Led The Agency Under President Ronald Reagan

Former FAA Administrator J. Lynn Helms, who led the agency during Ronald Regan's first term as president and was instrumental in the firing of some 11,000 striking air traffic controllers, passed away December 11th at the age of 86. The Washington Post reports that he succumbed to heart failure and complications from pneumonia at his home in Westport, CT.

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Helms was administrator from April 22, 1981 to January 31, 1984. According to Wikipedia, Helms retired from Piper in 1980 to assist the incoming Regan administration with aviation policy, eventually being confirmed as the Administrator. As such, he was a key player when some 13,000 air traffic controllers walked off the job in what was considered an illegal strike. Some 11,000 of those controllers never returned to their jobs. He also was instrumental in the decertification of the union which represented the controllers, and air traffic was restricted for some time while new controllers were trained and placed in facilities around the nation.

Helms is credited with originating the traffic avoidance concept which eventually became TCAS, for which he was awarded the Collier Trophy. During his career, he was named General Aviation Man of the Year by GAMA in 1978, and became chairman of the organization in 1979. He was also awarded the General James H. Doolittle award and trophy by the Society of Experimental Test Pilots in 1980.

Helms is survived by his wife Lorraine, three children, three grandchildren, and a brother.

FMI: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._Lynn_Helms