In
the wake of the September 11 attack on the United States, things have
changed dramatically in this country. For the first time in our history,
we have seen a dramatic reduction in our freedom of flight. After an
initial ban on all Part 91 operations, the government permitted IFR
operations and at this point, has also permitted VFR operations in most
places but not all areas of the country.
With the initiation of new security measures, gates, locks, and limited
access, the climate has changed at many of the smaller airports from which
most of our members fly. The falling stock market, worsening unemployment,
a sagging economy, the new "no fly zones" around nuclear plants
and the closing of nearby airports, as well as the threat of anthrax and
other forms of bio-terrorism, have added to our feeling of vulnerability.
All of these factors, as well as the high cost of fuel, have made it
increasingly difficult to fly warbirds.
Since September 11, the New York Times has run a separate
section of the newspaper on a daily basis called A Nation Challenged,
which is devoted to the terrorist threat and our nation’s response to
it. I believe we could call this column Warbirds of America: An
Organization Challenged. As if all of the effects of the terrorist
attacks mentioned above were not enough, our biggest challenge is
currently working its way through the halls of Congress. Section 1062 of
Senate Bill S.1438, the Defense Authorization Act for FY 2002, which calls
for the demilitarization of former Department of Defense military
equipment, is currently in committee. The language in this bill is so
broad that it could cover all types of historic military artifacts,
including warbird aircraft. To demilitarize an ex-military aircraft could
be interpreted to mean making it unairworthy by cutting spars, etc.
Although the intent of this section apparently was to keep weapons out of
the hands of terrorists, it could result in the destruction of a major
part our national military heritage. Warbirds of America, in conjunction
with other groups, including the American Airpower Museum, the Army
Aviation Heritage Foundation, the Collings Foundation, and the CAF, has
been working hard to get this language removed.
Another major challenge for us is the loss of Peter Moll, our executive
director. He is leaving his position at the end of the year. Peter has
done a remarkable job in both editing our magazine and managing the
day-to-day requirements of keeping our organization going. He also has
been key in making the Sun ‘n Fun Fly-In and Oshkosh convention a
success. He will be hard to replace. We are probably going to have to hire
two people, both an executive director and a freelance magazine editor to
help publish our magazine to fill his position. We are actively
interviewing candidates for both positions and individuals who feel they
are interested and qualified for either position should contact the human
resources department at EAA Headquarters or contact me via e-mail.
In view of the current economic downturn, we are very concerned about
maintaining our membership numbers and the attendance at Sun ‘n Fun and
Oshkosh. Our armed forces are currently engaged in a war in Central Asia.
I believe one of the most patriotic things our members can do is the fly
their warbirds. Keeping our military heritage in the public view is one
way of supporting our armed forces that are going into harm’s way on a
daily basis. It is easy to see the tremendous outpouring of patriotism in
this country just by driving down the street and looking at the number of
flags flying, and I am hopeful that this will translate into increased
public attendance at air shows that feature warbirds this next year.
Going to Sun ‘n Fun and Oshkosh, and displaying our warbirds flying
for the public is a great way to not only support our nation, as well as
our organization, but also to keep up the public spirit in the face of
what may be a long and trying conflict. After September 11, New York City
Mayor Rudy Giuliani said one of the best ways to fight back at the
terrorists is to keep our economy going so, "come to New York and
spend money." I would like to add to that--this year, perhaps more
than any other year, come to Sun ‘n Fun and Oshkosh and "Keep ‘em
Flying."
In
the wake of the September 11 attack on the United States, things have
changed dramatically in this country. For the first time in our history,
we have seen a dramatic reduction in our freedom of flight. After an
initial ban on all Part 91 operations, the government permitted IFR
operations and at this point, has also permitted VFR operations in most
places but not all areas of the country.