Legislature(2001 - 2002)
04/23/2002 01:11 PM House TRA
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* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
HB 523-MADSEN AIRPORT AT DUTCH HARBOR CHAIR KOHRING announced that the first matter before the committee would be HOUSE BILL NO. 523, "An Act naming the state airport at Dutch Harbor the Charles Thomas Madsen, Sr., Airport." [HB 523 was sponsored by the House Community and Regional Affairs Standing Committee at the request of Representative Moses. In packets was a proposed committee substitute (CS), Version F.] Number 0143 REPRESENTATIVE CARL MOSES, Alaska State Legislature, assisted in presenting HB 523 to the committee. He explained that [Version F] would name the state airport in the City of Unalaska in honor of Charles Thomas Madsen, Sr., who was tragically killed in a plane accident in Juneau on April 10, 2002. The Unalaska City Council and surrounding communities fully support the bill to honor a pilot who gave so much to the people of the Aleutian Chain. Number 0200 REPRESENTATIVE MOSES informed members that Mr. Madsen, a bush navigator for nearly 20 years throughout the Aleutians, was well known for willingly risking his life in order to save others. He was instrumental in many medical emergencies and search-and- rescue operations. In one instance, Mr. Madsen knowingly flew in a storm with winds of over 100 miles per hour to save the life of a young child who had ingested a fatal amount of iron pills. He said Thomas Madsen epitomized the term "bush pilot" by selflessly putting others' needs above his own, to meet the needs of humanity. The residents of the Aleutian Chain will fondly remember him both as the owner of Aleutian Air Limited and for his heroic acts. Representative Moses concluded that renaming the City of Unalaska Airport will enable Mr. Madsen's memory to live on, for generations to come. Number 0337 REPRESENTATIVE SCALZI noted that he would be offering an amendment to simplify the title by changing it to the "Tom Madsen Airport," which would better reflect how Mr. Madsen was known. He cited the Ted Stevens International Airport [in Anchorage] as one with a simplified name. Number 0385 REPRESENTATIVE MASEK moved to adopt the proposed CS, version 22- LS1705\F, Utermohle, 4/19/02, as the working document. There being no objection, Version F was before the committee. Number 0410 CHAIR KOHRING asked Representative Scalzi what his amendment would specifically change the name to. REPRESENTATIVE SCALZI answered that it would be Tom Madsen [Airport]. REPRESENTATIVE MASEK asked that the amendment be applied to the title, to line 5, and to line 6. Number 0470 CHAIR KOHRING asked if there was any objection. There being no objection, the foregoing was adopted as Amendment 1. Number 0482 STEPHANIE MADSEN testified before the committee in memory of her late husband, Mr. Madsen. She said Mr. Madsen was a private man, but one-on-one, he was very poetic in his description of life in the Aleutians. She characterized him as a lifeline for many communities in the Aleutians. She thanked the committee for the speed with which the bill had moved along. She showed a picture of Mr. Madsen with his airplane, "The Aleutian Spirit." He was privileged to be doing what he enjoyed the most, Ms. Madsen said, adding that he was "a great guy." Number 0674 FRANK KELTY, Former Mayor of Unalaska, testified via teleconference. He said Mr. Madsen's flying and level of service were of the same caliber as those of the famous pioneers of Alaskan aviation. He recounted how Mr. Madsen flew all over the Aleutian Chain carrying, among other things, mail and children. He asked the committee to move HB 523 with speed. He said it is a great honor to have the city's airport named after Mr. Madsen. Number 0845 SINCLAIR WILT testified via teleconference. Speaking in support of HB 523, he recounted how Mr. Madsen had saved his daughter's life 15 years ago. His 14-month-old daughter had ingested [what would be] a fatal dose of iron tablets. The poison-control clinic said she needed to get to a hospital or she could die. The weather was too severe for a Medivac plane to land in Unalaska. At first, Mr. Madsen had said the weather was too poor, but later he'd called back, claiming to have seen a break in the weather. Mr. Wilt said he himself saw no such break, but had figured Mr. Madsen just couldn't bear to think about if it were his own child. MR. WILT explained that those were the days before the Unalaska runway was paved or lighted; all of the police patrol cars were lined along the runway to illuminate it on that stormy night. Mr. Wilt conveyed to the committee how Mr. Madsen would only allow physician assistant Jim Bird to accompany him and the child on the flight for the sake of weight. Mr. Wilt said it was a very long night waiting for word that his daughter had arrived safely in Anchorage. MR. WILT told the committee that Mr. Madsen had made numerous more lifesaving flights after that. Therefore, it was only right and fitting to honor Mr. Madsen by naming the airport after him. He urged the committee to pass HB 523. Number 0980 BETTY ARRIAGA testified via teleconference. She told the committee how Mr. Madsen had flown her to Cold Bay after she'd had a heart attack. She said she didn't think she would be [alive and] testifying if it hadn't been for Mr. Madsen. Number 1026 PAMELA FITCH, Mayor, City of Unalaska, testified via teleconference, voicing support for HB 523. She characterized Mr. Madsen as a wonderful man, and said renaming the airport for him was an accurate representation of how the community felt about the man. Number 1067 JIM BIRD, Physician Assistant, Ilinliuk Clinic, testified via teleconference. He gave his condolences to Mrs. Madsen and went on to tell about the night he flew with Mr. Madsen and Mr. Wilt's infant daughter. He talked about the measure of a hero, and he told how Tom Madsen fit that description. Number 1551 REPRESENTATIVE MASEK told how growing up in a small, isolated village on the Yukon River helped her relate to the valor of Mr. Madsen's actions. CHAIR KOHRING concluded that the testimony went far towards showing what a wonderful person Mr. Madsen was. Number 1601 REPRESENTATIVE MASEK moved to report CSHB 523, version 22- LS1705\F, Utermohle, 4/19/02, as amended, out of committee with individual recommendations and the accompanying fiscal notes. There being no objection, CSHB 523(TRA) was moved out of the House Transportation Standing Committee.
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