Last month, the Ohio Aviation Association sent major party candidates for Ohio Governor a brief survey to gauge their positions on aviation funding and policy issues.  Our goal was to provide our members with information regarding the aviation policy platforms for Gubernatorial candidates.  On May 8th, Ohio voters went to the polls to select candidates for office in the Primary. Former Ohio Attorney General and Consumer Finance Protection Bureau Director Richard Cordray won the Democratic nomination while current Ohio Attorney General and former United States Senator Mike DeWine won the Republican nomination. Both candidates responded to OAA’s survey. Click below to read each item:

Cover Memo
Cordray Response
DeWine Response

The Ohio Aviation Association has been around for several decades (originally known as the Ohio Airport Managers Association). Some of our Board Members have been around OAA for quite some time as well, adding value through “corporate memory” and consistency. One such Board Member, Mr. Greg Heaton, has been a driving force for several of the changes some might have witnessed over the last few years. Around Ohio since 2003, Greg Heaton serves as a Vice President for Crawford, Murphy & Tilly, Inc. (CMT) in their Columbus Office. Greg immediately got involved with OAA upon moving to Ohio and has been a very active member ever since. Greg has served as President of OAA in 2015-2016 and again in 2016-2017. Greg also serves as the President of the Ohio Aviation Association Political Action Committee.

Here is what Greg said when I ask him about OAA:

As the Executive Director of the Ohio Aviation Association, sometimes I get to spend a lot of time with my Directors. These last few months I have worked closely with OAA's Conference Committee to put together a great program for OAA members and non-members alike. This year’s Conference Committee Chair is Mr. Tom Mochty. He is a Senior VP at Woolpert, Inc. and he sits in Dayton, but you will find him all over Ohio and beyond.

Ohio Aviation Association Applauds Passage of House Bill 370

Bill Would Recognize Wright Brothers Flyer on State Seal of Ohio

COLUMBUS—The Ohio Aviation Association (OAA), the leading voice for Ohio’s airports, applauded the passage of House Bill 370 by the Ohio House of Representatives today. HB 370, sponsored by State Representative Rick Perales (R-Beavercreek) would add a depiction of the Wright Flyer to the Ohio Coat of Arms and Great Seal

“As the birthplace of aviation, Ohio has a unique history that is part of our state identity,” said
Stacey Heaton, Executive Director of the Ohio Aviation Association Board of Directors. “As beneficiaries of the achievements of the Wright Brothers, our membership strongly supports House Bill 370.”

We are excited to announce that we have received our first donations to the Norman J. Crabtree Memorial Scholarship silent auction, which will take place during the 2018 Annual Conference.  For more information on the scholarship, click here.  

• Our Annual Conference is coming up quickly - April 10th and 11th at the Hilton Columbus/Polaris. Registration will open soon so block your calendar and plan for a great time to be had by all. Remember, you can use this conference for Continuing Education Credits for various professional organizations.  Amount of credits may vary.
  
  
• We will announce the recipients of the Norman J. Crabtree Scholarship at the Annual Conference on April 10th. Spread the word that applications are due February 7. Click here for more information.
  
  
• We will announce the recipients of the various OAA Awards at the Annual Conference on April 10th. OAA has 5 categories of awards available, including Airport Manager of the Year, Airport of the Year, Aviator of the Year Award, Airport Business of the Year, and Aviation Student of the Year. NOMINATE TODAY! Click here for more information. Deadline is February 15th!

In a world where "fake" news seems to reign, caution seems prudent to an organization that posts recent news.  This was exactly the case when I received the email stating that Mr. Rick McQueen has announced his retirement from the Akron-Canton Airport after more than a third of a century. I immediately replied to the public relations person at CAK to indicate my disdain for such news. Sadly, it was true.

January 8, 2018

The Ohio Aviation Association wants to help promote our member's aviation events. As a perk for members, we will post your airport/aviation community event on our website at no charge!  To take advantage of this benefit, just complete the online form, found here.  Not a member yet?  Read about our other benefits here and join today!

Are you interested in guiding Ohio's Rules regarding aviation? Here is one way to do it! Below is an outreach from ODOT seeking input BEFORE March 2, 2018. Click here for ODOT's copy of the current rules.

All across the great State of Ohio, December is being recognized as General Aviation Appreciation Month. Just what does that mean?  It means:

1. These communities recognize their airports play a critical role in the lives of its citizens, as well as in the operation of businesses and farms.
2. These communities have a significant interest in the continued vitality of general aviation, aerospace, aircraft manufacturing, educational institutions, aviation organizations, community airports and airport operators.
3. These communities recognize that general aviation airports in Ohio have a major economic impact on the state's economy as it supports thousands of jobs, hundreds-of-millions in annual payroll and contributes more than $1.8 billion to the state’s economy.
4. These communities recognize that many in Ohio depend heavily on general aviation and community airports for the continued flow of commerce, tourists and visitors to our state.

The State of Ohio
City of Akron
City of Canton
City of Cincinnati
City of Cleveland
City of Columbus
City of Dayton
City of Defiance
City of Dublin
City of Mansfield
City of Toledo
City of Youngstown
City of Zanesville

Periodically, we highlight a Board Member so you can get to know them better and hear, first hand, what OAA means to them.  Today, learn about Matt McVicker, Secretary of OAA. He also serves as the Chair of the Education Committee.

It is hard to gain real-world experience while in college; it is even harder to do so specifically in aviation...and in Ohio! We wanted to do our part to help the students (our future) find an internship opportunity.  Ohio Aviation Association now offers a webpage dedicated to posting of aviation internships around Ohio. Do you have an aviation internship you want to post?  Open to all businesses related to aviation.  And - there is no cost to post with us!  Click here to complete the form to post your aviation internship.

Students - check here frequently for new postings! 

We are in the midst of the holiday season and I hope everyone is enjoying a little R&R! While you are handing out gifts that bring joy to others, please consider another kind of gift...consider sponsoring a college student so they may attend the upcoming Annual Conference. For every $50 you sponsor, one college student can attend the upcoming Annual Conference at no cost. As this does not cover all the cost OAA will pick-up the rest. Help the future of Ohio aviation by investing in their education now!  Click here to complete an easy online form today!

Another positive community impact by one of our members, the Ashtabula County Airport Authority.  Continue reading....

December 13, 2017

At the Ohio Aviation Association's December board meeting, the Board of Directors unanimously voted to place Russell W. Mills, Ph.D., Associate Professor at BGSU, on the Board of Directors. He will be filling a vacated spot with a term ending in April 2019.  Russ received a B.A. in Political Science from Westminster College, a Masters of Public Administration from the University of Vermont, and a Ph.D. from Kent State University (with his Dissertation on the Use of Voluntary Reporting Programs by the Federal Aviation Administration).

As the 2017 year comes to a close, it brings about the opportunity for you and your organization to consider how you can help support OAA in the upcoming 2018. We are really excited about our goals to help aviation in Ohio! 

Besides our goals, we are also excited about our Annual Conference which will be held April 10-11, 2018, at the Hilton Columbus/Polaris. This year's conference is titled: "Upping the Ante for Ohio Aviation!"  We have some new fun planned as well as great educational sessions. To find out more about our conference, visit our website. And while you are on our newly redesigned website, look around and tell us what you think! 

At their monthly Board Meeting, the Ohio Aviation Association honored Elaine Roberts for her outstanding service to Ohio aviation. Her last day at the Columbus Regional Airport Authority will be December 15, 2017.  She will be greatly missed. Pictured below is Tory Richardson, OAA President and Columbus Regional Airport Authority Chief Strategy Officer, presenting a plaque to Elaine Roberts, Columbus Regional Airport Authority President and CEO.

This month brings three opportunities to help support the OAA's Political Action Committee. Want to know more about OAA's PAC?  Go here for information.  Interested in joining us for an event? RSVP by following the desired link below!

December 4, 2017

Ohio Aviation Association is pleased to announce that we are now accepting Nominations for our Annual Awards as well as the availability of the Norman J. Crabtree Scholarship Application.