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is a lot of campaign rhetoric. It is important to be engaged and help send the message that this is a great American industry. It’s one that we ought to promote and protect, not discourage and disparage.
T&T: One of the economic positives gained from American aerospace is exports. It seems like that message gets lost.
Bolen: That’s exactly right. We are really one of the few industries that contribute positively to our nation’s balance of trade. We are one of the few manufacturing sectors that really has got the high-skill and high-wage manufacturing jobs of the 21st century. We’ve got to keep working to communicate how important manufacturing jobs are to an industry and exports are to an economy. People are going to miss that if they are not constantly told, and it is the responsibility of all us.
T&T: Do think the message that “business aircraft are tools” is starting to get through to the mainstream media?
Bolen: There are places where there is real encouragement. The general aviation caucuses in the House and Senate are among the largest caucuses in Washington, and they are growing. It is encouraging that these are public officials who want to be publically identified with this industry.
We have 30 states that have passed proclamations supporting our industry. Even in the most recent questions that came up on aircraft depreciation, we began to see the media questioning the value of attacking this industry. They saw that the amount of money involved was really insignificant. There were open questions about what is the real purpose behind this. I think we are beginning to see a growing reluctance of some in the media to just accept this caricature of our industry that has been promoted so long.
T&T: With the government’s plan to limit the Block Aircraft Registration Request (BARR), where do operators who desire to opt out from having their aircraft displayed on the Internet stand?
Bolen: DOT has effectively limited the program to only those people who write to the FAA expressing a valid security concern. We believe the program, as it was originally created, intended the
program to give airplane owners and operators a way to express their right to privacy and prevent having their movements from being publically disseminated.
We have taken that issue to the courts and to Capital Hill. We expect to win in both the courts and on Capital Hill. We feel strongly that what the Department of Transportation is doing with these new limitations is just not right. But
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