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How does the Committee's brief experience with FAA bear upon the total program? For one thing, it demonstrates conclusively that all airline pilots face a real danger of arbitrary action by FAA unless some changes are made very soon. We just can't afford the constant exposure of our career security to a body that treats our most valuable assets the way FAA does.

Other action of the Committee has produced more immediate success. We have developed warm and close cooperation from several members of Congress, so that we can reasonably assure that, unless something is done right before then, legislation will be introduced in the next session of Congress to overturn the FAA action. We are in close touch with Congressmen who are determined that there shall be a full and fair hearing of all the evidence relating to the FAA rule, and we are working with them to obtain such a hearing.

Next, we are in touch with airlines which, we hope, will soon come forward to assert publicly their support for a change in the FAA compulsory retirement regulation. We hope that these public expressions will be forthcoming very shortly, and I can tell you that the process of producing such support from the airlines has been a very long, slow and delicate process.

We have established a firm basis for coordination with other organizations in our industry. For example, the AOPA (Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association) has indicated that they stand firmly behind us in this fight to change the compulsory retirement rule. We are coordinating with efforts by members of the Allied Pilots Association, who, at this time, have under very serious consideration certain firm legal steps against the FAA rule. Indeed, we are very fortunate to have with us at this meeting Captain Frank Cordes of American Airlines, whom you may remember because of his many efforts for ALPA during the period before 1963. Frank is prepared to briefly summarize for you some of the efforts of his group and their feelings about continued coordination with our Association in this matter of mutual concern.