Building support for Vermont aviation
Conversations shift from divestment to investment
The Green Mountain State has a history of neglecting general aviation, but a homegrown effort to build electric aircraft combined with steady advocacy by pilots and AOPA has begun to thaw frosty attitudes in the capital, and beyond.
Investments in the 10 state-owned airports lagged for more than a decade, and lawmakers began to consider selling them. That tide is beginning to turn, in no small part thanks to Beta Technologies, founded in Burlington by Vermont native Kyle Clark to build an electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft that is now among the three leading contenders to achieve FAA certification and enter mass production.
"From emergency organ transplants to regional air travel, these next generation aircraft have so many revolutionary applications," said Duffy. "The future of flight is coming."
Beta's eVTOL Alia and the conventional takeoff and landing version that has logged many long-distance flights across the country are being built in a 188,500-square-foot factory powered by renewable energy and completed in 2023, the first phase of the company's campus expansion at Patrick Leahy Burlington International Airport. The company's investment is poised to expand beyond the state's most populous city.
AOPA Vice President of Airports and State Advocacy Leon Jackler wrote to the FAA in March supporting Clark and Beta Technologies founding investor Martine Rothblatt's pending purchase of Caledonia County Airport in Lyndonville.
"AOPA recognizes that KCDA faces serious facility and operational challenges and that the Vermont Legislature has directed that it be sold or leased, with the condition that it remain open to public use. The current challenges, including runway condition and fuel system issues, are the unfortunate result of budgetary constraints and priorities under the current structure, resulting in a situation where the airport may be at risk of closure or curtailed operations if a viable path forward is not approved," Jackler wrote. He urged the FAA to act quickly to approve Clark and Rothblatt's bid to buy the airfield, noting both pilots "are widely recognized within the aviation community as passionate supporters of aviation access, with strong ties to Vermont and a demonstrated commitment to responsible airport ownership and stewardship. We believe that their aviation experience and long-term dedication to supporting airports, flight training, and innovation put them in a unique position to be effective caretakers of KCDA’s future."
The prospects of more new jobs to come and the state's position to play a pivotal role in aviation's future have changed the policy conversation around airport investment. The state conducted a survey and held a series of public meetings about airports in 2025. More recently, AOPA Eastern Regional Manager Sean Collins joined representatives of the Vermont Aviators Association at an advocacy day held at the state capital on April 30, and found lawmakers more receptive to continued investment.
"Vermont is a small state that's incubating big ideas, and the conversation around aviation has changed thanks in no small part to grassroots organizing by the Vermont Aviators Association," Collins said. "While there's much to be done, it makes all the difference when people understand the value of airports and we're not trying to push a rock up a mountain."
If something at your airport is of concern, consider reaching out to your AOPA regional manager or Airport Support Network volunteer. If your airport does not have an ASN volunteer, consider joining our ranks to engage with, promote, and protect your airport today at aopa.org/asn. To ensure that you receive AOPA advocacy alerts, please take the time to go to your AOPA membership profile (click "My Account" at the top of any page). Click "Manage Preferences," and make sure that there is a green check mark next to "Advocacy-VOCUS Comms" at the bottom of the page.
