Governor Terence R. McAuliffe has issued a proclamation officially recognizing August 2016 as Virginia Aviation Month in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The Certificate of Recognition for Virginia Aviation Month was presented at the opening of the Virginia Aviation Board Meeting held on Friday, August 19th during the annual Virginia Aviation Conference. This was appropriate as August 19th (Orville Wright’s birthday) is recognized as National Aviation Day in the United States. It reads as follows:
VIRGINIA AVIATION MONTH
WHEREAS, aviation plays a critical role in Virginia transportation, employment, and economic development; and
WHEREAS, Virginia is home to 66 public-use airports, nine of which offer airline service to destinations across the country and around the world, and 57 are general aviation facilities operating within the Commonwealth; and
WHEREAS, there are approximately 14,000 pilots, over 13,000 registered drone owners, and more than 6,000 business and recreational aircraft, including single-engine and multi-engine airplanes, helicopters, gliders, and business jets based in Virginia; and
WHEREAS, Virginia’s aviation system provides a total of $28.8 billion in economic activity, including $7 .6 billion from airport-dependent businesses and 259,000 jobs; and
WHEREAS, Virginia is home to schools and research facilities that prepare individuals for careers in aerospace and contribute to the advancement of transportation technology as well as special programs such as Women Can Fly that introduce young women to the aviation industry; and
WHEREAS, the Virginia Department of Aviation will host the 42nd annual Virginia Aviation Conference August 16-19, 2016, at the Omni Homestead Resort in Hot Springs, Virginia; and
WHEREAS, Virginia Aviation Month is an opportunity to acknowledge the significant role Virginia plays in aviation development and transportation and to recognize the individuals who support and work in the aviation industry;
NOW, THEREFORE, I, Terence R. McAuliffe, do hereby recognize August 2016 as VIRGINIA AVIATION MONTH in our COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA, and I call this observance to the Attention of all our citizens.
