March 19, 2010
A one-day “Aviation Saves” event to highlight the ways general aviation (GA) serves communities will be held at Colorado’s Centennial Airport (KAPA) on Wednesday, April 28, from noon to 7:00 PM. Admission is free for the public.
“It’s an advocacy event,” said David Purvis, vice chair of the Centennial Business Aviation Association (CABA) www.mycaba.org, which is sponsoring the event. “We want to show people how GA saves lives, communities, businesses, jobs…all the things that are often under-appreciated about GA.”
“Aviation Saves” was inspired by CABA’s Schedulers and Dispatchers subcommittee, whose members saw the possibilities for a community outreach and public awareness event. “This is a chance to educate people,” said Purvis. “For example, when an aircraft takes off from Centennial at 2:00 AM, there’s an 85-percent chance it is being dispatched on a life-saving mission.”
On display at Centennial between X Jet and Signature Flight Support will be aircraft, support vehicles and displays from organizations involved in air medical transport, community outreach, law enforcement, firefighting, border protection, weather research, news gathering and defense agencies.
An 11 AM luncheon, reserved for aviation-related business and industry professionals, will feature industry leaders speaking on the current state of GA and the industry’s future, particularly business aviation. Scheduled to speak are NBAA president and CEO Ed Bolen, Pete Bunce, president and CEO of the General Aviation Manufacturers Association, Jim Coyne, president of the National Aviation Transportation Association, and Jack Pelton, CEO of Cessna Aircraft.
Centennial Airport, built in 1967, contributes an estimated $1 billion each year to the Denver-area economy.
International Business Aviation Council Ltd.