Holding company exec to Grassley: Not Google's planes

An executive of the holding company owned by Google executives that leases a hangar at a government airfield responded to questions from Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), saying Google has nothing to do with the aircraft in question.

Ken Ambrose, vice president of H211, the holding company owned by Google executives Larry Page and Sergei Brin that owns several aircraft stored at California's Moffett Airfield, a former naval air station now operated by NASA, told Grassley in a letter that "these are not Google corporate aircraft. They are privately owned and operated by principal executives of the company." Ambrose also tells Sen Grassley that H211 pays "above market rent" for the hangar at Moffett, and that the company has operated more than 150 scientific flights for NASA. A Google spokesman said that the aircraft are fitted with NASA equipment for these flights. Ambrose responded to concerns that the Google executives are purchasing fuel at a reduced price by telling Sen Grassley that the only fuel available at the field is controlled by a Defense Department contractor, "so that is the fuel we use."