General aviation an ‘economic powerhouse’

General aviation in the U.S. is an “economic powerhouse” that offers countries a model as they nurture their emerging aviation sectors, said Craig Spence, secretary general of the International Council of Aircraft Owner and Pilot Associations (IAOPA), in a speech in Shenyang, China. In a report at AOPA.org, Spence is quoted as saying general aviation will thrive if aviation policy addresses the need to “pave the back roads,” comparing commercial aviation to a system of highways that connects large cities, and general aviation to the roads that link smaller communities to the transportation network.