ACENO, 7335



BILL NO. 29-0070



TWENTY-NINTH LEGISLATURE OF THE VIRGIN ISLANDS

Regular Session



2011



An Act honoring and commending the late “Captain Svend Aage Ovesen Jr. posthumously and

naming the seaplane terminal located in Watergut, Christiansted, St. Croix in his honor



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WHEREAS, the late Svend Aage Ovesen, Jr., was born on January 6, 1942, in

Frederiksted, St. Croix to Svend and Josephine Lee Ovesen; and



WHEREAS, Svend Aage Ovesen, Jr., was the first of three children born to Svend and

Josephine Ovesen; his brother Hans and sister Jerilyn were the other children; and



WHEREAS, Svend Aage Ovesen, Jr., and his brother ,Hans, and sister, Jerilyn, grew

up around Frederiksted, St. Croix in the area locally called “Pond Bush”; and



WHEREAS, Svend Aage Ovesen, Jr., attended Lutheran Kindergarten, the

Frederiksted Public Grammar School, the Frederiksted Junior High School up to the 8" grade,

and completed his high school education at the Colegio San Justo in Saint Just, Puerto Rico,

where he excelled at his studies and also learned to speak Spanish fluently; and



WHEREAS, Svend Aage Ovesen, Jr., upon graduation from Colegio San Justo in

Saint Just, Puerto Rico, joined the United States Navy and completed his tour of duty as Third

Class Petty Officer in Communications; and



WHEREAS, Svend Aage Ovesen, Jr., joined Pan-American World Airways as an

operations and communications agent in 1963. He moved through the ranks and was quickly

promoted to the position of General Manager and later to the position of Director of Pan-

American World Airways. He was the first native Virgin Islander to serve in this position until

1976 when Pan-Am closed its operations on St. Croix; and



WHEREAS, Svend Aage Ovesen, Jr., in 1976 used this opportunity to pursue his

dream of becoming a pilot. He earned his license to operate single and multiple engine planes

as well as seaplanes and continued pilot training with Flight Safety International from 1978 to



1998; and

2



WHEREAS, Svend Aage Ovesen, Jr., in 1978 began his professional career as a pilot

flying for various airlines including the Antilles Airboats, a commuter seaplane service in the

Caribbean. Svend became the first native-born Virgin Islander sea-plane Captain piloting both

the Mallard and Grumman Goose aircrafts at Antilles Airboats; and



WHEREAS, Svend Aage Ovesen, Jr., continued flying seaplanes part time with V. I.

Seaplane Shuttle until 1989 when Hurricane Hugo devastated St. Croix; and



WHEREAS, Svend Aage Ovesen, Jr., in 1977 became the first native-born General

Manager of Marriott In-flight Catering Services. When Cater-Air, Inc. took over Marriott, he

continued as the General Manager until 1992; and



WHEREAS, Svend Aage Ovesen, Jr., in 1992 started flying as a full-time pilot for

Atlantic Tele-Network Aviation, where he became Chief Pilot until 1998; and



WHEREAS, Svend Aage Ovesen, Jr., along with Co-Pilot Irvine Clifford entered their

names in the annals of aviation by setting two speed records from the controls of an IAI Astra

Aj25 jet on April 17, 1995, from St. Croix to New York City, with an average speed of 380.8

miles per hour (612.86 kilometers per hour) and on April 20, 1995, a second record was set

from Boca Raton, Florida to Christiansted, St. Croix, with an average speed of 477.9 miles per

hour (769.13 kilometers per hour). Captain Ovesen and Co-Pilot Clifford set a Speed Over a

Recognized Course record established by the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (F Al),

the world air sport and record organization based in Paris, France. The air-speed records have

been submitted as national VI records, and to FAI as world records for planes of similar type

and size; and



WHEREAS, Svend Aage Ovesen, Jr., saw the opportunity to launch his own airline

charter company and in 1998 along with his wife, Alfreda Smith Ovesen, started Crucian

International Airline. On Christmas Day of that year they returned to St. Croix with their own

aircraft, a Mitsubishi MU2 , an executive style, eight-seater aircraft; and



WHEREAS, Svend Aage Ovesen, Jr., in March 1999 became one of the principal and

founding members of the St. Croix Air Park. The business continued to grow as did Captain

Ovesen’s reputation as a reliable and trusted pilot. Clients would call Captain Ovesen at

anytime to charter a flight; and



WHEREAS, Svend Aage Ovesen, Jr., had many other interests in addition to a lifelong

passion for flying. He was an avid sportsman. He played both baseball and softball. As a

softball pitcher he was known as “Sweetwater”. He coached both his sons’ and his daughter’s

Little League teams; and



WHEREAS, Svend Aage Ovesen, Jr., also enjoyed spear fishing, swimming and

tennis. He cherished time spent with his children Kelvin, Karole, Svend, IT], Kraigg, Hans and

Gerald along with other family children and friends. He taught them to swim at Sandy Point,

hike in the Rain Forest and along the north shore of St. Croix to Annaly Bay, and many other

things; and

3



WHEREAS, Svend Aage Ovesen, Jr., was a dedicated father, son, brother, grandfather

and friend. He developed a reputation for his culinary skills, especially his breakfast-making

and barbecuing techniques; and



WHEREAS, Svend Aage Ovesen, Jr., was a consummate professional. He was

impeccable in everything he undertook, especially flying aircrafts. He always spent time

talking about flying and sharing his knowledge with fellow pilots; and



WHEREAS, Svend Aage Ovesen, Jr., along with his wife, Alfreda, in 2001 decided to

expand their flight operations to include medical evacuation services. It was on such a mission

of mercy that Captain Ovesen’s fatal accident occurred on Monday, April 15" 2002: Now,

Therefore,



Be it enacted by the Legislature of the Virgin Isiands:



SECTION 1. The Legislature of the Virgin Islands, on behalf of the people of the

Virgin Islands, posthumously honors and commends Captain Svend Aage Ovesen, Jr. for his

dedicated and outstanding service to our community in aviation.



SECTION 2. In honor of Captain Svend Aage Ovesen, Jr., for his outstanding

accomplishments as a captain of various aircrafts and as a pioneer in aviation, the seaplane

terminal located in Water Gut, in Christiansted, on the island of St. Croix is named “The

Captain Svend Aage Ovesen, Jr. Seaplane Terminal”.



SECTION 3. The Virgin Islands Port Authority shall erect an appropriate sign at the

entrance of the seaplane terminal containing an inscription that reads: “The Captain Svend

Aage Ovesen, Jr. Seaplane Terminal”.



SECTION 4. The President of the Legislature or the President’s designee shall present

to Mrs. Alfreda Smith Ovesen a perma plaque copy of this Act at the appropriate ceremony.



Thus passed by the Legislature of the Virgin Islands on December 15, 2011.

Witness our Hands and Seal of the Legislature of the Virgin Islands this vA 4 re



Day of December, A.D., 2011.



Ronald E. Russell

President



Sammuel Sanes

Legislative Secretary

Bill No. 29-0070 is hereby approved.



ty



Witness my hand and the Seal of the



Government of the United States



Virgin Islands at Charlotte Amalie,



St. Thomas, thi



day of December,



A.D.,



2011.



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