In a new video posted by Habitat for Aviation, 83-year-old Vermont A&P mechanic and pilot George Coy says general aviation was never just a career, it was a way of life.
In the video, he reflects on decades spent around airplanes in Vermont, the opportunities aviation gave him, and why small airports and general aviation continue to matter to communities across the state today.
I salute Mr. Coy’s long career and his dedication to our aviation industry.
I keep seeing non-profits taking-up more space in aviation. This is true also in all other aspects of society. We need to take an objective look at non-profits and redefine what qualifies as a tax-exempt entity.
Take a look around your own community and more and more spaces formerly producing goods and services are now occupied by various 501(c)3s. Most non-profits pay zero taxes and therefore the more non-profits that displace profit making businesses, the more the tax burden is shifted onto the backs of the remaining non-tax exempt companies and citizens (have your property taxes gone up again?). In some cities the former downtown shopping district is now majority non-profits. While some are paying rent, most own the location and have taken the property off of the tax roles.
In Aviation, we need to be careful that various non-profits do not present unfair competition, especially for the small and new business start-ups. For example, why must for-profit flight schools have to compete with non-profit flight training programs?
I would suggest that our aviation community support measures that redefine what a tax-exempt entity is to be more like the traditional definition of a charity, such as organizations who feed, clothe, shelter and provide direct medical care to the poor. Everything else should be a tax-paying entity that shoulders a fair share of the tax-burden that the rest of us carry.
It would be great to see communities encouraging more start-ups and small businesses that will help make aviation affordable again, while also providing real value-added goods and services to the aviation market.
Thanks, GAN, for posting this; and thank you, Mr. Coy, for your service to general aviation. It is such a joy to visit an aviation site whose religion isn’t politics. Please keep it that way.