[JYO] Second bill to "tighten" aviation training introduced

Second bill to "tighten" aviation training introduced


— The second of what will no doubt be many bills addressing aviation 
security was introduced today in the House of Representatives by Mr. Castle 
(R-DE). Representative Castle's bill, H.R. 2957, would require flight 
students to pay for a criminal background check before taking lessons while 
capping the amount at $100 per student. The information gathered in this 
check is to be reviewed by the CIA and FBI. This bill, is similar to that 
introduced on September 21 by Representative Ander Crenshaw, H.R. 2932. 
However, AOPA maintains that it was the failure of these very government 
agencies already tasked with checking the backgrounds of people entering the 
United States that permitted the terrorists' entrance into the country. In a 
letter to Representative Ander Crenshaw (R-FL), AOPA President Phil Boyer 
wrote that AOPA "would be pleased to work with you on proposals to enhance 
the procedures of the government agencies that allowed terrorists to enter 
the country and enroll in flight training," but he warned that the 
legislation as written would penalize "an entire industry that has no direct 
responsibility for who is allowed to enter the country...the financial burden 
of a background check will cause many of those with an interest in learning 
to fly to simply not try at all." A similar response most likely will be sent 
to Representative Castle. [See also Rep. Ander Crenshaw's letter to Congress 
and AOPA President Phil Boyer's response.]

- - -
September 21, 2001

It is Time to Tighten Up Flight Training Regulations!

Dear Colleague:

I was shocked to learn that flight school students trained in the United 
States were behind the controls of the aircraft used to commit the worst act 
of terrorism America has ever seen.

Since those tragic events, I have learned that current federal law has made 
U.S. aviation training more attractive to foreign students than ever before. 
Training in the U.S. is cheaper and restrictions on pilots, particularly 
beginners, are fairly light. Fuel costs and landing fees are much lower in 
the U.S. than in other countries. Additionally, U.S. schools and flight 
instructors offer quality training to students and offer extremely advanced 
training on complex flight simulators.

All of this was available to international terrorists - without any 
background checks in advance of obtaining their flight training!

Today, I introduced the Safe Skies Act of 2001, a tool to help flight 
instructors, school administrators and the nation identify and stop those 
terrorists, criminals and questionable flight students already known to the 
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and other agencies, from having 
unfettered access to our schools, instructors, and advanced training.

My legislation will require background checks for all current and future 
enrolled students. Students will be required to pay for the background check, 
conducted by the Federal Aviation Authority Administrator, with information 
provided by the FBI and the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). Under this 
legislation, an annual report will be prepared by the Administrator and sent 
to the applicable committees detailing the number of checks performed, number 
failed, and an outline of the reasons for failure.

Join me as we try to increase the safety of our skies and ensure that we are 
not enabling terrorists to be trained with skills that could be used to 
spread their evil throughout the United States.

Background checks may not catch all evildoers; however, they may have 
thwarted the terrorists' plans and attacks on our nation on September 11th. 
For more information on the Safe Skies Act, or to cosponsor this legislation, 
please contact Ronnie Whitaker in my office at 5-2501.

Sincerely,

/S 

Ander Crenshaw
Member of Congress

- - -

September 26, 2001

The Honorable Ander Crenshaw
510 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515

Dear Congressman Crenshaw:

As president of AOPA, I represent more than 375,000 dues-paying members who 
own or fly general aviation aircraft, including more than 27,400 in Florida. 
More than half of all pilots in the United States are members of AOPA, making 
it the world's largest civil aviation organization. Today, I am writing in 
regards to your recent Dear Colleague letter that advocates a required 
background check for all current and future students enrolled in flight 
training.

Like all Americans, general aviation pilots are still in shock over the 
cowardly attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, and outraged 
that terrorists would use the freedom of our own aviation system against us. 
We are all deeply saddened by the tragic events and want to help in any way 
we can.

However, your proposal to require background checks of all current and future 
students will place an undo burden upon an already damaged industry. 
Furthermore, the breakdown in security came not from screening student 
pilots, but in a failure of government agencies to properly examine those 
entering the country.

The ban on VFR flight training implemented in the wake of the events of 
September 11th will, by our estimate, produce a loss in flight instruction 
revenue reaching upwards of almost $200 million. The flight training 
industry, including such institutions as the Embry-Riddle Aeronautical 
University, adjacent to your district, has been severely damaged. The 
financial burden of a background check will cause many of those with an 
interest in learning to fly to simply not try at all. This lack of student 
pilots will force these schools, many of which are "mom and pop" operations, 
to lay off employees or close their doors.

The overwhelming majority of flight students are U.S. citizens who have done 
nothing to deserve this treatment. It is the responsibility of the State 
Department, the Customs Service and the Immigration and Naturalization 
Service to determine who may enter the country and we would be pleased to 
work with you on proposals to enhance the procedures of the agencies that 
allowed terrorists to enter the country and enroll in flight training. But 
there is nothing to be gained by performing background checks on law-abiding 
citizens, especially when foreign candidates for flight training are still 
being admitted to the country using the same methodology that lead to the 
attack. Please don't saddle an entire industry, that has no direct 
responsibility for who is allowed to enter the country, with an un-funded 
government mandate that would no doubt lead to the failure of numerous small 
businesses.

Thank you for taking our views into consideration. If you would like to 
discuss this issue or any others please do not hesitate to contact me.

Sincerely,



Phil Boyer
President, AOPA

=== end ===

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