Avid pilot and screen star, Harrison Ford is staring in a new TV spot that highlights the importance of general aviation to our economy. The spots were created by the AOPA (Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association) with a budget of $1.5 million (of which Ford has donated his appearance fee). The spot is hoping to offset the negative fallout that has beset the corporate business aviation ever since the CEOs from Detroit’s top automakers arrived in Washington in their corporate jets to ask for government bailout money.
To the average citizen, this was a prime example of corporate waste and mismanagement. In contrast to us involved in aviation, we understand that this is how aviation can be an effective tool used by top executives to manage their time and resources efficiently.
Let’s face it, corporate America is the bogeyman these days – being characterized as greedy and out-of-touch with mainstream citizens. Think how the AIG bonuses struck a nerve with the average person. Yet it is the height of hypocrisy, when politicians demonize business people, while they continue to use jets to their own travel – case in point, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, uses large Airforce jets to travel back and forth to California, or President Obama using Airforce One for a short one-hour flight to address a audience on Earth Day.
Here are some important points regarding general aviation’s contribution to our economy:

• Generates $150 billion for our economy
• Employs 1.2 million people who pay taxes.
• Allows business people to conduct commerce outside of the large airport terminal hubs – making them more productive, and bringing commerce to areas outside of the already congested major metropolis cities.