Part Of Nationwide Meetings On GA And Business Aviation

Speaking to a packed house, National Air Transportation Association (NATA) president James K. Coyne addressed the future of general aviation with members of the industry and Congressman Leonard Boswell (D-IA) at Des Moines International Airport.

Coyne explained pending legislation that NATA has been working to see passed into law, including a measure by Congressman Todd Tiahrt (R-KS) to return the mission of promoting aviation to the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) mandate.  Following the crash of ValuJet flight 592 in 1996, the mandate for the FAA to promote aviation was removed by Congress.  Congressman Boswell, who is also a private pilot, agreed to co-sponsor the Tiahrt legislation once it is introduced in April.

The meeting was one of several Coyne will hold across the country to update local communities about the benefits of general aviation and to assist local general aviation businesses to understand the political climate in Washington, D.C.

Also during the meeting, Coyne discussed a measure introduced by Congressman Steve Pearce (R-NM), H.R. 1117, that would require airports to provide 75-year leases to fixed base operators so those businesses could recoup their costs for expanding facilities such as hangars and fuel farms at those airports.  Boswell agreed to help with that legislation as well.

"As we learned through the discussion of the hangar lease legislation today, NATA is really out there trying to help operators of all sizes," said Rick Michalski, vice president and general manager of Elliott Aviation in Des Moines, the sponsor of the event.  "We are in the process of negotiating a new lease here in Des Moines, and we would have been very happy to have hoped for a 12 to 15-year lease, but now we have hope that we will be able to see a much longer lease so we can recoup our investment and still continue to afford living here."

FMI: www.nata.aero