Since the April 20 launch of AOPA‘s GA Serves America campaign and the formation of the General Aviation Caucus by Reps. Allen Boyd (D-Fla.) and Vernon Ehlers (R-Mich.), the message that GA is an important economic asset and vital component of the transportation system is spreading throughout Congress, according to a May 18 news release from AOPA. In less than one month, 45 representatives have joined the caucus to help their colleagues better understand GA’s importance.
“This caucus provides a great opportunity to help educate members of Congress and their staff about the current issues facing [general aviation],” said AOPA Vice President of Legislative Affairs Lorraine Howerton. “It will help us in our efforts to protect general aviation on all fronts, including public perception, user fees, and security.”
It is important that the caucus gains support from as many members of Congress as possible, Howeryon said. “If your representative is a member of the caucus, send him or her a note of thanks for taking a stand for GA. If your representative hasn’t signed up, let him or her know the value of joining this group. Because GA supports more than a million jobs and $150 billion in economic activity, each representative’s district depends on the industry,” she said.
Members of the House of Representatives’ GA Caucus as of May 19 are:
Barrow, John (D-Ga.)
Bartlett, Roscoe (R-Md.)
Berkley, Shelley (D-Nev.)
Berry, Marion (D-Ark.)
Bono Mack, Mary (R-Calif.)
Boswell, Leonard (D-Iowa)
Boyd, Allen (D-Fla.), Co-Chair
Burgess, Michael (R-Texas)
Coble, Howard (R-N.C.)
DeFazio, Peter (D-Ore.)
Dent, Charles (R-Pa.)
Duncan, John (R-Tenn.)
Edwards, Chet (D-Texas)
Etheridge, Bob (D-N.C.)
Ehlers, Vernon (R-Mich.), Co-Chair
Fallin, Mary (R-Okla.)
Graves, Sam (R-Mo.)
Guthrie, Brett (R-Ky.)
Issa, Darrell (R-Calif.)
Kline, John (R-Minn.)
Lee, Chris (R-N.Y.)
LoBiondo, Frank (R-N.J.)
Loebsack, David (D-Iowa)
Lynch, Stephen F. (D-Mass.)
Mack, Connie (R-Fla.)
Massa, Eric (D-N.Y.)
Manzullo, Donald (R-Ill.)
Miller, Candice (R-Mich.)
Minnick, Walt (D-Idaho)
Moran, Jerry (R-Kan.)
Neugebauer, Randy (R-Texas)
Norton, Eleanor Holmes (D-D.C.)
Oberstar, James (D-Minn.)
Peterson, Collin (D-Minn.)
Petri, Tomas (R-Wis.)
Pomeroy, Earl (R-N.D.)
Ross, Mike (D-Ark.)
Salazar, John (D-Colo.)
Sanchez, Loretta (D-Calif.)
Schauer, Mark (D-Mich.)
Shadegg, John (R-Ariz.)
Tiahrt, Todd (R-Kan.)
Tiberi, Patrick (R-Ohio)
Upton, Fred (R-Mich.)
Young, Don (R-Alaska)
For information: www.aopa.org, www.gaservesamerica.com
Don’t forget the revenue from our GA export market … a few decades ago the C172 and P140 were selling all over the world … but lookout, American leadership is already in decline, even Austria is making substantial inroads with carbon composite airframes, while Austro/German interests are introducing flight worthy diesel engines that are far less thirsty than our Lycoming and Continental offerings … come on America … wake up … even Piper now has offshore interests pulling its purse strings … so Cessna c’mon while you still can.
Also, don’t forget our Glider manufacturing industry … which is all but on its last legs and decades behind German and even Poiish design and manufacture.
This isn’t just … ‘maintain the status quo’ … its make sure we provide incentives and additional investment for innovation and help us get our next generation world class offerings to market … like America used to!
This is very good news, and I can only hope that more members of Congress and the Senate will support the GA Caucus.
What many people don’t seem to realize is that GA is what spawned the airline industry in the first place, but perhaps more importantly is
the fact that GA is a very important industry that supports a lot of people, from Pilots, Flight Instructs, FBO’s, and more, and that also provides not merely a luxury service to the rich, but an extremely important business tool for lot of small and medium sized businesses.
Corporate Aviation has come under the publics scrutiny because it looks like it’s a luxury, but it isn’t really. Corporate Jets and other aircraft allow executives to do business all over the U.S. and the World. Now, when the US and the world is experiencing an economic downturn it is even more important for American Businessmen to be able to complete in the arena of international competition. Yet, these planes are used to deliver all kinds of people, and I have flown all sorts of people, from sales and marketing people to mechanics and factory supervisors, all over the place. This is not a luxury, and if a CEO of a corporation, whose worth runs in the thousands per hour, then having these high level professionals waiting in long lines to take commercial planes is really foolish. Lots of studies have proven this, but also lots of people don’t really understand what the role of aviation is in relations to the overall economy.
So this GA education is one of the best things that AOPA, EAA, NBAA, and other organizations can do for our industry. But, flying is also fun and a pleasure for millions, and to put it financially out of the reach of millions of people and to over regulate this vital business is really foolish during the current economic climate. Forty thousand people die on America’s highways every year, but has anyone in government tried to get people to give up their cars? I don’t think so.
GA really deserves a fair shake.
In addition to convincing our Congress that GA is a vital part of the global economy, steps may be taken to encourage businesses to resume flying as well. The media demonized the use of corporate and private aircraft as an excess, when in fact it’s a business tool that serves to maximize business productivity.