The man who immortalised Indiana Jones and Han Solo on the big screen, who has long been a pilot and aviation advocate and is currently serving as spokesman for the US AOPA's General Aviation Serves America campaign, spoke of the vital importance of GA and what it means to communities, the economy, special services, and personal and business travel. More than 20 members of the US House of Representatives and five Senators were present, as were a number of staff members of other GA Caucus members.
"It's important to get the word out on what GA does for America – aviation needs to be represented in a positive light," Ford said.
The event was co-hosted by AOPA, the National Air Transportation Association (NATA), the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) and the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA). Sharing the stage with US AOPA President Craig Fuller, Ford noted that 231,000 GA aircraft fly throughout the US every day..
"That's a lot more than people realise," he said. "The economic impact of the industry is another factor that many people aren't aware of – that it employs over 1.3 million people and contributes over US$150 billion to our nation's economy."
Ford also explained how he uses his several aircraft and asked the audience to make sure GA maintains its freedom.
Having such well-recognised individuals standing up for GA, whether at home or abroad, can surely do nothing but good in making the powers that be further aware of the importance of GA and its run-on benefits to the wider community and other industries.
Given that, it'd be interesting to see if any home-grown celebs or sports stars with an interest in GA will stand up and voice their support here in Australia. We know renowned jazz musician James Morrison is a pilot and big
aviation advocate, but who else would you suggest to fly the flag for GA
in Australia?
Perhaps Rusty Crowe clad in his new Robin Hood threads? Or Hugh Jackman decked out in his Wolverine attire? Cate Blanchett put in a pretty impressive turn as Howard Hughes’ love interest Katharine Hepburn in The Aviator… .