Ohio proclaims General Aviation month

Van Wert independent/submitted information

COLUMBUS — Ohio Governor John Kasich has declared December to be General Aviation (GA) Appreciation Month in Ohio, which is widely known as the “Birthplace of Aviation.”

This is the third consecutive year Kasich has issued a formal recognition of the vital role of general aviation — including business aviation — in the state. Former Gov. Ted Strickland issued a similar declaration in 2010.

In his proclamation, Kasich recognized the impact of all 98 of Ohio’s GA-only airports, including the Van Wert County Regional Airport, which provide 17,352 direct and indirect jobs paying a total of $498 million annually. The total employment impact of all airports in Ohio is 142,800 jobs, with an annual payroll of nearly $3.2 billion.

In total, Ohio’s GA airports annually contribute nearly $5.56 billion, or $478 per capita, to the state’s economy, while the total aviation impact within the state is $10.5 billion.

The governor also noted the “vital role (of GA) in the state’s response to emergencies and natural disasters,” and praised the industry’s contribution to “the continued flow of commerce, tourists and visitors to our state.”

Ohio is home to 60 charter flight companies, 131 FAA aircraft repair stations, two fractional aircraft operators and 13 flight schools, which operate 95 aircraft and provide 251 jobs. There are also 124 fixed base operators serving the state’s 84 public-use airports. Additionally, Ohio has more than 10,000 GA aircraft and nearly 25,000 pilots.

National Business Aviation Association Midwest Regional Representative Bob Quinn noted that many consider Ohio the “Birthplace of Aviation,” since Wilbur and Orville Wright grew up in Dayton and conducted the majority of their experiments and flights in a field just south of the city.

To date, 49 states have officially recognized the value of general and business aviation, with all proclamations including at least some of the basic tenets of the “No Plane, No Gain” campaign. Launched in early 2009 by NBAA and the General Aviation Manufacturers Association, the campaign is a joint public awareness initiative to educate Americans about the importance of business aviation to our country and its communities, companies and citizens.