Mon, Nov 01, 2004
Danger To Restoration Efforts
EAA and its Warbirds of America division are responding to a
measure that could end underwater salvage operations of abandoned
military aircraft, removing the possibility that some vintage
warbirds could be saved and restored instead of lost forever.
The provision, included in the Ronald W. Reagan National Defense
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2005, would ban any US citizen
from engaging in any activity "that disturbs, removes or injures
any sunken military craft," including airplanes. This would halt
attempts, for instance, to pull World War II-era warbirds from
waters and restore them to airworthy condition. Although there is
language in the provision that allows the Department of Defense to
issue permits for salvage operations on a historical or educational
basis, EAA and Warbirds of America officials are concerned that
such permits may be nearly impossible to obtain or issued in an
arbitrary manner.
The provision is listed under Title XIV-Sunken Military Craft,
Sections 1401-1408, located on pages 721-728 of the document.
"There are numerous cases of individuals or groups using their
own time and money to save aircraft that the US military had
abandoned and had no intention of recovering," said Doug Macnair,
EAA's vice president of government affairs and Washington Office
Director. "These airplanes pose no military threat and had
basically been left to rot by the Pentagon. People who want to
invest the time and money to resurrect these aircraft and perhaps
return them to the air should be encouraged, not banned."
There are examples of individuals restoring such aircraft, then
being ordered by the US Navy to return them after having invested
hundreds of thousands of dollars in restoration, with no recompense
by the military.
Although Congress has officially adjourned until the new House
and Senate are seated in January, there is always the possibility
of a lame-duck session after the Nov. 2 election to finish some
legislative business. EAA and Warbirds of America representatives
will continue to work on the issue and use the groups' many strong
relationships in Washington to ensure no last-minute legislation
closes this resource for historical warbird restorations.
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