For the third consecutive year, Gov. Rick Perry has proclaimed November as “Aviation Appreciation Month” in the state of Texas to recognize the value of general aviation.
In his proclamation, Perry called the aviation industry in the state “critical to our economy and to our way of life.”
“What makes Texas so unique and so perfectly suited for aviation is its size and its tremendous population,” said Steve Hadley, director of regional programs and Southwest regional representative for the National Business Aviation Association. “Aviation brings all those entities together.”
He pointed to the formation of a GA Caucus in this year’s Texas legislative session, led by Rep. John Kuempel of Seguin, as an example of business aviation’s broad base of support in the state.
“Individuals, families, businesses and government agencies rely on air transportation to get from place to place, move cargo between businesses, keep our borders secure, control wildfires, support agriculture and more,” Perry said.
The governor also noted that airports support hundreds of thousands of Texas jobs and transport about 7.8 billion pounds of cargo to Texas annually. The 51,000 certified pilots and more than 19,400 active aircraft flying in the state contribute nearly $60 billion to Texas’ economy each year.
Gee, a politician that GETS IT.