WASHINGTON, DC, February 24, 2006, – Today, Jack Pelton, Chairman of the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA), and Chairman, President, and CEO of Cessna Aircraft Company spoke to the Aero Club of Washington. During his speech, Pelton proposed that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) use a business approach to guide the agency’s funding reauthorization.

“I propose we address some basic business questions before we implement more policies or procedures that could potentially add cost or make the system more burdensome than it already is,” said Pelton.

In his speech, Pelton called for continued government investment in the National Airspace System (NAS) through an annual General Fund contribution, the need for a modernization plan that will include satellite and other technologies to increase efficiency, and for keeping the current revenue structure through general aviation fuel taxes. He also rejected user fees for general aviation and supported continuing congressional authority over the FAA.

He ended the speech by saying, “I am confident that these policy decisions will result in a goal we all want to achieve – a strong, sustainable aviation system for our nation.”

A full transcript of the speech can be found at: http://cessna.com/news/speech/SpeechTranscript.doc

Cessna news releases can be found at: http://www.cessna.com/news/news-releases.html