June 14, 2011 By Mary Grady
Legislatures in 29 states have passed resolutions in support of aviation, the Alliance for Aviation Across America said this week. The resolutions reflect the efforts of aviation advocates to educate officials about the value of the industry, said Selena Shilad, executive director of the nonprofit group. The Alliance comprises about 5,700 members, including both groups and individuals, and besides lobbying state governments, has been active in Washington in support of the General Aviation Caucus in both the House and Senate. The efforts help to ensure that government officials are informed about GA issues such as avgas availability and the security of the GPS system, members of the group said at a news conference on Tuesday.
“General aviation is such a crucial, yet often under-recognized part of our economy, and I hope that we are finally beginning to help our public to understand how important it is for our nation,” Carl Brewer, the mayor of Wichita, Kans., said at the news conference. “As the ‘Air Capital of the World,’ we in Wichita know well the tremendous economic impact that general aviation has in our state and across the country. General aviation drives thousands of jobs and over $7 billion in economic impact here in Kansas alone, and over $1.2 billion jobs annually.” The alliance, formed in 2007, aims to support the interests of the general aviation community and ensure that GA services continue to support rural and small communities.
http://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/news/AllianceToPromoteGACitesProgress_204810-1.html
Source: AVWEB
Date: 2011-06-14