[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 174 (Tuesday, October 6, 2020)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E931]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





INTRODUCTION OF THE NATIONAL CENTER FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF AVIATION ACT 
                                OF 2020

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. ANDRE CARSON

                               of indiana

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, October 6, 2020

  Mr. CARSON of Indiana. Madam Speaker, today I join my colleagues, 
Rep. Don Young of Alaska, Chairman Emeritus of the Transportation 
Committee, and Rep. Rick Larsen, Chairman of the Aviation Subcommittee, 
in introducing the bipartisan National Center for the Advancement of 
Aviation Act of 2020. Our committee has worked for years to make 
American skies the safest in the world, and to strengthen the industry 
workforce to maintain the highest standards of aviation excellence.
  Our legislation, the National Center for the Advancement of Aviation 
(NCAA) would support and promote collaboration amongst civil, 
commercial, and military aviation sectors to address the demands and 
challenges associated with ensuring a safe and vibrant national 
aviation system through research, education, and training.
  Too often in the past, innovation and lessons learned in various 
aviation sectors has not been shared in a collaboratively or timely 
manner, especially considering rapid developments in new technology. 
Our bill helps break down silos across commercial aviation, general 
aviation and military aviation sectors that will not only improve 
safety and best practices, but also expand opportunities for those 
interested in the aviation workforce--for the young and not so young, 
from those just starting out, to those with experience who want to move 
into other types of aviation work.
  The National Center would focus on four key areas with an emphasis on 
aviation workforce development. First, it would support education 
efforts and provide resources to curriculum developers so educators at 
all levels have the tools and training to educate the next generation 
of aviation professionals.
  Second, the national center would provide a forum to leverage and 
share expertise amongst industry sectors including the dissemination of 
existing high school education curriculum to develop and deploy a 
workforce of pilots, aerospace engineers, unmanned aircraft system 
operators, aviation maintenance technicians, or other aviation 
maintenance professionals needed in the coming decades.
  Third, it would serve as a central repository for economic and safety 
data research and analysis allowing a comprehensive perspective of 
industry information that would improve safety for all stakeholders.
  Finally, it would support symposiums and conferences to facilitate 
collaboration across the industry and develop future advancements for 
the aviation and aerospace community.
  This legislation would also allow the FAA to focus on safety, 
certification, and air traffic operations.
  The national center would be funded by using a small percentage of 
the interest accrued annually on the taxes and fees collected from 
users of our aviation system and deposited into the aviation trust 
fund. In other words, no general fund taxpayer dollars would be used to 
support this national center.
  Our aviation and aerospace industry supports over 11 million jobs and 
contributes more than $1.6 trillion per year to the national economy. 
More than 130 organizations including schools, airports, airlines, 
manufacturers, unions, and other entities involved in aviation and 
aerospace have expressed strong support for this legislation. The list 
of organizations supporting this legislation is provided here:

        AAR Corp.; ACI Jet; Aeronautical Repair Station 
     Association; Aerospace Center of Excellence; Aerospace 
     Maintenance Council; Air Care Alliance; Air Line Pilots 
     Association, International; Air Medical Operators 
     Association; Air Wisconsin Airlines; Airbus; Aircraft 
     Electronics Association; Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal 
     Association; Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association; Airlines 
     for America; Alabama General Aviation Alliance; Alaska 
     Airlines.
        Alaska Airmen Association; Alaskan Aviation Safety 
     Foundation; Alliance for Aviation Across America; Allied 
     Pilots Association; American Airlines; American Bonanza 
     Society; American Yankee Association; Arizona Airports 
     Association; Arizona Flight Training Working group; Arizona 
     Pilots Association; Arizona Safety Advisory Group; Arkansas 
     General Aviation Association; Association for Unmanned 
     Vehicle Systems International; Association of California 
     Airports; Atlas Air Worldwide.
        Aviation Council of Pennsylvania; Aviation Technician 
     Education Council; California Pilots Association; Cape Air; 
     Cargo Airline Association; Cessna Flyer Association; Choose 
     Aerospace, Inc.; Citation Jet Pilots, Inc.; Coalition of 
     Airline Pilots Associations; Colorado Aviation Business 
     Association; Commemorative Air Force; Community and Airport 
     Partnership for Safe Operations; CommutAir; Compass Airlines; 
     Delta Air Lines.
        Delta State University; EAA Type Club Coalition; EAA 
     Warbirds of America; East Central Ohio Pilots Association; 
     East Hampton Aviation Association; Empire Airlines; Endeavor 
     Air; Envoy Air; EVAC, the Emergency Volunteers Air Corps; 
     Experimental Aircraft Association; ExpressJet Airlines; FAST; 
     FedEx Express; Flight School Association of North America; 
     Flying Knights Flying Club.
        Flying Physicians Association; Friends of Linden Airport; 
     Fullerton Airport Pilots Association; General Aviation 
     Council of Hawaii; General Aviation Manufacturers 
     Association; Glasair Aircraft Owners Association; GoJet 
     Airlines; Hawaiian Airlines; Helicopter Association 
     International; Horizon Air; International Air Transport 
     Association; International Council of Air Shows, Inc.; Iowa 
     Aviation Association; Kentucky Aviation Association; Kimmel 
     Aviation Insurance.
        Ladd Gardner Aviation Insurance, Inc.; Lancair Owners and 
     Builders Organization; Lewis University Airport; LIFT 
     Academy; Long Island Business Aviation Association; Los 
     Alamos Airport; Louisiana Airport Managers and Associates; 
     Maine Aeronautics Association; Maine Aviation Business 
     Association; Massachusetts Airport Management Association; 
     Michigan Business Aviation Association; Minnesota Pilots 
     Association; Minnesota Seaplane Pilots Association; 
     Mississippi Agricultural Association.
       Montana Pilots Association; Mooney Summit, Inc.; National 
     Agricultural Aviation Association; National Air Traffic 
     Controllers Association; National Air Transportation 
     Association; National Association of State Aviation 
     Officials; National Business Aviation Association; National 
     Coalition for Aviation and Space Education; NetJets; NetJets 
     Association of Shared Aircraft Pilots; New Hampshire Pilots 
     Association; New Jersey Aviation Association; New Mexico 
     Airport Manager's Association; New York Aviation Management 
     Association; North American Trainer Association.
        Ohio Regional Business Aviation Association; Oklahoma 
     Aeronautics Commission; Oklahoma Airport Operators 
     Association; Oklahoma Pilots Association; Oregon Pilots 
     Association; Organization of Black Aerospace Professionals; 
     Palo Alto Airport Association; Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum; 
     Petaluma Area Pilots Association; Piedmont Airlines; Piper 
     Flyer Association; Plane and Pilot News; Professional 
     Aviation Maintenance Association; PSA Airlines; Pure White 
     Smoke Oil, Inc.
        Recreational Aviation Foundation; Red Star Pilots 
     Association; Regional Airline Association; Republic Airways; 
     Rhode Island Pilots Association; San Carlos Pilots 
     Association; San Diego Christian College; Seaplane Pilots 
     Association; South Carolina Aviation Association; South 
     Dakota Pilots Association; Southwest Airlines; Southwest 
     Airlines Pilots Association; Start Skydiving, Inc.; 
     Sturdivant Brothers Flying Service.
        T-34 Mentor Association; The Boeing Company; The Museum of 
     Flight, Seattle, Washington; Trans States Airlines; U.S. 
     Contract Tower Association; U.S. Parachute Association; 
     United Airlines; UPS; Veterans Airlift Command; Virginia 
     Aviation Business Association; Washington Pilots Association; 
     Washington Seaplane Pilots Association; Women in Aviation 
     International; Zerowait, Inc.

  Madam Speaker, this legislation will address the demands and 
challenges our aviation and aerospace industry face today and tomorrow. 
I strongly encourage my colleagues to join me in cosponsoring the 
National Center for the Advancement of Aviation Act of 2020.

                          ____________________