A legislative briefing on aviation policy at Kent State University Airport turned into an impromptu tour of the university's aviation facilities Sept. 18, giving four Ohio state representatives a firsthand look at one of the state's busiest general aviation hubs.
Kent State Airport hosted the joint briefing on behalf of the Ohio Aviation Association, the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association and the Ohio Regional Business Aviation Association, bringing together airport operators, aviation businesses and elected officials from across Northeast Ohio.
The morning session covered legislative priorities for the current General Assembly and included brief presentations from publicly owned, public-use airports throughout the region, followed by a discussion period and lunch.
While the tour of Kent State's facilities wasn't part of the original agenda, the gathering allowed university staff to walk several attending lawmakers through the airport, which handles more than 72,500 flight operations annually and serves as a training ground for Kent State's aeronautics and engineering students.
State Reps. Jack Daniels (R-New Franklin), Veronica Sims (D-Akron), Monica Robb Blasdel (R-New Waterford) and David Thomas (R-Jefferson) took part in the tour, seeing the airport's hangar, indoor classrooms and flight simulators that support Kent State's College of Aeronautics and Engineering.
State Rep. Veronica Sims (D-Akron) sits in a plane used to train student pilots at Kent State University Airport.
The visit gave the lawmakers a closer look at the role Kent State's airport plays in training future pilots and aerospace engineers, as well as its broader impact as a regional aviation asset. JobsOhio, RS&H, Passero and the Northeast Ohio Regional Airport sponsored the event.
