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Stop apologizing for GA

| Touch & Go | October 27, 2011

Harrison Ford appeared before the Senate General Aviation Caucus Oct. 18 to discuss GA. From the AOPA.org story on the session, “Caucus co-chairs Sens. Mark Begich (D-Alaska) and Mike Johanns (R-Neb.) kicked off the session explaining that GA isn’t a luxury and, in some cases, is often a necessity. The lack of understanding of the role GA plays in the United States has placed it in jeopardy, they said.”

GA isn’t a luxury? Really? Of course it is AND there’s nothing wrong with that. We’ve got to stop apologizing for GA! I don’t hear boaters, skiers, gun-owners, motorcyclists, bicyclists, car owners/drivers, soccer players, NBA franchise owners, computer users, etc., etc., etc., apologizing, so why should we?

However, I do agree that most people fail to understand what GA is… and isn’t. And that’s where the crux of the challenges exist.

Any product/service that fills a desire above the physiological needs of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is a luxury. Again, there’s nothing wrong with that… so stop apologizing.

A couple of weekends ago, I flew back to Grand Forks, N.D., to attend homecoming at the University of North Dakota (my alma mater). I boarded a Delta Airlines flight at oh-dark-thirty from Seattle after enduring a comically painful security screening. I could have also traveled back to Grand Forks via car, bus, train, or GA (or, if I had enough time, horse, bicycle or just flat-out walk). Among these methods, a GA flight sounds downright luxurious.

To be honest, the trip to Grand Forks was a luxury (go ahead, insert North Dakota joke here). I didn’t have to go… I wanted to go. So however I got there was transportation, nothing more. Some methods just happen to be more luxurious than others.

I can no more justify personally owning a plane than I can justify personally owning a ski boat, a shotgun, more clothes than I can wear in a week, or any other of hundreds of other types of property. If my neighbor wants to own a 1963 Chevy Impala street rod, which isn’t his daily driver by the way, who am I to say he can’t or shouldn’t?

So stop apologizing! I’m not sorry I’m a pilot. Are you?

Ben Sclair is publisher of General Aviation News.

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Ben Sclair is the Publisher of General Aviation News, a pilot, husband to Deb and dad to Savannah, Brenna and Jack. Oh, and a staunch supporter of general aviation.

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  • Rod

     
     
    Right on Ben! Yes! Completely unnecessary and guess what a little bit dangerous too. So if someone doesn’t want to participate good for them. If you don’t like GA or think it’s too dangerous just stay on the ground, but stop trying to keep me from excising my freedom to enjoy my pastime!  

  • Mcdonald1313

    I ride a $5000.00 racing bike on the public roadways. To most motorists I’m a pain in the ……….., a rare few have actually tried to run me over. Most don’t understand that I have as much right as they do. We all slow to look at that 32 Ford Hi-Boy and WOW at the $10,000.00 paint job and the roar of the big 8 mile/gal V-8…. You’ll actually get a break on your registration/ smog driving a 60 year old antique. GA just seems to be a community of really NICE people ,and sometimes nice is misconstrued for easy. The fed won’t tax us out of our airplanes and NEWS FLASH, GA ain’t go’n away !
    b. Mcdonald……………………

  • Mitch Latting

    Ben is correct.  The public really doesn’t know or truly understand what general aviation is, as evident by our GA Walking video [ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ILNa0cMNlE ]. 

    As pilots, we need to educate the public concisely and positively as to what general aviation.  We can’t just tell them its anything that flies that isn’t military or commercial airlines.

    We have developed a presentation titled PGA Squared.   The presentation is two fold.  First, it provides pilots ways in which they can reach out to their neighbors and their communities, promoting and educating as to the real values of general aviation to everyone.  Second, by promoting and educating what general aviation is, in turn this helps protect their local general aviation airport.

    See our article, Come One, Come All, in the October issue of AOPA Pilot.  Also, see us at Women In Aviation Convention in March 2012 in Dallas, Texas. 

    We each have to do something, now!  We can no longer just go out, fly our planes, put them away and go home.  We each have find ways to step up in order to promote general aviation and protect our airports so that we may continue to keep our freedoms to fly! 

    Mitch Latting
    Jolie Lucas
    http://www.mooneyambassadors.com

  • Mitch Latting

    “The fed won’t tax us out of our airplanes and NEWS FLASH, GA ain’t go’n away !”

    As good hearted  and steadfast as this comment is, I believe just the opposite.  On our recent return from a cross country flight, we made a fuel stop in AZ.  The FBO we use, told us they used to pump 1200 gals. a day and had 10 employees.   Now they down to 2 employees and are lucky if they pump 120 gals. a day. 

    This is truly evidence that something is going away.  We have to take action in anyway we can.  Yes, the economics and the politics play a serious role in the decline of GA, but if we take a stand by promoting and protecting, we could possibly have a true effect on some of those issues as well.

    Mitch Latting
    http://www.mooneyambassadors.com

  • Pingback: Stop apologizing for GA | Private Jet Charter Service

  • Arudolphairplanes

    And I am proud to be an a&p mech in the ga Feild!

  • Pingback: Stop apologizing for GA | General Aviation News | Share My Aircraft News

  • Rod Beck

    Ben, I think your commentary is largely directed to the “recreational” segmet of GA – I would agree that most if not ALL weekend or pleasure flyers would constitute their activity as a ‘luxury” – a want and not a need. However, ask any FBO in Alaska or an Ag operator in South Dakota or Nebraska if he considers his use/services a luxury. Aren’t THEY a part of GA too? I think the time is long overdue to “redefine” GA into three categorys; corporate,business AND recreational. I define a NEED as a “must have” or willingness to pay - a WANT (luxury) has a “I can live without it” – or an unwillingness or reluctance to pay for the benefit derived.

  • CJ

    I am proud to be from Nebraska and having a representative from our state stand up for GA. Heis not apologizing or making excuses, some of us NEED aircraft, it is not a luxury, but a way to take care of our livestock and crops.

  • http://www.facebook.com/bensclair Ben Sclair

    For those with a true business case for aviation, it is truly a need, which I very much understand. Whether a need or a luxury matters not. We simply must stop apologizing for being pilots and aircraft owners.

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