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Colorado lawmakers honor AOPA for restoring GA

Senate Joint Resolution 02-026

Concerning honoring general aviation in Colorado and Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association President Phil Boyer for their contributions to Colorado's economy and their success in restoring the "freedom to fly" in America

WHEREAS, Colorado's scenic mountains and bountiful plains depend upon an efficient system of airports and airways to serve Colorado's remote mountain and rural plains communities; and

WHEREAS, Colorado has over 16,000 licensed pilots and over 4,400 general aviation aircraft that conduct over 1.4 million aircraft operations each year in support of business flying, medical evacuation and medical transportation, doctor access to patients in rural and mountain areas, access to second homes, television news operations, fixed-base operations, flight instructions, aircraft maintenance, air taxi-charter, fire-fighting, wildlife management, search and rescue, tourism, economic development, recreational flying, and agricultural spraying; and

WHEREAS, These general aviation activities support over 8,200 Colorado jobs, create $555.5 million in economic activity, and result in over $171 million in annual earning for Colorado enterprises; and

WHEREAS, General aviation in Colorado and across the entire nation was impacted by flight restrictions imposed by the National Security Council that shut down all general aviation operations other than medical transportation flights and other emergency and law enforcement flying for an extended period in the wake of the tragic events of September 11, 2001; and

WHEREAS, These flight restrictions caused severe negative economic impact on aviation fuel sales, fixed-base operators, flight schools, aircraft maintenance, tourism and recreational flying, and all other general aviation flying activities; and

WHEREAS, The President of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA), Phil Boyer, successfully led the effort to open the skies of Colorado and the nation to general aviation and to get America flying again; now, therefore,

Be It Resolved by the Senate of the Sixty-third General Assembly of the State of Colorado, the House of Representatives concurring herein:

That we, the members of the General Assembly, commend Colorado's general aviation industry for its contributions to the health, welfare, and economy of Colorado and commend AOPA President Phil Boyer for his relentless defense of general aviation in the aftermath of the September 11th attacks and his success in returning general aviation to the skies of Colorado and the nation.

Be It Further Resolved, That copies of this Joint Resolution be transmitted to the Colorado Pilots Association, the Colorado General Aviation Council, the Colorado Airport Operators Association, and AOPA President Phil Boyer.

July 29, 2002

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