To represent the wants and objectives of the general aviation (GA) sector, the Department of Transportation today (Friday, September 2, 2022) selected a new General Aviation Advocate.
The department has appointed Mike Pearson, a seasoned GA practitioner, as the new GA Advocate to help the GA sector and counsel ministers.
The GA Advocate position was established in 2017 with the purpose of representing and enhancing GA. Mike will expand on Phil Dunnington’s significant work as the previous GA Advocate, who tragically died away in 2021, as well as the work of the previous GA Champion post, which was established in 2015.
Mike Pearson, the new GA Advocate, is a member of the Royal Aero Club, the airfield manager at Popham Airfield, and he previously served as the group’s chair (AOG).
Additionally, he held the positions of Director of Enterprise at Southwark College and Chairman of the Blackbushe Airport Consultative Committee.
Robert Courts, the minister of aviation, said:
To address some of the most important problems the sector is now experiencing and strengthen the UK’s position as a global aviation leader, it is critical that the sector be well represented.
Mike is a well-known aviation role model and an excellent spokesman for the general aviation community.
His experience demonstrates both how interesting the industry is and how well suited he is for the position, and I am delighted to welcome him.
The appointment is essential to achieving the GA roadmap’s goal of making the UK the finest location in the world for GA (released in April 2021).
The hiring is also a crucial step in carrying out the future general aviation obligations made in Flightpath (published earlier this year).