WASHINGTON, D.C. — On its 45th anniversary, the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) established a new associate member category for electric and hybrid propulsion aircraft.
“As GAMA completes its 45th year, we are very excited to welcome companies researching and developing electric and hybrid propulsion air vehicles as associate members to our global trade association,” GAMA President and CEO Pete Bunce said. “As we look toward the future, we see this aerodynamically innovative emerging propulsion technology facilitating totally new aircraft designs that remain very safe, highly reliable, and may dramatically lower the operational costs of flying. GAMA’s core expertise is in working with policymakers and regulatory authorities around the globe to speed innovation and introduction of new products to the market. Our goal with this associate membership is to allow many of these new technology companies to tap into this expertise.”
The GAMA board of directors also elected members of GAMA’s Executive Committee for 2016:
- Aaron Hilkemann, president and CEO of Duncan Aviation, will serve as chairman.
- Simon Caldecott, president and CEO of Piper Aircraft, will serve as vice chairman. Caldecott will remain as Chair of GAMA’s Safety & Accident Investigation Committee.
Several other members were elected to new positions:
- Mark Burns, president of Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation, will chair the Airworthiness & Maintenance Policy Committee, taking Hilkemann’s place.
- David Paddock, senior vice president & general manager of U.S. Aircraft Services, Jet Aviation, will chair the Communications Committee, following John Garrison of Bell Helicopter.
- Chuck Wiplinger, president of Wipaire, will chair the Technical Policy Committee, succeeding Phil Straub of Garmin International.