Editorial
Updated:23 August 2000
EAA EFFORTS HELP CLARIFY LEGISLATION ON MILITARY
EQUIPMENT, INCLUDING
WARBIRD
AIRCRAFT EAA AVIATION CENTER, OSHKOSH, Wis. ‹ (Aug.
22, 2000) PRESS
RELEASE
FROM EAA - HOT TOPICS -----------
Efforts by EAA, The Leader in Recreational Aviation,
and U.S. Senator
James
Inhofe (R-Okla.) are attempting to clarify language
within a military
authorization bill currently in the U.S. House of
Representatives which
could
threaten the Warbird aircraft movement. H.R. 4205
contains language
that
requires demilitarization of surplus military
equipment, including
aircraft,
after the Department of Defense disposes of it. There
would also be no
time
limit on that demilitarization authority. Many warbird
aircraft owners
regard
such broad authority as a threat to their aircraft, as
military
representatives
could force aircraft owners to make the airplanes
unflyable to comply
with the
regulation. "This effort to create federal policy to
correct a specific
problem
grants sweeping authority that could unintentionally
cripple the
warbird
preservation movement," said EAA President Tom
Poberezny. "While the
resolution's authors had no such intent, it is highly
possible that
this
legislation could force warbird aircraft owners to
make their rare
airplanes
unflyable to meet overzealous enforcement standards."
The resolution
was
introduced after an incident with a civilian-owned
former military
helicopter
that was rebuilt with surplus parts from the
Department of Defense. The
DoD
was
concerned with the uses of the helicopter. Since late
July, members of
EAA's
Legal Advisory Council and Warbirds of America
Division have been
working with
congressional representatives to modify the language
in the resolution.
A key
figure in the effort is Sen. Inhofe, a pilot and
supporter of
recreational
aviation. Sen. Inhofe and EAA have suggested that
Department of
Defense's
authority include demilitarization for purposes of
"solely deactivating
offensive equipment and weaponry" in disposed surplus
items. "This
language
would handle the specific situation that sparked the
creation of the
resolution," said Michael Pangia, a member of the EAA
Legal Advisory
Council.
"It is important, however, not to harm more than 40
years of
preservation
efforts to Warbird aircraft. The Warbird movement has
safely maintained
rare
and
significant airplanes as part of our nation's and the
world's history.
These
aircraft are flown as display aircraft, and pose no
offensive threat to
anyone
or anything." The resolution is currently in
conference committee. EAA,
The
Leader in Recreational Aviation, is an international
association with
170,000
members and more than 975 local Chapters. For more
information on EAA
and its
programs, call 1-800-JOIN-EAA (1-800-564-6322) or
explore EAA's World
Wide Web
site (www.eaa.org).
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