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HELICOPTER AIR SERVICE PROGRAM

Finally, let's seek our next air transportation developments in the area where they will do the most good-the short haul. The ability to cross the Atlantic in 3 hours instead of 6 will benefit only a small minority of travelers.

However, the ability to reduce city-center to city-center traveling times 50 percent on routes between cities such as New York and Providence, Washington and Baltimore, Milwaukee and Chicago, Seattle and Portland, and so forth, will provide substantial benefits for a great many more people.

Also, it is important to note that these vertical lift developments that can bring great travel improvements to millions of short-range travelers can be achieved with a fraction of the investment needed just for the initial development of a supersonic transport.

In conclusion, the Helicopter Association of America urges that the recommendations of the CAB in regard to the present carriers be approved and that the door be opened to new sites that offer comparable potential for useful public services.

(Appendixes to prepared text are on file with the committee.)

Senator HART. Thank you very much. What is the practice in these other countries that you cite as having schedules helicopter service? Is Belgium the only one that subsidizes it?

Mr. PENNEWELL. I am sorry, Senator, I don't have full information on each of these situations. I presume in the other countries, my general knowledge, these operations are probably supported either by some form of government assistance or air carrier assistance-fixed-wing air carrier assistance, or subsidized in some part by some other business activity of the operator.

Senator HART. I think if it isn't in the record, it will be well, and I assume that the Board could give us the information, to have the record show the nature of the subsidies, if any, that are provided in England, Australia, Belgium, Pakistan, and Japan.

Mr. PENNEWELL. Testimony was given earlier that the Pakistan operation is a subsidized operation, run by the airline or by the Government. In England, British European Airways is the operator. I am not exactly sure what their situation is. They may be in link with the Government in such a way that they receive support in that manner.
It is interesting to note that in the foreign scene, there are helicopters produced in a variety of countries. There are manufacturers in England, France, Italy, Czechoslovakia, the Soviet Union, of course, Japan. 

If we were to reduce the effort in this country and undermine the confidence of these other areas in our operations, in our equipment, I think these other manufacturers would quickly move into these areas and in effect give us substantial difficulty in maintaining our exports of that equipment.

(Subsequently the following information was received from Mr. Pennewell):

ADDENDUM TO THE TESTIMONY OF JOHN L. PENNEWELL, EXECUTIVE SECRETARY, HELICOPTER ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA, BEING A SUMMARY OF SCHEDULED HELICOPTER OPERATIONS IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES REFERRED TO ON PAGE 4 (LINES 6 AND 7) OF THE ORIGINAL TESTIMONY

The following countries are known to have scheduled helicopter lines operating at the present time:

ENGLAND

British European Airways (BEA) is operating two Sikorsky S-61 helicopters from the town of Penzance on the southwest tip of England to the Scilly Isles.