I think in terms of recommendations, one of the things I had noted down was definitely a national strategy in terms of airport infrastructure, and looking at the general aviation community aspect of it. I can't just make a blanket statement about them all, but airports that are run by regional governments are generally passenger-focused. They're trying to generate the revenues that way, as opposed to through general aviation. That's one definite recommendation.
As Mr. Foster said, there are alternative ways of delivering flight training. It has been shown that simulators specific to airlines are a fantastic way to train future airline pilots, and that does solve some of the airlines' needs. Keep in mind, with that, you also have to consider the general aviation needs in terms of just the general flying population, because you do need that segment to the industry. It does feed the other businesses that are at the airport—maintenance, etc.—and as well, not everybody is going to go and work for an airline. Some people might work in a 703 air taxi operation or a commuter operation, so you want to make sure you're not ignoring that aspect of it. That's generally what we've seen happen at some of the airports. They focus all on the airline and not necessarily on the general aviation community. Then when that aspect dies, the businesses that are there supporting them—the fuellers, the maintenance people—have a hard time staying in business. That aspect definitely needs a national strategy that takes into account the airline's needs as well as the general aviation needs.
If we can keep it as inclusive as possible...we need pilots. There are opportunities for everyone. I think the biggest thing I heard from the previous session was just getting the information and education out there to those groups. This is definitely important. I think that would go a long way.
There are external threats, too. I work in an airline, and there are pilots who are considering flying elsewhere. You can get an airline pilot trained here and they may leave. They may go and fly in the U.S. or Asia...opening up their markets. They are short of pilots as well, and those are real threats. The issues have to get addressed quickly.