Colorado legislators honor AOPA and general aviation

Colorado legislators recently passed a resolution praising the state's general aviation industry and AOPA President Phil Boyer for efforts to keep U.S. skies open to all after the September 11 attacks.

The resolution specifically acknowledges Colorado's general aviation industry with providing more than 8,200 jobs, creating over half a billion dollars in economic activity, and resulting in over $170 million in annual earnings for Colorado enterprises.

The joint resolution concludes, "...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."

"It's gratifying to see the efforts of AOPA and Colorado's 16,000 pilots recognized in the wake of those terrible attacks," said Boyer. "But our work is not done. Even now, eight months after the attacks, there are those who see general aviation as an unregulated wildcard that poses a national security risk.

"We at AOPA will continue to speak out and to educate the public at large. Individual pilots can also help by 'flying friendly,' and by speaking up when they hear misinformed statements about general aviation."

State Rep. Alice Borodkin (D-10th Dist.) and State Sen. Lewis Entz (R-5th Dist.), shepherded the resolution through the Colorado House and Senate. (Sen. Entz was awarded AOPA's Joseph B. Hartranft Award in 1991 for his efforts to establish Colorado's first full-time aviation agency.) AOPA regional representative Bill Hamilton aided them by providing background and information needed to convince their colleagues to vote in favor of the resolution.

With more than 382,000 members, AOPA is the world's largest civil aviation organization, representing the interests of all general aviation pilots. Some two thirds of all U.S. pilots are members of AOPA.

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