May 23, 2014
California has become the 50th state since 2010, in which elected officials have formally recognized the importance of general aviation (GA), including business aviation, for its citizens.
The California proclamation, and most that have preceded it, contain one or more tenets of the No Plane No Gain advocacy campaign, which was launched in 2009 by NBAA and the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA).
California’s two proclamations were issued by the California state Senate and state Assembly, both declaring April 23 as California Aviation Day. They were introduced by state Sen. Jean Fuller and Assemblyman Jim Patterson.
“With a total economic impact of $154.7 billion on the state of California, aviation provides 1.1 million jobs for the state’s 246 public-use airports, 216 of which are general aviation,” the proclamation states. “California’s 30,008 FAA-registered aircraft represent 10 percent of the national total, and each year, 4 million tons of air cargo and 179 million passengers pass through the state’s general and commercial-service airports.”
Review a sample of the California proclamation. (PDF)
“This declaration from California’s elected officials is further proof that business aviation is appreciated in California and across America,” said NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen. “The industry is essential in supporting jobs, helping companies be nimble and competitive, connecting towns and cities and providing humanitarian support.”
Pete Bunce, GAMA president and CEO, agreed, adding: “It is critical to have local, state and community support for general aviation. That is why GAMA, as part of its No Plane No Gain efforts, has held 11 rallies in states as diverse as Alaska, Arkansas, Ohio, and Texas about the importance of GA manufacturing. “These rallies have been critical to reminding federal, state and local officials about the importance of general aviation to jobs and the quality of life in their communities.”
Since its founding in 2009, the No Plane No Gain campaign has been educating lawmakers and other key stakeholders that business aviation supports 1.2 million jobs, provides substantial productivity gains for companies that use aircraft for business, saves lives by providing transportation for critically ill people and serves as a lifeline for small and medium-size cities and towns with no other access to the country’s air transportation network.
The No Plane No Gain website features briefs on issues involving business aviation, provides resources and an information toolkit for companies and volunteers to battle misconceptions about business flying, and displays the latest news and events on the campaign. More than three dozen leaders of companies that use business aviation are profiled, and many include audio testimonials on the value of business flying. Visit the No Plane No Gain website.
Also as part of the campaign, 10 prominent leaders from some of the country’s most dynamic and widely known companies last year affirmed how business aviation works for their companies. Read more about No Plane No Gain’s Top Ten booklet.
International Business Aviation Council Ltd.