July 7, 2014
Within hours after the June 18 publication of a sensationalist and misinformed USA Today article implying that general aviation (GA) is inherently unsafe, NBAA joined with other aviation stakeholders to aggressively challenge the aspersions cast by the series against GA manufacturers.
However, the Association did not stop there in ensuring that NBAA’s position was made clear in any outlet that published all or a portion of the USA Today report “Unfit for Flight.” The national newspaper is the flagship publication of The Gannett Company, which also owns print media publications and television stations in markets throughout the United States.
In all, more than 50 Gannett-owned newspapers ran all or part of the article attacking GA safety, and each one of those publications received an editorial response by NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen setting the record straight.
“The industry’s continuing emphasis on the development of safety technologies, and a sustained focus on effective training for use of the equipment, is a big reason why aviation is among the safest forms of transportation,” Bolen wrote. “In fact, the aircraft NBAA Members use for business purposes enjoy a safety record comparable to that for the commercial airlines.”
These letters to the editor were published in newspapers across the country, including:
- The News Star [Monroe, LA]
- Democrat & Chronicle [Rochester, NY]
- Sheboygan [WI] Press [Manitowoc, WI]
- HTR News
- Chillicothe [OH] Gazette
- Stevens Point [WI] Journal
- Wausau [WI] Daily Herald
- The Northwestern[Oshkosh, WI]
- Green Bay [WI] Press Gazette
- Post Crescent [Appleton, WI]
- Wisconsin Rapids-Tribune
Additionally, the aviation blog Kathryn’s Report republished the editorial from the Wausau [WI] Daily Herald, which in turn was picked up by Airsoc.com.
NBAA also sent editorial responses to Gannett-owned outlets that based stories off the USA Today article, including:
- KSDK NBC-5 in St. Louis, MO
- WFMY News 2in Greensboro, NC
- WLTX 19in Columbia, SC
- KING 5in Seattle, WA
- KARE 11in Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN
- 10 NEWSin Tampa Bay, FL
- News 9 in Denver, CO
- Detroit [MI] Free Press
- Pal-Item [Richmond, IN]
- Jackson [FL] Sun
- Marion [OH] Star
- Newark [OH] Advocate
- Zanesville [OH] Times Recorder
- First Coast News [Jacksonville, FL]
- Cincinnati [OH].com
- Melbourne Florida Today
- The Times Herald [Port Huron, MI]
- Greenville [SC] Online
- News-Press [Fort Myers, FL]
- The Des Moines [IA] Register
- Montgomery [AL] Advertiser
- My Central Jersey [Somerville, NJ]
International Business Aviation Council Ltd.