Pilots attending Arizona Aviation Day at the state Capitol Jan. 28 shared their love of flying with lawmakers and talked about the benefits and economic impact general aviation has in the state.
The eleventh annual event offered pilots the opportunity to mingle with legislators one-on-one to discuss the significant contributions made by aviation businesses and organizations.
AOPA Director of State Government Affairs Jared Esselman and AOPA Western Pacific Regional Manager Melissa McCaffrey represented the association’s 8,000 Arizona members and highlighted GA’s significant contributions to the state’s economic engine.
“Arizona’s 79 public-use airports and their 3.4 million takeoff and landing operations result in a $7,891 million boost to the state’s bottom line,” said McCaffrey. “General aviation is a significant and important part of the state.”
Esselman said, “Aviation Day has been a great venue to inform the legislative members and staff of the Arizona government about the benefits and economic impact of aviation.”
Esselman and McCaffrey recognized the hard work of AOPA Airport Support Network volunteers, aviation groups, and the active pilot community.
Pilots were reminded to make plans to attend next year’s event, which is tentatively scheduled for the last week in January 2017.
