AOPA President Craig Fuller says he thinks the anti-GA/Bizav posture in Washington will get worse in coming months but that’s not necessarily all bad. “We have a rallying point,” Fuller told the Wichita Aero Club in a reportedly spirited address that focused on recent remarks by President Obama that appeared to characterize business aviation as a perk. According to the Wichita Business Journal, Fuller pointed out the remarks contrasted sharply with Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood’s comments to an aviation forum held in Wichita in which he appeared to affirm the administration’s support for GA. “Where they stand on general aviation depends on where they’re standing,” he is quoted as saying.
Obama’s comments evoked a strong reaction from general aviation groups reminiscent of the battle against user fees of a few years ago. Fuller told the Aero Club that as the 2012 election campaign gets in gear, GA might face more attacks from the administration. He said the headline-grabbing comments have hurt the industry’s recovery from the recession, although there continue to be positive signs of that recovery.
