The Future of Aviation, LaHood Style

OK, I might as well just come out and say it right from the start … I’m pretty miffed. But I’ve actually been angry since the NBAA convention in Florida last fall when I heard Tom Buffenbarger, president of the International Association of Machinists, speak to the crowd on opening day. He explained that he’d been trying to convince President Obama to stop in at Wichita for a visit of the vast general and business aviation manufacturing arm that been there for 50 or 60 years. So far, the President hasn’t yet made the trip.

It’s not the President’s lack of attention to business aviation that has me upset this time though. Nope, it’s this silly Future of Aviation Advisory Committee Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced in March that really burns me.

The committee will focus principally on five issue areas:  ensuring aviation safety, ensuring a world-class aviation workforce, balancing the industry’s competitiveness and viability, securing stable funding for aviation systems, and addressing environmental challenges and solutions. 

The DOT last week announced the 19 members who will make up the panel. The cast of characters is pretty much whom you’d expect, Patricia Friend, president of the flight attendants union, CEOs Glenn Tilton from United, David Barger from JetBlue and Robert LeKites from UPS, not to mention a few airport CEOs like Paul Regalado from Nashville and Thella Bowens from San Diego, not to mention Nicole Piasecki from Boeing.

There’s really only one guy who seems the odd man out. That’s Cessna’s CEO Jack Pelton. It’s not that there’s anything wrong with Jack. Quite the opposite in fact. He’s a personable, bright guy who’s had aviation blood running through his veins since he was a kid. And, of course, he just happens to run a company that produces more business aviation airplanes each year than any other on the face of the Earth.

The real problem with this big Aviation Advisory committee meeting that begins next week is that Jack Pelton’s the ONLY guy in the group that doesn’t somehow relate to the airline industry. Hello Mr. LaHood! I know you’re only an Obama appointee, but I’m from Illinois too, so please hear me out.

The real future of aviation begins with encouraging new pilots and mechanics and airport operations people to join the industry. By the time they reach the airline level, they’ve normally been around for some time. So guess where these people really learn about aviation? It’s at the general aviation airports where people first learn to fly, like Chicago Executive (KPWK), or Dallas Addison (KADS) or Van Nuys (KVNY). So why not invite the manager of Dallas Addison Airport? Joel Jenkinson’s a pretty smart guy. Bet he could help.

Business aviation also operates a huge fleet of aircraft of all shapes and sizes. Why not invite the National Business Aviation Association president Ed Bolen to be part of the committee? And of course there is the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association that represents over 425,000 people in the U.S. who use aircraft? Why not ask Craig Fuller? I know AOPA only represents about 2/3 of the active pilots in the U.S., but hey Ray, go with me on this one. Of course there’s always the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) that represents thousands of employees and customers that have nothing what so ever to do with the airlines. Pete Bunce can be pretty chatty about the future.

So why hasn’t Ray LaHood asked for input from anyone besides the airlines you might be asking? Simple. Only one of two reasons I can think of, either they don’t care or they don’t have a clue where general and business aviation fit in the mix about that Future of Aviation. Neither one is much of an answer. Oh wait, I just thought of one more. This entire aviation advisory committee is just one big PR show. That’s not much of an answer wither though, is it?

The Next Step

Remember the work everyone did beating down the Large Aircraft Security Plan from TSA last year? We need the same effort now. Write the White House and then write or call your local Congressional representative. Tell them you’re mad as Hell and that you’re not going to take it any longer. If the DOT Secretary isn’t bright enough to understand that the future of aviation begins at small airports, let’s convince him. And then tell the President he needs to get Air Force One pointed toward Wichita so he’ll realize there’s more to the future of aviation than simply what Boeing build in Seattle.

Rob Mark