Mayors Speak Out on GA Benefits

As general aviation advocates learned the bad news on user fees, mayors of close to 70 U.S. cities placed their signatures on a letter to President Obama extolling the benefits of GA. The letter also urged the president to help reverse a trend toward negative press that, they say, is helping cripple the industry. The letter read, in part, "For our communities and those of many small and midsize towns across the heartland who depend on general aviation, this is a very troubling situation. To make matters worse, nearly 100 cities and towns have lost scheduled airline service in the last several months. General aviation has become that much more important to the economic life for those communities the airlines won't serve." Carl Brewer, mayor of Wichita, a Democrat and former aerospace worker, pressed President Obama to help support GA. He cited the $7.1 billion economic impact on his state from general aviation. "For every aviation job created," said Brewer, "it creates another three jobs. We must sell planes, and individuals must have planes to conduct business."