Speech

National Aviation Hall of Fame

Good evening, and thank you. For those of us with kids, we know that they have a way of looking at things that’s a bit different. My own personal Vice President for Mayhem is my son Ben, who just turned six. Recently, the Washington Post did a feature on me, and they sent a photographer to one of Ben’s lacrosse games to take a picture. When the story came out, Ben met me at the door. He had the paper in his hand, pointing to the picture of the two of us taken at the game. “Dad, look! Dad, we’re famous!”

I think that puts fame in context. Fame is fleeting, but greatness — greatness is not. And greatness is what tonight’s honorees are all about.

You know, when Kennedy talked about what made him famous, he said, “They sank my boat.” Fame happens in a moment. Greatness takes a lifetime. You can only be on so many boats that sink, right? 

We all smile at that, but our enshrinees tonight show that while fame can open the door to greatness, it’s not what keeps you there.

I think that greatness is also a matter of character and perseverance. Greatness is a mix of being presented with a situation and responding in a way that blazes a trail for others to follow. Greatness is doing the right thing not just at the right time but every time.

For Bud Anderson, being a triple ace during World War II wasn’t enough. Life as an extraordinarily successful test pilot, commanding a tactical wing of 105s in Vietnam, and 7,500 hours in 130 different types of aircraft were added to his resume. I’ve flown F-14s, 16s and 18s, and let me tell you, test pilots really are a different breed. They’re always on the edge, always pushing the envelope, always expanding what we think are the limits of aviation. That’s Bud Anderson.

Herb Kelleher is the man who made it so that, “You’re now free to move throughout the country.” When history looks back at aviation, Herb Kelleher’s name is going to be way up near the top of that list. He redefined the term airline back then, and he’s still doing it now.

When the Smithsonian called Sean Tucker one of the “living legends of flight,” they hit it right on the button. And when it comes to the pinnacle of aerobatics, he’s the man. I have no problem whatsoever in saying that Sean’s job requires you to be a little bit crazy, as well as completely focused, disciplined and skilled. If you’ve never seen Sean fly, you’ve missed one of the greatest aerobatic performances of all time.

Were it not for Admiral Moffett, I wouldn’t be standing here. I started talking about greatness, and his Medal of Honor qualifies by any standard. This man was the father of Naval Aviation. Because of his vision, things like Top Gun became a reality. At the Naval Academy, they taught us about the Air Admiral. He was greatness personified.

When you look at each of these men, it’s easy to see how each has lived a life that’s a cut above — how each took a route that didn’t rely on a path cut by someone else.

As a result, they’ve changed the way we live and how we enjoy the fruits of aviation. By stepping up, by stepping out, they indeed made greatness a part of who they are. I, for one, am privileged — and humbled — to be in the same room with them. Each of them changed aviation in a special way, and they did it with safety and skill and with dedicated purpose. The FAA will celebrate its 50^th anniversary next month, and we will do so largely because of the character, the ingenuity and the fortitude of men such as these.

Gentlemen, in closing, nicely done. America is greater for having been the recipient of your work in aviation. Keep the blue side up. Thank you.