[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 91 (Tuesday, May 25, 2021)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E573-E574]
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 2021

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. ANDRE CARSON

                               of indiana

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, May 25, 2021

  Mr. CARSON. 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 re-introducing 
the bipartisan and bicameral National Center for the Advancement of 
Aviation Act of 2021. 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,

[[Page E574]]

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 are as follows:

       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 us in cosponsoring the 
National Center for the Advancement of Aviation Act of 2021.

                          ____________________