I have followed with interest the articles concerning the lobbying tactics of the NRA and the objections of a number of the readers (Letters to the Editor, Feb. 25). I believe the point of highlighting the NRA was to demonstrate how a grass roots organization, faced with political opposition and government controls, has developed into […]
Unabashed admiration needs to be tempered
Your unabashed admiration for the NRA needs to be tempered by the realization of two things about that organization: Its massive political contributions have corrupted many venal legislators in state legislatures and the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives. Such legislators are afraid to vote against any positions taken by NRA because they know the […]
But that’s not news
A lot of your Jan. 28 issue is devoted to getting the public to understand GA. On page 41, Charles Spence’s piece, “Activism: Where we went wrong and how to correct it,” mentions how the media panics when there is a mid-air. I always think one should make a BIG POINT to remind people that […]
We must defend all our freedoms
I applaud your articles suggesting that general aviation can learn something from NRA concerning how to be more effective in protecting our freedoms. I cannot leave unanswered Lohren Applegate’s letter printed in the Feb. 25 edition (Don’t bond GA with the NRA), in which he takes issue with your suggestion, primarily because he does not […]
Knowledge equals understanding
I disagree with Lohren Applegate’s letter regarding the NRA and the Second Amendment. I would call his attention to a 103-page memorandum put out in December 2004 by top lawyers of the U.S. Justice Department: “The text of the Second Amendment points to a personal right of individuals: A right of the people is ordinarily […]
Could we be regulated out of all airspace?
Several recent letters were critical of the National Rifle Association (To create a powerhouse GA, model the NRA, Jan. 28 issue). Well rest assured, if it wasn’t for the NRA, the Second Amendment Foundation, The Gun Owners of America, and The Citizen’s Committee to Keep & Bear Arms, their rights to own a gun of […]
The real reality
As per the letter to the editor, “Filmmakers need to get it right,” (March 11 issue), I’m one aviation buff (I presume this goes for many others too) who also has been disappointed by the special effects that have been produced lately. I haven’t seen “The Aviator,” or the other two films he mentioned yet, […]
A story worth telling
Just wanted to say thanks to Tom Norton for the nice book review you ran on “Things My Flight Instructor Never Told Me” (Need to know info, Feb. 25 issue). I see you ran my good friend Jim Gardner’s seaplane story as well (Buying an amphibian? How about some tips from someone who’s been there, […]
New life for an old aircraft
What do you do with an airplane once it’s damaged beyond repair? If you’re the Air Force, you use it to study issues related to aging. That’s what’s happening at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base with a T-1A Jayhawk, a “”missionized”” Beech 400A that was used to train Air Force and Navy aviators to fly cargo […]