Air Bear

Dear Federal Aviation Administration:

This is a request for records under the Freedom of Information Act.

RECORDS REQUESTED:

I am seeking records related to FAA's aviation education mascot, Air Bear.

Specifically, I request the following records:

1. Please produce all records related to the conception, creation, and design of the Air Bear mascot. Please include any contracts or design concepts (e.g. sketches) in your production, as well as any records related to FWS's decision to create a mascot in the first place. (According to FAA records (attached), Air Bear was conceived of by Janice Draper of the Illinois Division of Aeronautics, and FAA adopted Air Bear as its official aviation education mascot in early 1989.)

2. Please produce all Air Bear-related promotional items, educational items, or tchotchkes, past or present, that took the form of records, such as trading cards, posters, videos, or books (including but not limited to coloring books, activity books, or comic books). (According to FAA records (attached), these records include coloring books, classroom materials, and a video called "Air Bear Goes On A Trip.")

3. Please produce all records related to the conception, creation, design, and use of any life-size Air Bear costume (pictured in the attached FAA records). Responsive records would include contracts for the design or production of such a costume; design proposals or sketches; correspondence with the designer or manufacturer; and any guidelines related to the use of or care for the costume.

4. Please produce all communications related to Air Bear.

5. Please produce all correspondence related to Air Bear (or to mascots in general) sent to or from any member of Congress, their office, or their staff. Oklahoma Senator Tom Coburn may have sent some responsive correspondence around 2007.

6. Please produce all records related to any proposal or decision by FAA to stop using Air Bear as part of its public outreach.

REQUEST FOR FEE WAIVER:

The requested documents will be made available to the general public online for free, and this request is not being made for commercial purposes. I am working on a project examining the history, creation, evolution, and use of mascots across the federal government—because, like many others, I find them fascinating and weirdly delightful. Thus, I respectfully request that any fees related to this request be waived. If you do decide to charge me fees, please notify me in advance if you expect those fees to exceed $25.

FORM OF PRODUCTION:

I would prefer the request filled electronically, by e-mail attachment if available or CD-ROM if not.

CONCLUSION:

Thank you very much for your cooperation with this request. I look forward to hearing from you soon!

Sincerely,

Nicholas Marritz

Dear Mr. Macone:

Thank you for your message, and for these records! They are great. I did have a concern, though: I understand why FAA redacted peoples' personal contact information such as addresses and telephone numbers. But I don't know that it was appropriate to redact the names. For example, some people had contributed story ideas to FAA involving the Air Bear character. I don't think anyone needs to know those peoples' contact information, but it seems odd to redact the names. (The story ideas themselves were produced, so it's not as if there's an intellectual property issue.) Would FAA be willing to un-redact the names without my needing to file an administrative appeal?

Thanks very much,

Nicholas Marritz

Thank you, Mr. Macone. I look forward to hearing from you.

Dear Mr. Macone:

Thanks for your message, and for these reprocessed records. I consider my request satisfied. Thank you again to you and the other FAA FOIA staff.

Nicholas Marritz