General Aviation's Importance in South Carolina Recognized by Governor Haley

GREENVILLE, SC – June 22, 2011 – Most people aren’t aware that general aviation is important intheir local area, stated Joe Frasher, Airport Director of the GreenvilleDowntown Airport, which is the busiest general aviation airport in SouthCarolina.  I applaud Governor Nikki Haley for proclaiming June to be GeneralAviation Appreciation Month in South Carolina’, Frasher said.  It is greatthat Governor Haley sees what a vital role aviation plays in our economy and istelling our state, Frasher said. 

 

South Carolina (S.C.) is home to more than 10,000 pilots, 3,000 generalaviation airplanes, 60 airports, 20 charter flight companies, 34 aircraft repairbusinesses and numerous flight schools. There are many aviation relatedcompanies in S.C., like GE Aviation, Lockheed Martin, Michelin aircraft tires,Honeywell, Champion Aerospace, Milliken Carpet and now Boeing.  S.C. aviationcompanies provide thousands of jobs and billions of dollars to thelocal economy. 

 

The Governor’s proclamation states that general aviation and communityairports play a critical role in the lives of our citizens as well as in theoperation of our businesses and farms.  Airports support and assist S.C.residents in many ways, providing a gateway to communities, tourist attractions,accommodating agricultural spraying, supporting air cargo and air freightshipments, helping law enforcement, supporting the military, providing access intimes of emergency, and supporting medical needs and the medicalprofession.

 

It also states that S.C. has a significant interest in the continuedvitality of general aviation, aerospace, aircraft manufacturing, educationalinstitutions, aviation organizations, community airports and airportoperators.

 

National aviation press and organizations are sure to report this news,Frasher mentioned.  Aviation oriented companies will see this as further proofthat South Carolina is a pro aviation state, stated Frasher.  This can onlyhelp us create more jobs in our local aviation industry, Frasher added.

 

Hopefully this proclamation will help open the door to people’s overallunderstanding of the general aviation industry, Frasher commented.  Now peoplemay realize how many people the aviation industry employs and that newshelicopters provide traffic and other information to our society.  But do theyknow that many burn victims and cancer patients travel by general aviationplanes to health centers nationwide because their immune systems may not be ableto handle the commercial airport experience; how animals from states with higheuthanasia numbers are flown to states with higher pet adoption rates; and howlaw enforcement and commercial developers need aerial views for someactivities? Fraser asked.  We have a long way to go in this endeavor butGovernor Haley has sure gotten us off on a good foot, Frasher added.

  

With this proclamation, South Carolina has now joined a long list of statesin recognizing how vital general aviation is to their local, and our nationaleconomy.  See:  http://www.aviationacrossamerica.org/Press_Release_Detail.aspx?id=22304 fordetails.