Wake Up Sleeping Suits

It’s time to let the world know what a business jet is really about!

A business jet to some is a luxury for the wealthy – a splurge among splurgers that allows one to jet of to far away and even foreign destinations with nary a thought.

To others, a business jet is a tool that allows corporations and individuals to make vast and furious deals that grow their companies, generate revenue, move their goods, establish new locations, visit uncharted territory, move their employees around and more – all in a compressed timeframe that probably wouldn’t happen with airline or other modes of transportation.

For some, it’s the delivery of a doctor, an organ transfer, a lifesaving piece of equipment, relief supplies or transportation in or out of harm’s way.

There are more uses for a business jet – everything from moving VIPs to criminals, to facilitating law enforcement, weather analysis, etc. The list of what a business jet can be used for is almost endless.

And all of these definitions of a business jet are valid. But they fail to address the impact that a business aircraft has on our economy. They only view the jet from the standpoint of utility.

From the standpoint of Utility, we fail to address the impact the business jet has on the economy by its mere existence! What does it take to manufacture, maintain, and repair this tool? And more importantly, how many jobs does the purchase and/or sale of a business jet provide?

Let’s start with raw materials. Just one of the major Aluminum to aviation is a company called Alcoa Aluminum. Alcoa employs approximately 59,000 people in 31 countries around the world. Although a large portion of the aluminum produced by Alcoa for aviation is commercial and military, there is still a significant percentage that is used for business aviation. Add to this the plastic, composites, wire, exotic metals for the engine, interior finishing products, paint, electronics, carpeting, wire, fasteners, tires, and on and on – and the number of people involved in the mining, formulation, refinement, and manufacture of the materials needed for a business aircraft.

Then there’s manufacturing. Gulfstream Corporation alone employs more than 6,000 people in all facets of the company such as engineering, R&D, design, interiors, paint, etc. And this is only one manufacturer. Cessna employs more than 10,000 at its manufacturing locations and several thousand at its service facilities. And even manufacturers outside of the USA employ tens of thousands in the United States for assembly, component manufacture and support services.

And consider the community contributions from these manufacturers – Gulfstream in Savannah is purportedly one of the largest contributors to United Way. The company also makes charitable contributions to Habitat for Humanity, Bethesda Home for Boys, Hospice Savannah, the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts. Cessna contributes to many charities to include the Special Olympics airlift – providing transportations to athletes annually, food banks, Habitat for Humanity, etc.

Unfortunately, the numbers I’ve mentioned continue to drop. Deliveries of private aircraft have dropped by more than half in recent years and aircraft orders continue to be on a decline, while layoffs rise and the number of people employed by business jet makers declines.

Simply Stated – The purchase of a business aircraft represents a direct injection of jobs, money, and prosperity into the economy. So any tax break that allows a wealthy person or corporation to purchase and use a business jet should be looked upon as a contribution economic recovery.

So why don’t we hear more about what business aviation does for the state of the economy and jobs?

It blows my mind that some industry trade groups, aircraft manufacturers, and industry representatives continue to talk about the utility of aircraft – as they lay off thousands and let politicians launch attacks at our industry. It’s like we’re stuck in some sort of rut trying to make excuses for those auto manufacturer execs who flew to D.C. as they asked for handouts.

We need to move on and show how business aviation is ALL ABOUT THE JOBS! It’s as if someone needs to educate our manufacturing reps and trade groups about the economy! I personally have written two letters – one to a prominent trade association and the other to a prominent manufacturer – and neither was returned. They must be too busy shoring up their “utility” speeches to get back to me I guess.

And that’s where you can help. Talk to representatives from the trade groups you work with – speak to your local and national representatives and lawmakers in Washington – and write letters about how the attack on aviation affects thousands of jobs.

After all, the “gain” in No Plane, No Gain isn’t just about the gains corporations make. It is about the jobs gained by a healthy business aviation sector.