March 16, 2016
In a recent opinion piece published in several Nebraska publications, educator Alan Corr explained the need to support all general aviation, including business aviation, in this country, especially in rural areas.
“Business owners that need to travel quickly, and to destinations not served by commercial airlines, use general aviation to meet with customers and suppliers, transport equipment, and reach new markets,” he wrote, pointing out some of the benefits of business aviation that are central themes of the No Plane No Gain advocacy campaign.
“Here in Nebraska, our land is our livelihoods – farms and ranches cover 92 percent of the state’s total land area,” Corr’s opinion piece continues. “Agricultural production in Nebraska accounts for $22.6 billion of the gross state product and supports nearly a quarter of the state’s workforce.
“Thanks to general aviation in Nebraska, small airports are available to provide the aerial application industry the opportunity to protect our agriculture production and help to provide food for our own families, and for citizens around the country,” he added.
Corr, an emeritus extension educator for irrigation management at University of Nebraska – Lincoln and education director for the Nebraska Aviation Trades Association (NATA), and has worked with the aerial application industry across Nebraska for several years and presents research information at aerial applicator conferences in a number of states.
Since his retirement from the University of Nebraska, he started his own aerial application consulting business, and continues working with NATA.
“As I see it, few people in the general public know much about general aviation, so there is not much concern there. I think even many pilots are yet to catch on to the fact that there is a potential threat to well being of general aviation,” Corr said. “We don’t want to lose our small airports, they’re a very important part of rural America. I have seen firsthand the importance of aviation in supporting our nation’s food production.”
And it’s not only agriculture that relies on general aviation, Corr noted, many businesses vital to the Nebraska economy depend on business aviation.
“General aviation in Nebraska contributes $1.2 billion to the state’s total economic output and supports 7,900 jobs in the state,” he wrote.
“Nebraska’s farms and ranches are the heart of our local and state economy,” Corr said. “Let’s stand up for them by protecting general aviation and access to our air system for rural communities.”