On the recordMarch 8, 1994
if I may just respond a moment to the figures again on what has happened as far as the numbers in the general aviation industry. In 1979, there were 13,000 piston airplanes manufactured per year. Today, there are 500. That is where the decline has taken place. Even more importantly, and this has been said several times, but in 1980, the United States had 29 percent of the world market for piston-powered airplanes, and foreign manufacturers had 15 percent. In 1992, the United States had 9 percent of that market and the rest had shifted to foreign manufacturers. That is the concern. The distinguished Senator from South Carolina was talking about recall. The automobile industry does not have the FAA as their watchdog at the gate, and the FAA has been a powerful guardian of safety in the aviation industry. So I just wanted to reiterate those figures because I think that shows what has happened to piston-powered manufacturing.
Source
govinfo.gov
