WICHITA, KS, March 22, 2006 – Testifying today at a field hearing in Wichita before the U.S. House of Representative’s Subcommittee on Aviation, the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) current and past chairmen, as well as its current President, urged the Subcommittee to take a strong and proactive role in the issues that could negatively impact the general aviation industry and its future growth and vitality.

Jack Pelton, GAMA’s Chairman as well as Chairman, President and CEO, Cessna Aircraft Company, joined Jim Schuster, GAMA immediate past Chairman and Chairman and CEO, Raytheon Aircraft Company and Pete Bunce, GAMA’s President and CEO, testified before the subcommittee at today’s field hearing held at the request of Congressman Todd Tiahrt.

All three outlined the current state of the general aviation industry as healthy and growing. While they also demonstrated how GA continues to have an increasingly important role in our nation’s economy, each presented issues that could have a direct impact on the future growth and vitality of the industry.

“Regulatory changes that put an undue financial burden on general aviation, inconsistencies in rule interpretations, and illogical regulatory priorities will eventually cripple our industry,” said Pelton. He went on to describe how current delays regarding Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) aircraft certification is a leading concern and how it threatens Cessna’s business plan.

Schuster emphasized the importance of ensuring that FAA funding and resources are allocated in the way that Congress intended. “If the certification of new aviation products becomes onerous or subject to delays in the U.S., the general aviation industry will be severely disadvantaged in the global marketplace. The result will be the loss of our technical leadership, international competitiveness, and ultimately, jobs,” said Schuster.

In his testimony, Bunce added that modernization of the nation’s air traffic control system, tax policy, export controls, and liability reform are additional areas of concern. Bunce closed with, “We thank the Subcommittee for once again taking a personal interest in the health and vitality of aviation manufacturing, and especially to Congressman Tiahrt for spearheading this hearing and his leadership on the issues so important to the general aviation industry.”