Is it necessary to be a pilot to understand and support the issues of GA?

N918KT

N918KT

Line Up and Wait
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KT
It seems like when there is a threat of airport closures or threat to GA, it usually is caused by a politician or bureaucrat who is not a pilot.

Correct me if I am wrong, but I think I heard over the Internet that some people of the FAA are not pilots or that people who run an airport are not pilots.

So what is your opinion? Does one need to be a pilot to understand the issues of GA and support promoting GA?
 
N918KT said:
It seems like when there is a threat of airport closures or threat to GA, it usually is caused by a politician or bureaucrat who is not a pilot.

Correct me if I am wrong, but I think I heard over the Internet that some people of the FAA are not pilots or that people who run an airport are not pilots.

So what is your opinion? Does one need to be a pilot to understand the issues of GA and support promoting GA?
Click to expand...


It surely helps......:yesnod:;)
 
Dunno I'm a pilot and I don't care. What you re talking about are bs b'crat jobs which get filled with zombies. The only cure is not to have the b'cracy in the first place that ship has sailed burned and sunk it ain't coming back. Next best thing get what you can while you can. Yolo dogs.
 
N918KT said:
So what is your opinion? Does one need to be a pilot to understand the issues of GA and support promoting GA?
Click to expand...

In my experience, many pilots don't have any more of a clue about what's going on within the local aviation community than non-pilots do so I'd say it doesn't matter much if a person is a pilot or not.

My suggestion would be to become intimately involved and familiar with what is going on at your local airport. Learn how things work there (different airports are structured differently), learn about grants and grant agreements, what money is available from the state and federal government and what the long term plans are for the airport (master plan, etc). Make your opinion on what you want to see happen at the airport known with the airport manager and the local politicians. If you've got a good airport manager and airport sponsor they will likely always be working on getting funding to maintain the airport and making airport improvements.
 
My local airport is in a district that has great support from the state rep AND their US senator. In both cases, they assisted the airport in a runway project that, without their help, might have stalled for good. Neither are pilots. In fact, they both got their first ride on a Young Eagles day. For the most part, the community also supports the local airport.
Though a municipal airport, it is run by a local business.
It all depends on what the community wants. If they want the airport out, they will find a way. If they want to keep it and grow it, they will hire a good manager, not necessarily a pilot.
 
What do pilots know about what it really takes to maintain the infrastructure / facilities at an airport?
 
Pilots have a passion for it and interest in it. If you're not into boating, you probably won't pay attention when the nearby boat ramp faces a threat of being shut down. Same for aviation.
 
There is little money in small airports. There never was much. Most small airports survived due to the GI bill and a few aircraft sales. Today it's usually a developer who decides. Pouring some slabs, putting up cheaply built houses makes more money.
 
Do you have to be a chicken to know how to make KFC.
 
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