Letters

I f

ly my Piper Archer N8304L to work each day at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., and have been doing so for 13 years ["CEOs as Pilots," Dec. 23, 2002]. At 66, I am instrument rated, and I have no trouble staying current. Flying to work doesn't shave any time off of my commute — which takes two hours each way, by car or by plane — but it makes the trip something to look forward to, rather than the mind-numbing experience it used to be. Flying is special in ways that go far beyond the shallow "I always dreamed about flying" theme. Flying builds character and self-confidence in areas completely independent of the cockpit. If you fly, you probably know what I'm talking about; you really wouldn't understand until you get up there by yourself and fly from Point A to Point B with a purpose.
BOB AXSOM
Laguna Hills, Calif.

Your article on CEO pilots mentions the high cost of training and of renting a small plane, but there are much greater costs. I have had four colleagues who, along with their families, perished in crashes. By comparison, I have lost one friend in a car crash and none via commercial flights. All four of my pilot friends were qualified for night and bad-weather flights. Like J.F.K. Jr., too many small-craft pilots don't fly often enough to stay sharp, or they take off, bad weather or not, because plans were made and time is short. Give me terra firma any time, even with traffic delays.
RONALD ROTTSCHAFER
Psychologist
Oak Brook, Ill.

Tim Padgett's assertion that the Bush Administration opposes the sharing of benefits from commercialization of traditional knowledge ["Jungle Medicine," Nov. 25, 2002] is incorrect. On the contrary, President Bush has consistently encouraged the sharing of benefits derived from the knowledge of indigenous and local communities, and the U.S. is actively engaged in ongoing discussions within the U.N. World Intellectual Property Organization. One of our goals there is to encourage countries to establish systems to provide access and benefit sharing between the holders of traditional knowledge and the users of that knowledge.
JAMES ROGAN
Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property