by Tim Busch
CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA – A crowd of several hundred people gathered at Eastern Iowa Airport in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, August 17, 2011, to hear representatives of the general aviation industry defend the use of corporate aircraft and to urge them to challenge and educate critics like President Obama. The rally, organized by the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) and hosted by Rockwell Collins, was a response to Obama’s call for corporate jet owners “and other wealthy individuals” to give up tax breaks to help reduce the nation’s $14 trillion debt. Clay Jones, Chairman, President and CEO of Rockwell Collins, said bureaucrats and lawmakers have a lot of ideas about how to create jobs, but he cautioned them to observe the Hippocratic oath taken by doctors.
“First, do no harm,” Jones said. “By that I mean capitalize on those things that are working, and you don’t have to look any farther than general aviation to find a shining example of what is working and has worked in this country to create economic benefit and jobs.” General aviation employs 1.2 million people, including 4,000 at Rockwell Collins.
“There was a time in America when people with names like Cessna, Beech, Piper, Williams and Collins were willing to risk their names and their fortunes on ideas,” Jones said. “Some succeeded, some failed, but all of them helped build the fabric of America. They took risks and created flying machines that brought people together and promoted commerce around the world.”