IP: another issue Airline security and bailouts [ I am also a member of AOPA djf]

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

> Date: Thu, 20 Sep 2001 14:15:10 -0400
> To: farber () cis upenn edu
> From: Mikki Barry <ooblick () netpolicy com>
> Subject: Re: IP: Airline security and bailouts
>
> One of the travel related industries and in fact aviation related 
> industries that should be looked at for "bail out" includes the many 
> thousands of workers in the field of general aviation.  Those largely 
> forgotten people include corporate business jets, crop dusters, private 
> and commercial pilots, and those who keep them flying, including 
> mechanics, avionics repair, airport employees, fuelers, etc.  There are 
> over 635,000 pilots in the United States, 340,000 certified airplane 
> mechanics, and 63,000 certificated flight engineers.  There are over 
> 206,000 general aviation aircraft (compare that to 19,000 aircraft for air 
> carriers).  General aviation flew 29.8 million hours in 1999, almost 10 
> million more than air carriers. There were 138,000 flights by general 
> aviation aircraft PER DAY before 9/11.
>
> The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (www.aopa.org) estimates a 65 
> billion dollar contribution to the US economy per year by general aviation.
>
> Of 80 employees at Gaithersburg airport (my home airport), 60 have been 
> laid off.  The airport may not survive.  It is currently located within 25 
> nautical miles of DC, making it a "no fly zone."  We have not even been 
> allowed to move our aircraft out of this zone into other airports where we 
> would be allowed to fly.
>
> Until yesterday, all flights under visual flight rules were prohibited 
> completely.  Instrument flight was allowed soon after the terrorist 
> attack, but with many new provisions that most could live 
> with.  Yesterday, limited VFR flight was restored, but "no flight training 
> operations" were allowed at all.  This not only prevents new pilots from 
> learning to fly, but also prohibits licensed pilots from taking necessary 
> recurrent training required by the FAA to keep flying.
>
> Small planes generally weigh less than compact automobiles, and can carry 
> less in terms of passengers and luggage.
>
> Several airports and several hundred aircraft are still in "no fly zones" 
> around Washington and New York.  Those based at DCA and Teterboro were 
> allowed to remove their airplanes to other zones. Those in the smaller 
> airports around Washington and New York have not been, nor is there any 
> word of when we will be able to leave.  Some pilots are living in hotels 
> because they had the misfortune to choose Gaithersburg or other similarly 
> situated airports as a destination just before the attacks.
>
> Nobody has yet brought up bail outs for these industries and workers who 
> have been directly affected by direct government intervention.



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