Jimmy Carter

“ This year, 1978, is the diamond jubilee anniversary of aviation. Seventy-five years ago on December 17, at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, the Wright Brothers launched man into the age of powered flight. The magnitude of the heritage of Orville and Wilbur Wright is heroic. The significance of their achievement to men and women everywhere is profound. ”

“ In the seventy-five years since that historic flight, the science of aeronautics and the prowess of American industry have combined to make aviation a giant among the Nation's transportation and communications systems. Air transportation has become the prime public carrier between American cities and to international points. And the movement of cargo, especially perishable goods, life saving pharmaceuticals and other high-priority items important to the public welfare and commerce, has become largely dependent upon the speed, efficiency and safety of air transport. ”

“ Aviation today is one of America's greatest enterprises and among its largest employers; a major contributor in the social and cultural enhancement of the American public and, in the international arena, an instrument of signal importance in the deterrence of aggression and as a mighty defender of peace. ”