Feb. 23, 2016
There’s no better way to prove to lawmakers that business aviation is vital to the U.S. economy than through the variety of No Plane No Gain resources, according to NBAA Northeast Regional Representative Dean Saucier.
So Saucier recently sent 76 packets of No Plane No Gain materials to the U.S. congressmen in his region, which stretches from Maine to Delaware.
“I’ve been leaving these resources with state legislators on visits for some time now, and I have found them to be invaluable tools,” said Saucier. “That’s why I decided to send this packet to all U.S. representatives in the region. At least once a year, I take these publications to the state legislators, but found the U.S. legislators might not be aware of them.”
The packet Saucier mailed included the Business Aviation Fact Book; The Real World of Business Aviation, a study conducted last year by Harris Poll and Contribution of General Aviation to the U.S. Economy in 2013, a study by PricewaterHouseCooopers. View the No Plane No Gain resources.
“These resources are helping state legislators ‘get it’ – to really understand the economic benefits business aviation brings to individual states, especially in terms of jobs the industry contributes to their region,” said Saucier. “It’s helpful to go talk with these individuals but also good to leave behind these publications, which contain a wealth of information.”
Saucier says the No Plane No Gain resources provide important data about business aviation as well as the rationale for the industry – it’s efficient and productive, grants access to areas airlines don’t serve, is used for philanthropic purposes and brings communities closer together.
Examples of business aviation’s importance are many in the Northeast region. For example, New Hampshire has only one commercial airport. In order to reach the rest of the state, surface transportation or business aviation is necessary and some areas are inaccessible by ground transportation in the winter. Maine has similar transportation challenges that are met by business aviation.
“We should use these resources to demonstrate to legislators and their staffers how important business aviation is to their state,” said Saucier. “General aviation supports 1.1 million total jobs and supplies $219 billion in total economic output in the U.S. Those are numbers we need to share and ensure legislators fully understand.”