NBAA, AOPA Launch Web Site For Contributing to BARR Legal Defense Fund

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The National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) and the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) announced the introduction of a web site for individuals and companies to provide financial support for the two associations' legal battle to preserve the Block Aircraft Registration Request (BARR).

The creation of the BARR Legal Defense Fund was announced as AOPA and NBAA recently filed a court challenge to the DOT's decision to discontinue the BARR program, and begin broadcasting the aviation movements of citizens and companies. The challenge from AOPA and NBAA is before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.

Many people in the general aviation community have asked NBAA and AOPA to establish a legal fund to provide a means to demonstrate, through financial contributions, their support for our court battle to preserve the BARR, said NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen. This new web site for the BARR Legal Defense Fund provides an easy, convenient way for people to make a contribution toward this important fight.

AOPA President and CEO Craig Fuller agreed, adding: "If we are going to be successful in our efforts to preserve the BARR, all of us in the GA community must coordinate our actions and pool resources. This mechanism for contributing online to the BARR Legal Defense Fund is another tool to help us do that."

The introduction of the new web site for making a contribution to the BARR Legal Defense Fund - http://www.nbaa.org/ops/security/barr/legal-defense-fund/ - adds to the existing means for making a contribution with a check sent by mail.

The lawsuit filed by NBAA and AOPA to preserve the BARR follows the Department of Transportation's (DOT's) June 3 notice in theFederal Register of the agency's plan to move forward with previously announced plans for dismantling the program.

The DOT intends to fully implement its changes to the program on August 2, in spite of overwhelming opposition to the plan from aviation interests, business organizations, privacy groups and members of the U.S. House and Senate, all of whom have written the DOT to express their principled objections to the government's intentions and called upon the agency to shelve its plans.

Contributions to the BARR Legal Defense Fund will help ensure that NBAA and AOPA have the resources needed for its court fight to preserve this highly valued program, Bolen said. "We ask everyone who is concerned about their basic right to privacy – and is unwilling to forfeit that right just because they board an aircraft – to help support our continuing work to preserve the privacy, safety, security and competitiveness of citizens and companies alike," he said.

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