Statement by the Vice President of the United States on Aviation, Long Beach, CA

Time and time again I have stressed my deep desire to speed up the advance of America in key areas of our national life. This applies to scientific and medical research, education, attention to the problems of our metropolitan areas, development of our natural resources, including agriculture, and other challenging problem areas that go to the heart of our growth and national strength.

One of the major areas in which I want to move swiftly forward is the field of aviation. I am convinced that we have reached the point where aviation policy can no longer be confined to regulation of public convenience and safety and to military considerations.

There is a larger role of air transportation to be considered for our general well-being - a larger role than the allocation of air routes, the establishment of safety rules and the procurement of military aircraft. Aviation, like the other elements of our great national transportation systems - our railroads, our highway networks and water routes - affects the general economic health and the conditions of economic growth.

Until now we have only incidentally recognized this role as it relates to overall military problems. The time is overdue for more imaginative consideration of national aviation policy.

For example, the military prototypes will soon no longer provide the impetus for development of new aircraft types. With the rise of the importance of missiles there has been a divergence - if only temporary - between the military requirements and the requirements of our civilian transportation system.

Even now the aviation industry suffers under the task of bringing the jet age to reality while military interest moves into the missile field. Just ahead and already on the drawing boards, are the fully supersonic aircraft, but presently it is clear to no one how this next step is to be financed.

None of us will be content, with the increasing pace of our technology and the requirements of our world leadership, to go about our business at an average rate of several hundred miles an hour.

We are leaving the sound barrier behind and the development of our aviation industry must keep pace. As it now stands the industry cannot do this alone. It must have Government help in the development process. Nor can we longer rely on the accidents of military procurement to determine our civilian future in the air.

The industry is harrassed by the uncertainties of the situation and barely able to help itself, not only because of the staggering cost implications but because of the limitations of policies, good enough at the time, which must be revised and advanced so we may keep ahead in the 1960's.

Unquestionably, we need a new look at American aviation. It needs to be freed from the traditional limitations of Government policy.

We should establish at the earliest opportunity a special Presidential Air Policy Commission to make this reevaluation of our situation in aviation and bring in recommendations as to a permanent national aviation policy before the end of 1961. I would give such a Commission a general charter to examine, in concert with the Defense Department, the present policies controlling procurement of military aircraft. It may be time to elevate the present Federal Aviation Agency to Cabinet status with broad powers over all Government aviation policy except those involving procurement of combat aircraft.

I repeat - it is urgent, as we enter the sixties, that we are sure we have a healthy American aviation industry in all of its facets. We simply cannot allow our national preeminence in aviation, both commercial and military, to dissipate; nor can we allow the Communist system to outdo us in this area of such great interest to all the world.