of those people is in very good hands – thanks to controllers like all of you. 

The truth of the matter is that sometimes a controller is the pilot’s only lifeline. 

When the plane fails, the controller is capable.

When the pilot struggles, the controller is calm.

When the weather is bad, the controller sees clearly. 

In moments like this, seconds count, and there’s no time to reach for a manual.  Controllers call upon their training, call upon their teammates, and do what they can to make sure pilots and passengers get home safely to their families. 

It’s been said that “Today’s preparation determines tomorrow's achievement.”  Because you are prepared, you’re able to deliver when the unexpected occurs.

Somebody was recently telling me about an airline pilot who was convinced that he had trained and flown his entire career for the 30 seconds that his aircraft encountered a microburst.  The pilot said, "All of the thousands of hours of experience culminated in a moment that determined whether we all went home that night safely or ended up as the lead story on the evening news."  Everybody in this room knows exactly what he's talking about. 

I want to thank the men and women receiving awards tonight.  And we all should recognize everyone who was nominated.  Just having your name mentioned in this conversation says a lot about you and it says a lot about how you get the job done.   

I also want to thank our entire controller workforce for everything you do to keep our system the safest in the world.

I think the Today Show’s Matt Lauer put it very well in a segment they aired after he visited JFK Tower a few weeks back.  Referring to the job you do, he said, “that’s one of those jobs that you only hear about when something goes wrong, but on a daily basis they do that job so well, day in and day out.”

The FAA and NATCA are proud of you.  I value the partnership our organizations have forged.  Together, we’ve raised the bar.  We’ve collaborated on many safety programs and campaigns including:

• The Air Traffic Safety Action Program
• Professional Standards
• Turn Off, Tune In, and
• Fully Charged

Since ATSAP started 8 years ago, you’ve submitted more than 110,000 safety reports.  The direct result is that we’ve been able to make more than 150 corrective actions.

We’ve just launched a new campaign called Take a Stand For Safety to address key safety topics like soliciting and sharing up-to-date weather information so pilots and controllers can make the best decision possible. 

And we’ve also put the Respect campaign in place, which focuses on ensuring a workplace with dignity, support and respect between all individuals that work together to maintain the safety of the National Airspace System.

Just as we work together on safety and workplace culture, we’ve also made great progress with NextGen modernization.

• Last year, we completed the deployment of En Route Automation Modernization at 20 en route centers. 
• We’re working together on Terminal Automation Modernization/Replacement, which is in full production mode. 
• Data Communication’s departure clearance service is now operational at 12 towers, and we’re 1 year ahead of schedule. 
• We’ve safely reduced wake separation standards at 14 locations.
• We’re using the Surface Visualization Tool at eight TRACONs, two en route centers, and the Command Center.    
• We also have 11 active or completed Metroplex initiatives across the country.

As we look to the future, we need to turn our attention and our partnership toward addressing the issues involved with the integration of unmanned aircraft, or drones, into the airspace.

Just last week, I was part of a panel at the South by Southwest Conferences and Festivals in Austin, Texas, to talk about the future of drones.  During my comments, I noted that aviation hasn’t seen such a rapid pace of innovation since the days after World War II, when jet engines ushered us into what we now call the Jet Age.

I told the audience that it’s not an option for the FAA to continue moving at the pace of government while the drone industry is moving at the speed of imagination.

Maybe some of you are old enough to remember the old ads with the slogan, “This isn’t your father’s Oldsmobile?”  Well, this isn’t your father’s FAA.  Across all of our lines of business, we are working smarter and more efficiently.  If we are doing something “because we’ve always done it this way” it’s probably time to take another look.

Until now, with drones, we’ve been focused on the regulatory side.  We’re going to issue the rule for small Unmanned Aircraft Systems later this spring, and we’re working to develop detect and avoid technologies.  In the meantime, we have authorized more than 4,200 operations on a case-by-case basis for purposes like precision agriculture, power line and flare stack inspection, and movie and pro football practice filming.

But as we move toward true integration, we recognize the need for controllers to be more involved.  It needs be a joint effort between the FAA and NATCA. 

To that end, we’re making sure you’re a partner in our Pathfinder 4 initiative for unmanned aircraft.  It’s an effort to develop a technology to detect rogue drones around airports.  We need controllers to be involved with the testing and evaluation of any new technologies because ultimately, you’ll be the ones using the information to maintain safe operations.

Then, we have to consider how to add UAS as a component in our basic and recurrent controller training programs. 

The bottom line is, you’re critical to aviation safety and we want you to have all the tools you need, so we’re all prepared for any situation in the national airspace.  And as our award winners tonight have shown us, it’s preparation that makes the difference. 

Let me close by again thanking all of our controllers for the job you do.  I look forward with great anticipation as we continue to work together to mitigate safety risk, modernize the system, and address new challenges.  There’s no question in my mind that you’re equal to the task.  The proof of that is found in our unparalleled safety record. We all know it is a direct result of the dedication and professionalism our controller workforce shows every day.

Earlier I read the note by the pilot who was so thankful to a controller that got him home safely.  I rest a little easier at night knowing that controllers such as those in this room stand watch in our towers and radar rooms.

The same is true of the millions of passengers who board their flights with scarcely a bigger worry than whether they got stuck in a middle seat or if the on-board Internet service works.

Like all of you, I hope your shifts are not memorable. But if they are, I know we are in good hands.

Thank you.