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HELICOPTER AIR SERVICE PROGRAM     27

airport in the world, Dulles International Airport that sits out here looking like a back rest with very little traffic going in and out. It is a lovely airport, with safe runways, the most modern transportation of passengers from the aircraft to the baggage stand of any airport I know. You don't have to walk 2 or 3 miles to get to your plane. You just have to walk about 75 feet and you board the plane. It is a very novel and a very interesting thing. I get heartsick to go out and see about 20 of these giant buses parked there, gathering rust. I would presume, this beautiful facility was built because the scheduled airlines wanted a Washington terminal, and which since they have ignored the use of.

It would see to me that a part of the District of Columbia expenditures might even be devoted to helping maintain some better transportation than a $15 cab fare from this Dulles Airport, a part of the Washington National Airport complex.

Mr. BOYD. That is a very good suggestion, Mr. Chairman. As  I pointed out in my statement we, too, feel very strongly that the helicopter operation has a great potential for purely urban or interurban movement in the densely populated metropolitan areas. Obviously we can't project what will happen because we don't know what is going to happen on such things as the Northeast corridor study and the development of other forms of metropolitan or interurban transportation.

Strictly aside from meeting and departing from aircraft on long-haul flights, we do think the helicopter operation has a potential of solving some of the urban transportation problems.

Seuator MONRONEY. Excuse me for interrupting. I got on this point and I thought it was important to try to develop it.

Senator CANNON. What have you done, Mr. Chairman, with respect to the statement from the committee last year, in the committee report in this regard?

Mr. BOYD. We did a lot of soul searching, Senator Cannon. We concluded that we had alternative but to submit requests for subsidy in line with section 406 of the act. I am very happy to tell the committee that despite the fact the Board seems to split 3 to 2 on a good many decisions, the Board has been unanimous in this from the word "go."

Senator CANNON. This resulted in your request for $4.2 million in the 1966 budget as you have outlined here in your projected phaseout between now and 1971?

Mr. BOYD. Senator, the President's budget message transmitted a request for $2.1 million.

Senator CANNON. That was my next question. How do you account for the fact that you requested substantially less than what apparently you believe these companies can remain in existence with?

Mr. BOYD. This gets into the procedures, Senator. The Board, as you know, makes a request for its appropriation for the ensuing year to the Bureau of the Budget. The Bureau of the Budget then, under the procedure, advises us what will go forward. I don't know whether I have resolved the conflict here, but--

Senator CANNON. You haven't, actually. As I understand it, you did ask for $4.2 million?

Mr. BOYD. Yes, sir.

SENATOR CANNON. And you got approval of roughly 50 percent of it?

Mr. BOYD. Yes, sir. Exactly.