WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), a general aviation pilot with more than 11,000 hours, is seeking input from GA pilots on draft legislation to establish a National Center for the Advancement of Aviation.
“My legislation would form an independent, non-government center tasked with four key goals to support the future of American aviation:
- Foster a diverse and reinvigorated aviation workforce;
- Facilitate new and expanded STEM educational opportunities for high school students interested in aviation;
- Serve as a central repository of safety and economic data, and,
- Support research and collaborate on training methods and new technologies.”
You can see the text of the draft on Inhofe’s Senate website. A section by section summary is available here.
Comments and suggestions can be submitted online.
Don says
Small town airport commissions in themselfs. Can crush a small airport .
Just take a look at Taunton Ma. Ktan the commission has literally squashed all airport business and with only one hanging on ,they are smiling.
David says
I don’t think we need another entity to do these four things. We need the currently responsible entities to do better.
Philip Stuart AOPA 526711 says
I have children licensed to fly and now grandchildren coming along. And, with written parental permission, some of their friends. Why so many flyers in my family? I introduced them! Some took off, literally. One has not. Not yet anyhow.
If we get all the alphabet soups together with the RedBird guys to fund a RedBird simulator in every major high school in the country, in a matter of weeks, we wouldn’t have enough flight schools to answer the demand of kids insisting on learning to fly. They don’t need reams of instruction manuals or some pushy CFI to show them anything. I know from experience today’s kids are enthusiastic and extremely sharp, but like Albert Eisenstein bored silly with traditional school talking at them.
Install the simulator and go away! Then watch the droves of new student pilots lining up. The only caveat I see is we couldn’t handle the demand.
Tom Charlton says
“RedBird simulator in every major high school”
Well, wouldn’t need to be an expensive RedBird but this is a great idea. Interest from even a small percentage of students has the potential to make a huge difference.
I can envision a competition between schools flying instrument approaches. It’s the ultimate video game. Especially when you graduate to the real deal.
CHARLES C KURTZ says
i have always been of the opinion that anything government gets involved in is doomed. they will either make it cost prohibitive or sanction it to death with all of their idiotic ideas. most of which would most likely come from people with ABSOLUTLEY NO WORKING KNOWLEDGE OF AVIATION. WHO’S ONLY GOAL IS TO HOLD UP THE PRCESSES JUST TO MAKE THE POINT THEY ARE THE ONES IN CHARGE. THATS ONE OF THE MAIN PROBLEMS WITH THE F.A.A. PEOPLE THAT ARE DUG IN LIKE TICKS AND WILL NOT GIVE AN INCH ON MATTERS JUST AGAIN TO PROVE THEY ARE IN CHARGE. SENATOR INHOFE IS FROM MY HOME STATE OF OKLAHOMA. AN AVIATION RICH STATE. BUT AS WAS STATED HE IS 84 SO I AM NOT TO SURE HOW MUCH LONGER HER WILL BE ABLE TO SERVE. AND WITH THE GENERAL ELECTION LOOMING WHO IS TO SAY WHAT PARTY WILL BE RULING. IF IT IS THE DEMOCRATIC SIDE I FEAR THEY WILL BRING THE ECONOMY TO A SCREECHING HALT AND BEGIN REGULATING EVERYTHING THEY CAN LAY THEIR HANDS ON INCLUDING AVIATION. THEY DO NOT WANT AMERICANS TO ENJOY ANY FREEDOMS THAT AREN’T TOTALLY CONTROLLED BY THEM OR REGULATED TO DEAT, JUST LOOK TO CALIFORNIA AS EVIDENCE. MY FATHER HAD A FLIGHT SCHOOL FOR 32 YEARS AT FLABOB AIRPORT IN ROUBIDOUX CALIFORNIA UNTIL TAXES AND REGULATIONS FORCED HIM OUT. THIS IS WHAT I FEAR IF GOVERNMENT GETS INVOLVED IN EVEN SOMETHING AS INNOCENT AS THE PROPOSED CENTER THAT MR. INHOFE SUGGESTS. GREAT IDEA BUT I AM AFRAID THE PROBLEMS WILL ARISE IN THE EXECUTION OF HIS PLAN. NEEDLES TO SAY I FEAR GOVERNMENT WILL WORK THEIR SLIMY HANDS IN TO THE PLAN AND SCREW IT ALL UP. I APOLOGISE FOR BEING SO LONG WINDED BUT AVIATION AND THE SECOND AMENDMENT ARE TWO THINGS I AM MOST ADAMANT ABOUT. THANKS FOR BEARING WITH ME.
Catherine Vajtay says
Agreed! The last think we need is another agency or “center” whether government or non-government. we’re talking buck$ to support that center and I can’t see they’d have much to do. Just get gov’t out of the picture. Schools an handle the STEM part.
Larry says
I personally spoke with Sen Inhofe prior to his Saturday 10AM forum. Hearing of my concern, he asked me to sit in the front row and be first to bring up my issue during the Q&A. His staff took my name and followed up with emails asking me to delineate the issue formally.
It’s obvious that Sen Inhofe is singlehandedly trying to save GA in the US. He’ll be in office four more years but is 84 so … HIS reign is coming to an end. Hopefully, we’ll find someone to replace him.
When I likewise addressed the acting FAA Administrator, I got positive comments but the essence was … “hurry up and wait.” Even HE admits that the FAA is “slow.” I think that their salary ought to be “Performance Based” … take more time, get less salary. They’d be hoping to if that happened.
Jim Klick says
Sam Graves, Congressman from Missouri is also a pilot and staunch
defender of GA.
John A knight says
kenneth, You have gone to the heart of the matter. Municipalities conjoined with exclusive FBOs
in many GA airports has built the coffin for “aviation”. It is lone past time to break this relationship.
If the FAA has the fear that GA is going to flood the skies, coming up with more safety gadgets
that cost a third of the price of the aircraft it goes in, then they should pay two-thirds its cost. what
ever level you go to you will find another nail for the coffin..
Doug H says
Here’s some input Senator. Great idea. New blood into our world can only make things better.
Kenneth Hetge says
Until you take away the ability to financially manipulate small airports from the very bodies (municipalities) that oversee them, you are fighting a battle that is unhealthy for anything associated with the business of aviation. Additionally, the FAA must be given the teeth and power to go after any entity found to be playing games with financial matters associated with the health of small, local, general aviation airports. Without airports, you can STEM yourself to death and there will be no place to apply the science. As with most government today, the populace has allowed (and tolerated) bad habits in our process and now we are stuck behind the 8 ball. It is time to clean some things up, at all levels, and restore “aviation” to the prestigious level it once held.
Dale F says
Well stated!