The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) recently asked the two presidential candidates about air traffic control plans and general aviation. As might be expected, John McCain, who actually knows how to fly a plane, and Barack Obama, who has only flown on planes piloted by others have different points of view.
Understanding the air traffic system and our airborne transportation system helps in marshaling federal resources and new tax plans to maintain a robust air network. McCain’s answers to the air traffic questions were specific. Obama mantained the general themes and platitudes that have marked much of his campaign.
Here are answers in the story on Air Traffic Control:
McCain: If I am elected, one of my top transportation priorities will be to modernize the air traffic control system so it can handle the increased traffic that is forecast. The current system cannot efficiently handle these increases. Gridlock in the sky and on the ground at our airports won’t just result in longer delays for airline passengers, but it will also affect general aviation — especially in the busier airspace around our major metropolitan areas. Under such a scenario, it could become very difficult for pilots to use general aviation airports in that airspace, particularly at peak times. In my view, making better use of the airspace won’t benefit just commercial aviation, but general aviation as well.
Obama: General aviation produces over a million jobs in America and is an invaluable part of our economy and the lifestyle of American families across the nation. As president, I will engage the general aviation community in the FAA decision making process and take steps, as I did as a state senator, to ensure that government continues to determine how best to meet the needs of general aviation practitioners.
On FAA funding, McCain has a clear record. Obama does not.
McCain: The FAA reauthorization bills that I supported while chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee contained funding formulas that were designed to ensure that the full financial resources of the Airport and Airway Trust Fund were used to modernize airports and the national airspace system. The bills also included a general fund contribution to the FAA’s budget to pay for agency activities such as providing air traffic control services to the Department of Defense.
Obama: I believe there should continue to be a role for general fund dollars in funding the FAA.
If this national election were only about which candidate the pilot and aviation community felt most comfortable with, John McCain would be the clear choice of those who understand and live in the world of aviation. However, political choices are rarely so simple.
Plus, the president, whoever he may be, has a very limited part in the fashioning of legislation that is needed to finally get the FAA moving into the future and establishing changes to our air traffic control systems that have been being debated for more than a century.
My hope is that a new president can provide leadership to move the political and bureaucratic systems towards a solution to our aging air traffic system. For this to happen, the president must have an interest in the problem. Otherwise, it will be politics as usual, and ATC changes will only come in response to a serious meltdown that would be best avoided.
{ 13 comments… read them below or add one }
Thanks Charlie for doing this column.
This is just one of the many reasons voters (particularly travelers) need to look at the specifics in each candidate. Just talking about it means nothing. Having a specific plan with a timeline shows that serious research and thought have been put into the issue.
One other thing to note is that John McCain’s son, Doug, is a 777 first officer for American Airlines out of JFK. I am sure his son relates his many frustrations with ATC to his Senator father.
Anita
Is Tripso the place to be campaigning? There’s no place for “…and platitudes that have marked much of his campaign” here.
Does crashing three planes as this Rolling Stone story talks about —
http://www.rollingstone.com/news/coverstory/make_believe_maverick_the_real_john_mccain — also qualify McCain to fix our country’s air traffic system?
Also, since McCain has said he plans a spending freeze on virtually every Federal program except Defense and Veterans — http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/mccain-proposes-spending-freeze-obama/story.aspx?guid=%7BEA5E114C-A041-42A1-A869-D61FFC1DF874%7D&siteid=rss — I don’t see how he could possibly “modernize the air traffic control system so it can handle the increased traffic that is forecast.”
Posting the positions of both candidates is not campaigning. Charlie Leocha goes out of his way to present the positions of both candidates. He can’t help that one is well thought out and the other deliberately vague.
The modernization project is underway already, “ADS-B.” I guess it’s completion and future funding may be in question.
Okay, since we’re getting political here, yes… John McCain does know how to fly a plane. And while he didn’t crash five of them as rumored, this is from factcheck.org
“McCain did lose two Navy aircraft while piloting them. One crash was found to be be McCain’s fault, the other due to an engine failure of undetermined cause.. A third was destroyed on the deck of the carrier USS Forrestal when a missile fired accidentally from another plane hit either the plane next to McCain’s or, less likely, his own aircraft, triggering a disastrous fire that killed 134 sailors and nearly killed McCain. A fourth plane was lost when he was shot down over North Vietnam on a bombing mission over Hanoi.
A fifth alleged “crash” turns out to be a misinterpretation of a flight accident that did not result in the loss of the aircraft. McCain admitted to causing that incident through “daredevil clowning” but returned safely.”
Can we also remember that it was Reagan’s recklessness in firing all the air traffic controllers that got us into a big air traffic mess in the first place.
John McCain more than likely, has not flown as Pilot in command in many years and his understanding of the current ATC situation would be from briefings of others, as would Barack Obama knowledge of current ATC/FAA issues.
Yes, McCain would have the phraseology to sound like he knows what is going on but that can vbe misleading.
Remember it was Ronald Reagan who said almost the exact same thing in 1981 ( If I am elected, one of my top transportation priorities will be to modernize the air traffic control system ) to get the Union vote and then turned his back on and fired the controllers.
Same old Politics!!!
Funny, but didn’t the The National Air Traffic Controllers Association endorse Obama for president?
By the way, can we please keep politics out of Tripso?
Once again Mr. Leocha devotes his column to his own political views. This is the same man who a few weeks ago, wrote a completely redundant piece calling Palin ‘the answer to FAA modernization’ because she is a pilot. (Even though it is actually her husband who can fly a plane)
Do the editors at Tripso even read their columnist’s submissions, or just allow them to run rampant on any topic they see fit? I for one would like to get back to the travel articles, if Mr. Leocha can come off his soap box long enough.
Do the editors at Tripso even read their columnist’s submissions, or just allow them to run rampant on any topic they see fit?
I don’t think it matters, since it looks like Charlie is the publisher of Tripso. Apparently Ms. Cruise Specialist Anita shares his same political views.
Just stop, you guys are losing your credibility.
Is this the venue where to be political? Why not? Everyone is entitled to his or her opinion and to agree or disagree. At least. people are allowed to express their feelings via posting. And they have.
I too am mortified to see a clearly political message being posted here on Tripso. Not only is it blatantly political – we have no way of knowing if these really are the ONLY things said by each candidate on this issue. For all we know, these were cherry-picked to make McCain’s position seem more detailed and robust. This is an obvious ploy to sway voters.
As a frequent traveler, I am just as concerned about the issues facing the travel industry as anyone else in here. However, I also recognize that in the overall scheme of what’s important to our nation, that takes a backseat – a WAAAY backseat – to far more important issues that affect many more people’s lives.
I also believe that Radar21 hit on something extremely important here:
“…his understanding of the current ATC situation would be from briefings of others, as would Barack Obama knowledge of current ATC/FAA issues.
Yes, McCain would have the phraseology to sound like he knows what is going on but that can be misleading.”
In other words, neither candidate can claim any directly-obtained, in depth knowledge of the issues facing the travel industry, as neither have ever worked in it. While McCain flew jets, it was as a military pilot – he was never part of commercial aviation. Any information, knowledge, or understanding that either candidate has, came from their advisers…and will continue to come from there once one of them is in office. McCain’s experience flying planes means nothing in terms of understanding, or having the answers to, the issues currently facing the US’s travel infrastructure or industry.
Anyone who would base their vote on a candidate’s position on transportation is foolishly ignoring the many fundamental issues that are FAR more critical to our nation today than this.
If Tripso is going to become just another place for people to push their candidate of choice, then it will be of no value or interest to me. I come here for information about travel, not for political opinions and thinly-veiled campaigning.
Folks,
Charlie is pointing out one of many issues as it relates to each candidate. It’s worth noting that Hillary Clinton has the same position on ATC as John McCain.
Democrat or Republican — this is one topic where if you travel you should pay attention to the candidates position.
Anita DUNHAM-Potter
(Barack Obama’s 6th cousin once removed) :)