All Hail The Aero-Heroes of 2010!
Final Compilations by ANN
Editor-In-Chief/Trouble-Maker, Jim Campbell
Aero-Note: SORRY to keep dragging
this process out... but for reasons that will become evident
shortly, these are BUSY days at ANN. Still; I wanted to finish
these before the end of January and I'm not quite there yet...
though I hope to finish the final two in each category this week...
we shall see. In the meantime, wait til you see what we've been up
to... -- Jim Campbell-ANN E-I-C
It is both the most "fun," and most
difficult, task facing the ANN staff at the end of every year --
determining who, or what, did the most to promote the cause of
aviation in the past 365 days... while also chastising those people
or entities that did all they could to undermine the many successes
the aviation/aerospace community has managed to accomplish.
Thankfully, 2010 was a year in which we saw the best and brightest
among us step forward and work tirelessly on behalf of us all. No
doubt about it... the challenges we faced in 2010 were numerous,
and ongoing... so was the quality of expertise and passion brought
to our defense by those who heroically demonstrated to the world
the very best side of aviation... via their deeds, words and
actions.
It is ANN's honor to recognize persons/organizations or groups that
qualify as our Aero-Heroes for 2010... in something of an
informal order -- Saving the 'best' for last. Let us know what you
think of our selections... whom YOU would have liked be included or
omitted from such a list. In the meantime, we thank the folks who
made this year's list. Thank you, folks... we really needed you
this year, and you didn't let us down.
ANN will finish our Top choices over the next few day's,
but let's enjoy another selection from our Heroes List for
2010...
Aero-Hero: Cessna and Jack Pelton
Heroes are getting hard to come by... and sometimes they show up
quietly and make themselves known with a series of sensible good
deeds that keep coming and coming and coming... while all those
around them seem to be do little more than run around in circles
bemoaning the falling skies.

That might be the best way to explain how we feel about
Cessna... both the company and its leadership. While no one will
call this the most exciting company in GA, they have this amazing
habit of not always being the first to market with the latest
thing... until they study it carefully and get it right... often a
bit after all the Johnny-Come-Latelies have folded their
tents.

Cessna has had a tough few years... they've been decimated by
the Washington dunderheads that screwed up the economy and then
victimized the same brand of aviation that they covet for their own
use... standing up to mouth ridiculous barbs that were short on
fact and heavy on knee-jerk hysteria... while heading off to go
home on BizJets paid for by you and I. Through all this, Cessna has
stood steadfast, made the tough decisions and managed to stay alive
and make headway wherever they could... while still getting their
LSA to market, developing an exciting new generation of Citations,
and starting work on an exciting single-engine turbine project.
Bowed, they may be... but beaten, they are not -- Heck, not by
a long shot.

And yet, when you need guts, Cessna, and in particular, Jack
Pelton, seems to find it. When the rest of the industry was afraid
to confront Washington Cessna and Pelton stood up and spoke truth
to power. There are only a few who could do this with the
credibility of Cessna and Pelton and its good to know that he
stands ready to do so again.

Thanks, Jack... keep up the good work.