AircraftOwner Online

I just returned from Washington DC where I attended a planning session for GA groups who will be involved in the General Aviation Caucus for the new Congress.  We GA folks as a group must get as many legislators to join the General Aviation Caucus as possible.

This was, we all agreed, the first time some many GA groups had come together at one table.   The meeting was a testament to the importance those representing GA interests are placing on legislative issues.  I am glad to see it.

When we think of legislation we tend to think of laws being passed. However, we also need to remember that political influence can help us with non-legislative issues as well. In fact, non-legislative understanding of GA is just as important.  When elected representatives start to question the wisdom of specific rules or trends in rule making that are harmful to GA it is very helpful.

As a result we ALL need to contact our elected representatives and urge them to join the General Aviation Caucus;  the last Congress had more than one hundred members. The goal this year is to attract even more.   Members of Congress will naturally be interested if they are pilots or have GA industries in their home states.  However any legislator can join – YOU just need to suggest it to them.

So, what we all need to do is contact our representatives asking that they join the GA Caucus.   Even if they are not pilots being Caucus members will help educate the members about issues of concern to you and I as pilots.  In addition, there is simply strength in numbers – particularly when we talk about large groups of representatives.

You will be hearing more about efforts to get pilots and others interested in the wellbeing of GA to get their representatives to join.  YOU can do this today. Simply send a note to your Members of Congress, and ask them to join the General Aviation Caucus.  It’s a good thing for all of General Aviation – including you!