The UK’s Department for Transport has appointed a new General Aviation Advocate to represent the needs and ambitions of the General Aviation (GA) sector.
Mike Pearson will support the GA industry and provide advice to government ministers, the department said in a statement. The GA Advocate role was created in 2017 and serves to represent and raise the profile of GA. Pearson will build on the work of the previous GA Advocate, Phil Dunnington, who passed away in 2021, and on the work of the former GA Champion, a role created in 2015.
A member of the Royal Aero Club and airfield manager for Popham airfield, Pearson has been chair of the Airfield Operators Group (AOG). He has also served as a chairman of the Blackbushe Airport Consultative Committee and as the director of enterprise for Southwark College.
Aviation Minister Robert Courts said: “It’s vital we make sure the industry is well-represented. Mike is a longstanding role model in aviation and an ideal advocate for the General Aviation sector. His career shows not only his excellent suitability for the role, but also how exciting the sector is.”
Image: Heathrow Airport
