Thursday Open Thread: United States v. Corporate Aviation

Since the automotive industry bailout hearing in November, corporate aviation has been caught in the political crossfire.

At the hearing last fall, Rep. Brad Sherman, D-Calif., scored populist points when he asked whether the Chrysler, Ford and GM CEOs had purchased tickets on commercial flights to attend the hearing in Washington, D.C.

In January, Rep. Dennis Moore, D-Kan., and Rep. Todd Tiahrt, R-Kan., argued against legislative language that would have required recipients of bailout money to forgo owning or leasing aircraft.

Scott Adams even drew a Dilbert comic strip about the controversy. The Dogbert character does not mince words.

Now, NBAA and GAMA have launched a new Web site, No Plane No Gain, to defend the business aviation industry and educate the public.

What would you tell Congress or the public about the use of corporate jets in this economic climate? How would you defend corporate aviation in general?

Click the comments link to contribute.