AOPA Launches Its Own Image Campaign for GA ...

... and recruits actor Harrison Ford to help spread the good word. The theme – General Aviation Serves America – is a step up from the ‘No Plane No Gain’ campaign relaunched by GAMA and NBAA in February in terms of a message that might stick with a non-aviation audience. The Aircraft Owners & Pilots Association, calling this a “defining moment for general aviation in the United Statesâ€, says the mission of the campaign is to promote the benefits of GA to business and communities – particularly to legislators; to offset the negative image which Washington politicos have tagged to business aviation; and, to lobby against new user fees for the industry which the Obama Administration is indicating it will pursue. Comments AOPA president Craig Fuller, “We have to begin to define who we are and what we do and our value across the country.†Regarding the ‘No Plane No Gain’ campaign, since its launch NBAA and GAMA have placed television ads in the Washington, D.C. media, had a national story on NPR, and have embraced new media in an effort to get the word out. The campaign has launched a Facebook page, a dedicated YouTube channel, and added a Twitter feed. On its website (www.noplanenogain.org) is a heading, “Business Aviation serves communities forgotten by airlines,†with associated copy that points out that over 100 cities in the U.S. have experienced a decline in commercial airline service, with 30 communities losing air carrier service entirely. To me, that may be the most important message to be sharing with America. Lobbying Washington is critical, yes; but right now, our industry has a major image problem – to the point that some corporations are curtailing their flight operations for that reason alone. Either way, it’s positive that the trade groups in D.C. are actively campaigning about the image and the value of GA. One has to wonder, however, why the various GA groups aren’t throwing their dollars into one pool and launching one comprehensive campaign with the additional resources such an integrated effort could bring. (For more on the AOPA initiative, visit www.aopa.org.) Thanks for reading. jfi