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HELICOPTER AIR SERVICE PROGRAM    341

Mr. HALABY. Yes, sir, that is different.
Senator MONRONEY. One piece of ground or another looks the same to a helicopter. Simply because it is park land doesn't make it a bit different from Meigs Field.
As to safety, the park authorities, I would say, would have some consideration. But I would not think there is any other reason why a single-engine helicopter couldn't fly over.
Mr. HALABY. The great thing, Mr. Chairman, is that the safety record of these carriers is comparable to the fixed-wing carriers. They have only two fatal accidents with helicopters carrying passengers in the 12 years of passenger operation. They have shown they can do it. Their reliability is improving. And with IFR authorization in Los Angeles granted last Friday, and with IFR authorization in the New York area coming up, the reliability will increase.
These are men who are, as you say, out on the frontier. They are pioneering. They are not a bunch of guys coming down here for handouts. They are not subsidy grabbers. They are men who are trying to make this complicated and high-cost machine work for the public.
Senator MONRONEY. The distinguished Administrator has been a pioneer and a leader in a billion-and-a-half dollar enterprise to produce a supersonic airplane which will break the speed of sound and fly at mach 3.
It is important to fly faster than man has ever dreamed of flying before, but is is also proving to be very important to fly slower than man has ever flown before. It is at both ends of these spectra that we need the Administrator's attention to insure that we are clipping through the bottlenecks.
We have never flown a plane with passengers at mach 3. But we believe we can do it. We are going into this experimental and unknown field with full confidence that the technology and the state of the art can do it.
We know we can fly a plane very slowly. We have VTOL and STOL, particularly with the helicopters. We want to put them to use. All the sound barrier problems, as difficult as they are, should not make us shudder at the city council or fine art commission, or the aldermen of Chicago. We ought to march up that hill of Grant Park and take it.
Mr. HALABY. I agree with you. I think your leadership is very inspiring and exemplary in this area, I would like for a moment, if you don't mind, to differ a little bit with the previous witness.
I find myself very frequently in disagreement with the Port of New York Authority at the policy and finance level. On operating level, however, I am glad to say that through the work of men like Mr. Wiley and Mr. Sullivan and the guys who are right on the line working, the FAA has no real operational problem. So there are no safety or operating problems that are in prospect.
On policy and finance, we frequently differ. I guess I have a little problem with some of Mr. Wiley's figures, as you did. For example, I am advised that the total costs of Los Angeles Airways from that perhaps more generous city in southern California, are about $20,000 to $25,000 for rental of hangars and ramps and office space at two different airports.