8th Annual Aviation Summit and Showcase: Carrying Business Toward the Future

The 8th Annual Aviation Summit and Showcase: Carrying Business Toward the Future will take place on on April 29th at the U.S. Chamber of commerce. If you are an Alliance member in the Washington, DC area, you are encouraged to attend!

The annual Summit features the newest ideas and challenges in the industry, discussed and debated by key experts and top speakers. The newly launched Aviation Showcase features the latest innovations and technologies from the commercial, cargo, business, military, and space aviation industries.

For updated information about the event, click here.

Confirmed speakers include The Honorable Ray LaHood, Secretary, U.S. Department of Transportation; Wolfgang Mayrhuber Chief Executive Officer, Deutsche Lufthansa AG; and Fred Smith Founder, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, FedEx.

All Alliance members in the Washington, DC area are encouraged to attend this exciting event! It will be informative, fun and interesting.

AAAA on Twitter!

The Alliance for Aviation Across America is now on Twitter!

Become a follower and keep up to date on the Alliance’s activities and important issues affecting General Aviation.

Want to join the AAAA? Click here to sign up.

In the News: Alliance Gaining Coverage for Response to jetBlue

The Alliance for Aviation Across America's ongoing efforts to expose the glaring omissions in jetBlue's most recent ad gimmick is catching on in aviation media all across the country.

See what aviation news outlets and blogs have been saying about the AAAA's new ad responding to jetBlue's ad campaign claiming that it is a viable alternative to General Aviation:

The Wichita Eagle's "Air Capital Insider:" Trade groups respond to JetBlue's "Welcome Bigwigs" ad campaign

Av8rdan's World of Flying: AAAA Gets it Right on JetBlue's Latest 'Gimmick'

GeneralAviationNews.com: Alliance for Aviation Across America Hits JetBlue ads

Aero-News.net: NBAA, Alliance for Aviation Across America Denounce JetBlue Ad

Check back frequently here AviationAcrossAmericaBlog.BlogSpot.com, and AviationAcrossAmerica.org for more updates on this and other important issues.

Want to join the AAAA? Click here to sign up.

The Alliance for Aviation Across America Reaches 4,000 Members

As 2009 draws near, we would like to alert our members to our newest milestone; we have eclipsed the 4,000 member mark with the addition of The National Farmers Organization (NFO). In joining the Alliance, NFO has become part of a diverse and dedicated coalition that understands the importance of general aviation and is dedicated to protecting small and rural communities. As we continue to grow, we provide more and more examples of the true benefits of general aviation.

The Alliance for Aviation Across America welcomes the new year, and looks forward to working with you all over the next year to increase awareness about general aviation and protect the small towns and communities that rely on small aircraft.

President-Elect Obama Names Transportation Secretary

President Barack Obama named Representative Ray LaHood to the post of Transportation Secretary in his upcoming Administration, according to CQ Today. Read the article here.

As the news broke, Aero-News received comment from AOPA and NBAA about the appointment. Their comments can be read here.

You can learn more about Rep. LaHood here.

Continuing to Set the Record Straight

As the media continue to report on the CEO’s use of their private plane, Alliance members continue to make their voices heard to their local newspapers. Below is a response submitted to the Southtown Star by another Illinois-based Alliance member.

Dear Editor:

Your article “For many CEO’s private jets the only way to fly,” unfortunately revealed how little most people understand the economic impact of the GA sector in our economy, or the contributions small aircraft make to business efficiency and the business bottom line.

First, the vast majority of businesses which use small planes are not big corporations. Over 85% are small to medium sized companies, some of which are non-profits. Most of these have one airplane, which seats only two to six people and is used to fly to smaller cities and rural communities which lack airline service, and use small community airports. They visit both customers and vendors for enhanced face to face meetings.

Second, small planes are an economic lifeline to small towns. Companies using airplanes for business are often located in small towns and rural areas that have no airline service. Their planes open the door to national and global commerce.

Finally, the General Aviation sector of our economy represents 5.4 percent of our Gross Domestic Product and contributes over $600 billion to the annual economy. Aviation also provides some nine million jobs in the United States today. What we call GA is a national network of businesses, farmers, agricultural groups, local cities and towns, charitable organizations and over 5,000 small and mid-sized airports.

In today’s distressed economy, we should be supporting and encouraging General Aviation as a vital engine of economic growth for a broad spectrum of businesses, all across America.

Sincerely,

W. G. Frick

Libertyville, IL

More Member Voices

In response to this article in the Arizona Republic, Alliance member Dave Hansen of Kingman, AZ submitted the following response…

Dear Editor:

In spite of ongoing news coverage on the foolish actions of a few auto executives (“For many CEOs, private jets the only way to fly,” 11/20), we shouldn’t lose perspective of the fact that small aircraft are a key driver of businesses and economies across the country.

The fact is that only 3% of all of small aircraft are used by Fortune 500 companies. Instead, the vast majority of these planes – also called general aviation – are used by charitable groups, small to mid-sized businesses, flight schools, farmers and rural organizations, and doctors to reach smaller towns and communities that the commercial airlines don’t serve. These small aircraft, and the airports and communities that depend on them, are an important and often neglected part of our local and national economy, connecting medical care, tools and resources to cities across Arizona such as Cottonwood, Holbrook, and Coolidge.

In fact, for many businesses, a small plane is a tool as necessary as a car or computers – and between the recent economic downturn and wildly fluctuating fuel prices, a small plane is many businesses’ last hope for retaining their business model and staying connected to communities and resources that would be otherwise inaccessible. Whether its transporting patients to life-saving care, bringing recycled materials to plants, or using these planes for law enforcement, general aviation is a necessary tool for these communities.

We shouldn’t let the actions of a few color our view of what is a vital economic engine for much of America.

Sincerely,

David Hansen

Kingman, AZ