NBAA-BACE opens Tuesday with delegates in a fighting mood as they collectively tackle what President Ed Bolen says is the biggest challenge to ever face business aviation. He’s of course talking about a bill, now treading water in Congress, that would turn the air traffic control system over to an unelected board of directors with membership weighted toward airline representatives. “We will be asking the entire general aviation community to rally around each other, around the legends and leaders who have put out the call for us to contact our members of Congress,” Bolen said in a podcast interview.
As we reported Monday, a video will be unveiled Tuesday featuring celebrity pilots, including Apollo 13 Commander Jim Lovell, Flight 1549 Capt. Chesley Sullenberger, aerobatics legend Sean Tucker and country artist Dierks Bentley with messages of opposition to ATC privatization. Bolen said they all volunteered to join the cause and the new website created to battle the bill makes it easy for pilots to contact their representatives.
