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Ainsworth Mayor Russ Moody signed a proclamation naming May as General Aviation Appreciation Month.
Lance Schipporeit, Ainsworth Airport Manager and President of the Nebraska Association of Airport Officials, stated that airports are a vital part of any community.
He cited that the Ainsworth Airport provides a hub for businesses and private individuals.
He noted that five area businesses utilize the airport along with two specialty clinics for the Brown County Hospital. The Air Ambulance Service that services the Brown County Hospital also uses the airport.
Besides medical and businesses, Schipporeit says that recreation is also part of the airport. Golfers going to the Prairie Club south of Valentine and hunters visiting Nebraska and South Dakota on their hunting trips utilize the airport.
Proclamation
WHEREAS: general aviation and community airports play a vital role in the lives of our citizens, as well as in the operation of our businesses and agriculture; and
WHEREAS: the City of Ainsworth in the state of Nebraska has a significant interest in the continued vitality of general aviation, aircraft manufacturing, aviation educational institutions, aviation organizations, and community airports; and
WHEREAS: general aviation and local airports, including Ainsworth Regional Airport, have an immense economic impact on the City of Ainsworth; and
WHEREAS: Nebraska is home to 90 public-use airports that serve 3,576 pilots, and handle more than 970,000 general aviation aircraft operations a year; and
WHEREAS: the state is home to 71 fixed-based operators, 12 repair stations, 305 heliports and 3 FAA- approved pilot schools, as well as 781 flight students and 478 flight instructors; and
WHEREAS: general aviation contributes an annual economic impact of $721 million to Nebraska’s economy, and general aviation visitor spending supports an estimated $10.6 million in payroll; and
WHEREAS: general aviation not only bolsters Nebraska’s economy, it improves our overall quality of life by supporting essential emergency medical transportation and health care services, law enforcement, firefighting, disaster relief, and transporting businesses to their destinations quickly and safely; and
WHEREAS: the nation’s aviation infrastructure represents an important public benefit, and Congressional oversight should be in place to ensure stable funding of this system;
THEREFORE, I, Mayor Russ Moody of Ainsworth, Nebraska do hereby proclaim general aviation a vital strategic resource to the City of Ainsworth and declare May to be General Aviation Appreciation Month.