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RESPONDE D O N DECEMBE R 2 , 200 9 11:3 7 A M 

### Ke n Mead , Specia l Counsel , Bake rBott s L.L.P
. Secretar y LaHoo dan dth e Journa l ar e essentiall y askin g th e sam e question—what ar e th e five mos t importan t

issue s tha t

shoul db e o n th e Advisory Group' s agenda—afai r enoug h an dstraightforwar drequest . I n framin g th e issues , however , grea t car e shoul db e take n t o fram e the mwith certai n protocol s i n mind . First , th e issue s shoul dbi e expresse di n suc h amanne r

tha t the y ar e clear

an dexplici t

an dno t s o genera l a s t o b e unmanageable . Second , actio n item s shoul dhav e nea r ter mmilestone s s o tha t

progres s can b e measure d durin g thi s Administration' s ter mof office . Third , ever y effor t shoul db e mad e t o construc t issue s i n away tha t

see k t o unit e no t

divid e th e aviatio n community . I a m thinkin g here , fo r

example , of

genera l an dcommercia l aviation , managemen t an dlabor , airline s an dthei r

passengers . Althoug h certainl y no t

a n exhaustiv e list , her e ar e m y thought s for you r readershi p t o consider . The y cove r

arange—Expedite dAi r

traffi c Contro l (ATC ) modernizatio n an d associate dAT

C procedures ; Federa l financin g of aviation , whic h i s critica l t o th e nationa l transportatio n infrastructur e an dshoul dinclud e arobus t Genera l Fun dcontribution ; Optimizin g aviatio n safety gains ; an dEnsurin g U.S . leadershi p o n th e internationa l front . Also , I believ e i t

i s importan t

t o clarif y tha t congressiona l enactmen t o f th e lon g delaye dmulti-yea r

FA A reauthorizatio n i s th e mos t appropriat e vehicl e t o articulat e nationa l aviatio n polic y an dtha t th e establishmen t

o f th e Secretary' s Advisor

y Grou p doe s no t stan di n th e critica l pat h of th e reauthorizatio n measur e movin g forwar d expeditiousl y i n 2010 .Expeditin g Ai r Traffi c Contro l (ATC ) Modernizatio n an dAssociate d AT C Procedures . W e nee dafou r t o five yea r

actio n pla n tha t

ca n b e implemente dexpeditiousl y an dtha t pla n shoul db e focuse do n amanageabl e numbe r of achievabl e actions . FAA' s RTC A Tas k Forc e 5 performe dagenuin e servic e i n tha t

i t emphasize dwha t

need s t o b e don e i n th e nea r term . Enplanement s an doperation s ar e dow n sharply , s o ther e trul y i s asilve r linin g afforde db y th e economi c recession—an opportunit y t o mov e forwar dsmartl y durin g thi s lul l i n operations . Thi s opportunit y shoul dno t b e squandered . Whe n th e economi c engin e agai n begin s firing o n al l cylinders , USDO T an dFA A wil l no t b e i n apositio n t o tak e correctiv e actio n t o avoi dgridloc k an dintolerabl e congestion—excep t

b y takin g draconia n actions . Th e actio n pla n shoul db e targete dt o operationa l benefit s fo r genera l an dcommercia l aviatio n an dus e meaningfu l metrics . A s par t of thi s effort , FA

A shoul dtak e aloo k

a t th e ATO' s organizationa l structur e an dreportin g line s t o judg e ho w bes t t o fix accountabilit y fo r

implementin g th e actio n plan . Th e ATO doe s a n excellen t jo b o f runnin g th e AT

C syste m24/7/365 , bu t

doe s tha t

com e a t th e expens e o f

a n actionabl e vision an dpla n fo r th e nex t five years ? Financin g Aviation . Implemen t afinancing syste mtha t

recognize s th e legitimac y of

acontinuin g an drobus t

Genera l Fun dcontribution , whic h wil l translat e t o 25-35 % of

FAA' s budget—mor e o n th e orde r of 30-35 % for

th e immediat e future . I n additio n t o th e importanc e of thi s t o jo b maintenanc e an d jo b creation , i t

wil l g o alon g way towar drecognizin g aviatio n a s a n integra l par t of th e nation' s transportatio n infrastructure . And , i n th e cas e of NextGen , a n appropriat e an dequitabl e toolbo x of financial incentive s shoul db e considere dt o incentiviz e avionic s equipage . Th e infrastructur e fo r amodernize dAT

C syste m wil l no t wor k safel y an defficientl y withou t ne w on-boar davionic s an dgroun d infrastructure . Fro mth e standpoin t

of financing policy , decision-maker s nee dt o kee p i n min d th e ver y substantia l Genera l Fun dcontribution s currentl y bein g mad e t o hig h spee drail , Amtrak , highways , bridge s an dmas s transit . Aviatio n shoul dno t b e lef t ou t i n th e cold . Effort s t o shif t aviatio n infrastructur e cost s t o ause r fe esyste mo r throug h burdensom e additiona l taxe s an dfee s shoul db e abandone da s dilatory , divisive , an dunnecessary . 3 . Internationa l Strategy . Give n th e succes s o f th e Ope n Skie s initiative , th e Advisory Grou p coul dmak e alastin g contributio n b y establishin g th e ke y goin g forwar daviatio n agend aitem s o n th e internationa l fron t an darticulat e th e element s of

astrateg y for

achievin g tha t

agenda . Climat e Change , GH G emissions , NextGe n an dSESA Rharmonization , equipag e requirement s an d variou s certificatio n issue s ar e amon g th e target s of opportunit y tha t

com e immediatel y t o th e forefront . 4 . Aviatio n Safet y Buildin g Blocks . Secretar y LaHood' s Advisory Grou p shoul d als o hav e afocu s o n aviatio n safety an dsee k t o buil do n wha t

b y almos t

an y measur e i s aremarkabl e safety record . No t onl y i s "safety " alway s characterize d a s DOT' S numbe r

# 1 priority , i t

als o i s a n are awher e afailur e t o continuousl y improv e ca n hav e tragi c consequences . Aviatio n safety ma y no t sho w u p o n everyone' s "to p 5 issues " list , bu t tha t i s becaus e ther e see mt o b e s o man y othe r deep-seate dan dobviou s problems . Tha t i s no t th e tes t thoug h i n th e safety area . Proactivenes s i s ke y an dextraordinar y aviatio n safety gain s hav e bee n mad e becaus e proactivenes s wa s th e compass . Thi s i s on e of th e message s of

forme r Ambassado r

E dStimpson' s Blu e Ribbo n Pane l Repor t o n Aviatio n Safet

y t o the n Secretar y Mary Peters . I was saddene dt o lear n of Ed' s passin g las t

week ; hi s contribution s t o aviatio n safety ar e a n importan t par t of hi s legacy . 5 . Movin g Forwar do n FA A Reauthorization . A multi-yea r reauthorizatio n of FA A an daviatio n program s wil l serv e bot h asubstantiv e an dsymboli c purpose . Du e ostensibl y t o th e pres s of highe r legislativ e an dAdministratio n priorities , i t i s likel y tha t

stil l anothe r

shor t ter mextensio n of

existin g law wil l b e necessar y (i t ma y b e extensio n numbe r 11 , bu t I hav e los t

count) . Reauthorizatio n i s th e appropriat e vehicl e fo r

articulatin g nationa l aviatio n policy . Th e Hous e passe dit s versio n month s ago , bu t

th e Senat e bil l ha s ye t

t o mak e i t

t o th e Senat e flom* . A grea t dea l of work wen t int o bot h bills . Hopefully , th e Senat e an dHous e wil l b e i n apositio n t o mov e forwar dt o Conferenc e an dreconciliatio n of th e tw o measure s earl y i n 2010. 1 believ e i t woul db e helpfu l t o clarif y tha t th e establishmen t

of th e Advisory ' Committe e i s no t intende da s asigna l t o defe r expeditiou s movemen t

o f th e reauthorizatio n measures .