Dear Nick,
Hangars are being confiscated from hangar owners at an alarming rate. If your hangar hasn't been taken from you yet, it will be.
Here's the scheme: General aviation airports across the country are requiring hangar owners to sign renewal leases for the land on which their hangar sits. These renewal leases contain mandatory provisions that transfer ownership of your hangars to the airport at the end of a specified period of time - which can be as short as 5 years and no longer than 15 years.
Think about it for a moment. In America...where we cherish private property rights and promote risk taking...you are being systematically and inexorably deprived of the fruit of your investment and a vital source of your livelihood.
I have sponsored legislation in the United States House of Representatives that uniquely addresses this matter. H.R. 1117 requires a 75-year minimum on lease terms while mandating the compensation of hangar owners whose investment is confiscated by the airport before the end of that term. Estimates indicate that properly protecting the private property of hangar owners could result in $10 million of additional investment in hangars on the East Coast.
As a general aviation pilot myself, with over 30 years experience and some 10,000 hours flying, I understand the frustrations and obstacles you endure day after day.
Thus, I have worked diligently to bolster private aviation in America through other means, such as my sponsorship of H.R. 488 (entitles the "Serving Economie through Aviation and Technology in the 21st Century (SEAT 21) Act"). This creative measure is designed to expand air service to rural regions by allowing the commercial "on-demand" use of planes having nine or fewer seats.
During the three years that I have enjoyed the honor of serving in the United States Congress, the aviation industry has endured...andovercome...a number of difficult challenges, particularly as our nation has adjusted to the post-9/11 imperative to enhance air safety and security. Often, independent pilots and small carriers have borne a disproportionate share of the economic burden resulting from new laws and regulations.
We won a significant victory in May 2005 when the U.S. Department of Homeland Security reopened Washington, D.C.'s Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport to general aviation, nearly four years after the 9/11 attacks. Having co-sponsored legislation to compel this action under "reasonable" security regulations, I was pleased that the Department finally removed this onerous burden upon individual pilots and small businesses.
Working together, we have achieved additional progress on behalf of independent pilots and small carriers. We successfully fought for increased aviation safety funding while holding the line on airline ticket taxes. We have enacted legislation that requires more efficient regulatory coordination between agencies on the costly and potentially dangerous matter of secondary containment. Moreover, the House and Senate have passed critical pilot safety measures, which enact criminal sanctions for those who use laser pointers against airplanes.
In July 2005, the House approved H.R. 525, the "Small Business Health Fairness Act of 2005," which would enable small businesses to lower their insurance costs through pooled Association Health Plans. During the previous year, the House passed H.R. 1084, the "Volunteer Pilot Organization Protection Act of 2004," which was designed to enhance the ability of pilots to engage in charitable and humanitarian work without the fear of costly lawsuits as their reward for a good heart.
I used the word "progress" above because we remain far from victorious on many of the issues that matter to you and the people you serve. Big airlines and major metropolitan areas receive the lion's share of attention in Washington, D.C. -- while mid-size and small carriers and communities continue to suffer. That's why I'm fighting so hard for you.
As I continue my battle to ensure that your voice is heard amidst the special interest din that far too often dominated the agenda in Washington, D.C., I need your help. I'm up for re-election this November and there will be a flood of out-of-state money coming into New Mexico in support of my opponent.
Your campaign contributions for $25, $50, or $100...or, if you're able, $250, $500, or $1000...will help me fight back against these out-of-state special interests and continue my efforts in Washington.
Together, we can save and improve the industry we cherish - preserving the skies for future generations of men and women who simply love to fly.
Sincerely,
Steve Pearce
