Page 31 - Volume 15 Number 9

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User fees. Threats to aircraft depreciation. Ugly political rhetoric slamming business aviation. During a summer where the American economy and political scene was a stomach-churning roller-coaster ride, many in aviation felt the community was being pushed to a new precipice. No one felt our pain more than Ed Bolen, NBAA President and CEO. As one of the industry’s most active and effective advocates, Bolen has to wear many hats – from patient teacher to deft negotiator to strident defender.
On the eve of the NBAA annual meeting and convention, Bolen is enthusiastically looking forward to spending a week with the community he loves the most: business aviation. We sat down with Bolen to talk about current affairs in business aviation and what is on tap for NBAA2011.
T&T: It’s been a wild ride with the debt ceiling drama, the negative spotlight back on business aviation, and the expiration of the FAA reauthorization. Are we through the worst of it, or do you think these issues will resurface later this year?
Bolen: During the debt ceiling debate this summer, we heard a lot about aircraft depreciation schedules and the resurgence of the user fee issue. Fortunately, we were able to get through the debt ceiling vote without user fees or any changes to the depreciation schedule. I think that is an important milestone. Our ability to get beyond it was influenced by a lot of people in our community making their voices heard on Capital Hill.
But I do think that everyone needs to know that as Congress continues to go forward and work on reducing the deficit and the debt, user fees and depreciation schedules are going to continue to be tossed around. We will need to be very vigilant and aggressive in making sure that these ideas don’t take root.
T&T:Whathasbeenthemosteffectivetacticsinhelpingcombattheseissues?
Bolen: A number of things has worked. An active and energized general aviation community is critically important to win any challenge we face. We have seen that when we get mobilized and make our voices heard, our community can maximize its size and significance. We’ve done that through phone banks where people call members of Congress, a Web site where members can send e-mails to Congress, and the creation of legal defense funds.
The reality is that our elected representatives need to hear from us through consistent, clear communication. The absence of communication is sending a clear message that we don’t care about the outcome. That is a very dangerous communication. There is a positive communication when you call, write, visit a town hall meeting, invite an elected official to your premises, or when you talk to friends and neighbors about the importance of our community.
What we have seen over the last few years is that the business aviation community is becoming politically active. That is helpful because the challenges to our community are significant and they are going to continue to increase. There will be more efforts to find revenue from whatever source they can. There
SEPTEMBER 2011
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