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HISTORY Ol I M f COMMITTE1 ON »c II \( I AND TECHNOLOGY 



CO allocate $500,000 for this purpose. The STOL research, for which 

 NASA had budgeted $15 million, was increased to $22 million, and 

 other increases were voted for aerodynamics and vehicle systems, pro- 

 pulsion, operating systems, materials and structures, and guidance and 

 control systems. All of this increase oi $25 million survived in the 

 M.nise consideration of the bill except the study of wetports. A floor 

 amendment knocked out this provision after a fight led by midwestern 

 lessnien apprehensive about building such an offshore airport in 

 Lake Michigan. 



In the 1971 conference committee, another battle was carried on 

 with the Senate over funding aeronautics. This time, in splitting the 

 difference, $12.5 million of the increase was preserved in conference. 

 The subcommittee was pleased that the conference report included a 

 stipulation that the additional funding be spent on the following: 



Noise abatement, congestion, safety and the need to artract new, younger scien- 

 tists and engineers into aeronautical research and development. 



HEARINGS ON THE CARD STUDY 



The year 1971 also marked the publication of the ]oint DOT 

 NASA study on "Civil Aviation Research and Development" (popu- 

 larly known as the CARD study). The subcommittee lost little 

 time in coming to grips with the recommendations in that study. 

 During January 1972, the subcommittee scheduled extensive hearings 

 on the conclusions and recommendations of the CARD study, which 

 had confirmed what the subcommittee had been saying for years— 

 that noise and congestion were top priority problems. In addition to 

 high Federal officials (NASA Administrator Fletcher, Under Secretary 

 of Transportation James M. Beggs, and Defense Department officials), 

 the subcommittee heard testimony from the Aerospace Industries 

 Association of America, the Boeing Co., the Airport Operators Council 

 International, the General Electric Co., Pratt & Whitney Division of 

 United Aircraft Corp., the Air Transport Association, United Air 

 Lines, Douglas Aircraft Co., Lockheed Aircraft Corp., McDonnell 

 Douglas Corp., Grumman Aerospace Corp., National Air Transporta- 

 tion Conference, Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, National 

 Transportation Safety Board, Air Line Pilots Association, AVCO 

 Systems Division, and the Raytheon Co. It was an impressive cross- 

 section of anybody and everybody who had anything to do with 

 aircraft, airports, and aeronautical research from all angles. 



Hechlcr opened the hearings by pointing out: 



W c have been pushing papers and trying to solve today's aviation problems with 

 yesterday's te< hnology. Over the past decade in NASA, the space tail has wagged the 

 log in the neglect of aeronautical research. * * * This committee has consistently 



