News Archive

Washington Post
Letter to the Editor
1150 15th Street NW
Washington, DC 20071

Joseph A. Kinney's editorial, "Clamping Down on General Aviation" is naive, inaccurate, and misguided. Like all Americans, general aviation pilots are still in shock over the cowardly attacks on our country and outraged that terrorists would use the freedom of our own aviation system against us. Kinney's attack on general aviation reveals his ignorance of this legitimate and valuable activity, which poses less threat to national security than our nation's trucking system.

As a security consultant, he could make a much larger contribution by advising the State Department, the Customs Service, and the Immigration and Naturalization Service on measures to improve screening of individuals trying to enter our country for hostile purposes.

The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association has worked diligently since the tragedy with Transportation Secretary Norm Mineta and FAA Administrator Jane Garvey to return most of the National Airspace System to civilian users in a measured and responsible way. However, some 41,000 aircraft are still grounded, and getting them back into the air is important to America. General aviation is a $20 billion a year industry and is deeply woven into the fabric of American life. General aviation is business and recreational travel and flight instruction for future military and airline pilots. It's inspecting pipelines, spotters for fishing fleets, and carrying out emergency duties such as transporting blood supplies and vital organs. An estimated 65 percent of general aviation flights are conducted for business and public service. Misguided, blanket security restrictions would cripple an already damaged industry that has lost an estimated $245 million in flight training revenue alone as a result of the new restrictions.

Large airliners were the first civilian aircraft back in the skies above America. Small general aviation aircraft are also slowly returning. These small aircraft do not have the fuel capacity, speed, momentum, or payload to present the same threat imposed by commercial or the largest corporate jets. A general aviation aircraft is no more a potential weapon of mass destruction than your car, truck, or boat. Some 78 percent of all general aviation aircraft have fewer than six seats and weigh the same as a compact car.

As the United States examines initiatives to enhance security, the general aviation community wants to help and will add security measures where they will make a difference, not blindly where they will close businesses, hurt commerce, and further restrict travel.

Sincerely,

Phil Boyer

September 26, 2001