The main attraction was kept from the sky, hangared by rain.Nonetheless, nearly 75 local aviation aficionados turned out at theLeesburg Airport on Saturday to see a new airplane that local pilotsand politicians hope will raise interest in recreational flying.
The grounded plane, a Cessna 172 Skyhawk, drew a crowd ofbomber-jacketed flight students, pilots and parents with youngchildren, who filed through the chilly hangar to view the plane'sfuel-injected engine, shiny white corrosion-resistant frame andall-metal instrument panel with high-tech radio equipment.
The new Cessna, the first of its kind in Virginia, is theaircraft manufacturing giant's first foray in more than a decadeinto single-engine airplanes -- small, lightweight and user-friendlyenough for beginning flyers to learn on. Its debut comes as interestin recreational and weekend piloting has flagged throughout thecountry, a trend that has worried many in the industry.'General aviation was on the ropes in the late 1980s andearly '90s, and for Cessna to develop this new aircraft is trulysignificant,' said Del. Joe T. May (R-Loudoun), who got his pilot'slicense at the Leesburg Airport in 1992. 'From an economicdevelopment standpoint, it bodes well for the area. This iscommerce, not just recreation.'Donald O. Robb, owner of the Av-Ed Flight School Inc., leasedthe plane primarily for his student pilots. Robb said he hopes thenew equipment will generate interest from local residents who mayview flying as the province of military officers and corporatebigwigs.Flying is a pricey hobby. The cost of getting a privatepilot's certificate runs about $5,000, and renting a four-seatexcursion airplane starts at $70 an hour. This is one reason 80percent of Robb's clients still come from more affluent FairfaxCounty rather than Loudoun, Robb said.Jeff Bushey, 36, an Ashburn resident and network manager forAmerica Online Inc., said he decided to return to flying this yearafter beginning lessons 20 years ago. A family and careerintervened, but now he is two weeks away from getting his pilot'slicense and from flying time in the new Cessna.His 13-year-old son, Justin, marveled at the Cessna's smallsize, with a cockpit like a sports car's -- a perfect fit for him.'Cool,' he pronounced.Robb has seen business increase 27 percent annually sincefounding the company in 1993. But because the number of studentpilots nationwide has declined steadily over the last two decades --to 94,947 in 1996, according to the Federal Aviation Administration-- other flight schools have not fared as well.Dan Stapleton, president of American Flight Services Inc., oneof the other two flight schools based at the airport, has seen hisstudent roster drop from 50 to 40 this year. He is losing flightinstructors to the booming commercial airline industry, he said.One reason for the decline in students, he said, is competitionfor leisure time from home computers, video and cable televisionservices.This year, however, in part because of a strong overall economy,there have been encouraging signs of life: Airplane shipments forgeneral aviation are up for the second consecutive year, andso-called student starts have increased 6 percent in the first halfof 1997, according to FAA and General Aviation ManufacturersAssociation statistics.'We're on the upturn,' said Warren Morningstar, a spokesmanfor the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association in Frederick, Md.'When student starts are up, aircraft sales are up, fuel sales areup. It's logical. . . . Today's student is tomorrow's corporateexecutive who may buy his own aircraft.'In addition, the industry got an important boost in 1994,when Congress passed the General Aviation Revitalization Act,designed to relieve small aircraft manufacturers burdened withexpensive product liability judgments. Shortly after that, CessnaAircraft Co. reentered the single-engine aircraft market with a newmodel of the Skyhawk, a plane it began making in 1955.The Cessna's unveiling is the latest in a series of steps theLeesburg Airport and its resident businesses are taking to raise theairport's profile. Plans are underway for a proposed $2 millionrenovation of the terminal to add a pilot's lounge for corporatepilots, a flight briefing room and conference rooms.In March, the airport obtained international landing rights,which means that international travelers can land directly atLeesburg without having to first go through Dulles InternationalAirport.'As more businesses move to Loudoun County, we certainly wantthem to base themselves here,' said Juan E. Rivera, the airport'sdirector. 'More and more, we're becoming the reliever airport forDulles. Corporations know we can get them in and out quickly.'Increased airport traffic may prompt complaints one dayfrom surrounding residential areas, local officials acknowledged..Leesburg Mayor James E. Clem, who also turned out for theCessna's unveiling, said he believes the town has responded tocommunity needs by instituting stricter safety measures at theairport, such as changing its landing pattern to conform withnational standards.Clem said he hasn't heard loud complaints from neighbors, atleast about the smaller, recreational aircraft such as the Skyhawk,still much more plentiful than the airport's five corporate jets.'Personally, I love to look up and see the little ones flyingaround,' he said, adding that for him, they represent the buzz ofindustry.
