756 HISTORY ol "I HI COMMITTE1 ON SCIENC1 VND TECHNOLOGY 



Mrs Patricia Schwartz. Among the recommendations of the subcom- 

 mittee were the following: The need for a national aeronautics and 

 aviation policy; substantia] funding increases required in noise abate 

 ment, aviation safety, propulsion, and general aviation; military and 

 civil aeronautical research and development might be brought closer 

 together; an Office of General Aviation should be established within 

 NASA; urgent attention should be devoted to the safety and crash 

 survival aspects of aviation. 



\1 i D FOR A CLARION CALL OF NATIONAL LEADERSHIP 



When the 1972 authorization hearings got underway in February, 

 the subcommittee had a good headstart in aeronautics, having just 

 completed the special oversight hearings on aeronautics less than one 

 month before. Hechler opened the hearings by reading a January 20, 

 1972, letter he had written to President Nixon: 



There is a need tin" a clarion call of national leadership on aviation problems in 

 particular, noise, safety, and congestion. 1 would hope you could mount a national 

 offensive to mobilize the necessary resources and (olus attention on the critical need 

 tor aeronautical research and development in these and related aviation areas. 

 Research, the cutting edge of progress, is being neglected. In the area of general 

 aviation where there will be tremendous growth, we are slipping behind. We need 

 leadership in both short-haul and long-haul aircraft development. 



As the hearings opened, Hechler said: 



Now 1 have some "good news" and some "bad news." First, the good news. 

 An Assistant to the President replied promptly to my letter. And now for the bad 

 news: I got a form letter And having worked at one time as an Assistant to the 

 President in the White House, 1 have participated somewhat in the distribution of 

 form letters that come from the White House. 



Hechler read the letter from William E. Timmons, Assistant to the 

 President, which included the familiar stock phrase of a form letter: 



You may be assured your views will be brought to the President's early attention 

 and also shared with the appropriate staff members. 



Timmons mentioned various projects which the Federal Aviation 

 Administration was undertaking in the area. Hechler told the hearings 

 that unfortunately the letter said nothing new, and he deplored 

 "the fact that the main point of my letter, the need for a clarion call 

 for national leadership, was missed or ignored." He added: 



I he people and the Congress will no longer tolerate "penny ante" solutions to 

 aircraft noise, congestion, and safety. We must have a ringing, unmistakable call tor 

 vigorous leadership in these areas by the President. 



The subcommittee was quietly pleased that NASA had come in 

 with a request for $163. 4 million for aeronautics— which was nearly 



