Government Advocacy
AOPA ‘best equipped’ to represent GA in Washington
“Of the different organizations that I see in Washington, let me assure you that there is no organization with more integrity [and that is] better informed, better equipped, and more respected to reach out and inform Congress and government agencies than AOPA,” Rep. Robin Hayes (R-N.C.) said March 18 before an AOPA Pilot Town Meeting in Charlotte, N.C.
“You wouldn’t go on trial for your life without a lawyer,” said Hayes. “Same deal goes for Washington. If you don’t have someone there who not only understands what you’re going through, but also how it relates to the future of aviation, then you’re not getting what you need.”
Hayes told the more than 300 pilots attending the meeting that their interests are special. “You as an individual, as a family, as a group of aviation enthusiasts, are all ‘special interests.’” He noted that AOPA, as the representative of general aviation, makes sure that Congress and government understand the contributions GA makes.
And he said that when AOPA President Phil Boyer speaks on behalf of GA before Congress, “there are no better.”
Rep. Hayes represents North Carolina’s 8th District. He sits on the House aviation subcommittee. An AOPA member, he flies a King Air 200. “He’s one of the best people in Congress for general aviation,” said Boyer.
Updated Friay, March 21, 2008
