Clipper A. Jay Cristol
Chief U.S. Bankruptcy Judge A. Jay Cristol, who presided over the reorganization of Pan Am, has received a special tribute from the airline’s new owners. He got his name printed on the nose of a Boeing 727-200. “We wanted to honor the man that saved this airline and we couldn’t think of any better way to do it than to have our first aircraft named after the man that made it happen,” said Tim Mellon.
“This is just a thrill to me,” said Cristol, 68, an aviator who served 38 years in the Navy and Naval Reserve. “This is one of the greatest things that has ever happened to me.” Like a pilot, Cristol had helped steer Pan Am back to the air, offering to schedule hearings at nights or on weekends to expedite the reorganization. At each hearing he pulled out a different piece of Pan Am memorabilia - comb, travel kit or aircraft model - to hand over the bench to unsuspecting lawyer or potential investor. “Sometimes people have buildings named after them, and that’s a great honor,” Cristol said. “But for me, it’s an even greater honor to have an airplane named after me.”
