Cincinnati Enquirer
Leaders Speak Up for General Aviation
Jul 08, 2010
By Mike BoyerGeneral aviation got an undeserved bad rap when corporate CEOs flew private jets to Washington to ask for federal bailouts.
Especially in Ohio, where general aviation is a $5.5 billion industry, employing 142,000 directly and indirectly, several hundred employees of area aviation manufacturers heard Wednesday.
"We've not done a good job of telling our story," said Pete Bunce, president of the Washington D.C.-based General Aviation Manufacturers Association. "We're one of the bright spots in the aviation industry."
Bunce's remarks came during a Lunken Airport rally sponsored by his association, Evendale-based GE Aviation and Piqua-based Hartzell Propeller Inc. General aviation includes recreational and business flying, basically everything except commercial and military aviation.
The event also included speeches in support of aviation from Ohio's Democratic U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown and Reps. Steve Driehaus (D- West Price Hill) and Jean Schmidt, (R-Miami Township).
Brown said aviation manufacturing is critical to meeting President Obama's goal of doubling exports in five years.
"We're counting on you to help us double our exports," he told the aviation workers.
Locally, the general aviation industry includes small businesses such as Batavia-based Sportys flying school and aviation catalog; small contractmanufacturing shops that make engine and airplane components; and some of Ohio's largest companies such as GE Aviation, Honeywell and Parker Aerospace.
Bunce said Schmidt, as member of the House Transportation Committee, has worked hard to improve the exporting climate for general aviation components to Europe, a key market.
Schmidt, who traced the history of aviation to the dreams of Dayton's Orville and Wilbur Wright, said a spirit of innovation is alive today among Ohio's general aviation companies.
Although the focus of the event was on general aviation, the loudest applause came during mentions of GE Aviation's fight to save defense budget funding for its alternative engine for the Joint Strike Fighter jet. GE says the program supports up to 1,000 jobs at its Evendale complex.
The Obama administration opposes including funding for the engine in next year's defense budget as too expensive. GE and Driehaus argue engine competition between GE and Pratt & Whitney, the primary engine supplier, will keep overall program costs down.
Driehaus got some of the heaviest applause Wednesday when he told the crowd: "By the way, we're going to win that fight."
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