Washington, DC—On Saturday, October 24, the Board of Directors of the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) established a new associate member category for electric and hybrid propulsion aircraft. The purpose behind this new membership category is to facilitate the coordination of the associate members’ technical expertise and GAMA’s collective policy experience to better enable the worldwide development, growth, and airworthiness certification of electric and hybrid propulsion technology to benefit the future of general aviation.

“As GAMA completes its 45th year, we are very excited to welcome companies researching and developing electric and hybrid propulsion air vehicles as associate members to our global trade association,” GAMA President and CEO Pete Bunce said. “As we look toward the future, we see this aerodynamically innovative emerging propulsion technology facilitating totally new aircraft designs that remain very safe, highly reliable, and may dramatically lower the operational costs of flying. GAMA’s core expertise is in working with policymakers and regulatory authorities around the globe to speed innovation and introduction of new products to the market. Our goal with this associate membership is to allow many of these new technology companies to tap into this expertise.”

The GAMA Board of Directors also elected members of GAMA’s Executive Committee for 2016.

Aaron Hilkemann, President and CEO of Duncan Aviation, will serve as Chairman. Hilkemann, who had previously served as Vice Chairman, had also chaired GAMA’s Airworthiness & Maintenance Policy Committee.

The Board also elected Simon Caldecott, President and CEO of Piper Aircraft, Inc., as Vice Chairman. Caldecott will remain as Chair of GAMA’s Safety & Accident Investigation Committee.

Several other members were elected to new positions:

Mark Burns, President of Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation, will chair the Airworthiness & Maintenance Policy Committee, taking Aaron Hilkemann’s place.

David Paddock, Senior Vice President & General Manager of U.S. Aircraft Services, Jet Aviation, will chair the Communications Committee, following John Garrison of Bell Helicopter.

Chuck Wiplinger, President of Wipaire, Inc., will chair the Technical Policy Committee, succeeding Phil Straub of Garmin International.

The following Board members will continue to chair their respective committees in 2016:

Environmental Committee: Ed Dolanski, President and CEO, Aviall, Inc.

Flight Operations Policy Committee: John Uczekaj, President and CEO, Aspen Avionics

Global Markets Committee: Simon Pryce, Group Chief Executive, BBA Aviation

Policy and Legal Issues Committee: Rhett Ross, President, Continental Motors, Inc.

Security Issues Committee: Mark Van Tine, CEO, Jeppesen

Joe Brown of Hartzell Propeller Inc., who served as GAMA’s Chairman in 2015, will remain on the Executive Committee as Immediate Past Chairman.