Mayor Bob McCaslin of Bentonville, Ark., Mayor Stewart Nelson of Morrilton, Ark., and Mayor Rick Elumbaugh of Batesville, Ark., have joined Arkansas Governor Mike Beebe in declaring August “General Aviation Appreciation Month” in each of their cities. Across the state of Arkansas, general aviation supports 5,400 jobs and contributes nearly $500 million to the state’s economy each year.
“We applaud Mayors McCaslin, Nelson and Elumbaugh for drawing attention to the critical importance of general aviation and community airports in their local cities and towns,” said Selena Shilad, Executive Director of the Alliance for Aviation Across America. “General aviation provides critical services, serves as an economic engine and represents a literal lifeline for communities across Arkansas, including many rural communities in particular.”
To view the Governor Beebe’s proclamation, click here.
To view the Bentonville proclamation, click here.
To view the Morrilton proclamation, click here.
To view the Batesville proclamation, click here.
Formed in 2007, the Alliance for Aviation Across America is a non-profit, non-partisan coalition of over 6,100 individuals representing businesses, agricultural groups, FBO’s, small airports, elected officials, charitable organizations, and leading business and aviation groups that support the interest of the general aviation community across various public policy issues.
Great surface accolades. This covers up real issues though like:
1. Aviation 100LL is 5.50 to 6.500 per gallon across the state.
How many planes would fly more if the prices were lower. 1 public airport in Arkansas provides 91 E0 on field, Drake in Fayetteville. Solve that dilemna politicians.
2. The amount of money pumped into small airports the past 20 years to keep up the infrastructure does not fix one BIG problem, cramped to no hangar space for those of us getting our tickets and buying the planes. Too many field have hangars providing everything but hangar space to planes, full of other interests and businesses. Fix that politicians.
So while you are giving “attaboys” out to each other, you need to open up the tax payer funded airports and start providing fuel alternatives, as well as build hangars and get the old boy owners to clean up their clutter.