December 6, 2010
NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen was joined by a panel of general aviation organization leaders last week at an “On Air” Summit of the Wichita Aero Club, where he spoke about the importance of the No Plane No Gain advocacy campaign in educating policymakers and opinion leaders about the value of business aviation to citizens, companies and communities.
Bolen reminded those in attendance at the November 30 meeting. “The power of our industry community is in every congressional district, every media market and every community across the United States: real people, good people, doing great things with airplanes,” Bolen said, adding that business aviation annually contributes over $150 billion to the U.S. economy and employs over 1.2 million people.
He was joined by Pete Bunce, president and CEO of the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (which jointly sponsors the No Plane No Gain with NBAA); Tom Poberezny and Rod Hightower, CEO and president, respectively, of the Experimental Aircraft Association; Henry Ogrodzinski, CEO of the National Association of State Aviation Organizations; and Andrew Broom, vice president communications for the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association.
There is a need for everyone in the industry to promote the essential role business aviation plays in the nation’s economy and transportation system, Bolen said. “We as a community have to become ambassadors. We have a really good story to tell about who we are if we can get it out there.” He and fellow panelists discussed other industry challenges, including the still-turbulent economic environment, the declining pilot population and legislative proposals that could hamper the industry’s growth.
Learn more about the No Plane, No Gain advocacy program at www.noplanenogain.org.
International Business Aviation Council Ltd.