In a role that could be tougher than proving his innocence in the film “The Fugitive,” actor and avid pilot Harrison Ford is trying to convince a fed-up public that small planes aren’t “jets for rich people.”
Ford is starring in a new campaign touting the economic benefits of general aviation, a category that includes private jets, corporate planes, aerobatic aircraft, historic airplanes and helicopters.
The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, with about 415,000 members, is kicking off a campaign to combat negative perceptions of the industry, the threat of higher fees and stricter security measures.
The group said general aviation pumps $150 billion into the economy every year and employs 1.2 million people.
“General aviation is facing the most serious challenge in its 100-year history,” Ford says in a new TV spot.
In the ad, Ford highlights the small business owners who rely on aircraft to reach customers and search-and-rescue teams that fly out of local airfields.
Of course, it’s not the small business owners that upset lawmakers, but rather banking bigwigs and auto execs who used corporate jets while also accepting government aid.
Along with the economic slump, the backlash has taken a serious toll on the industry.
In response, plane makers such as Cessna and Hawker Beechcraft have tried fighting back with ads challenging criticism of corporate jets.
The aviation group spent $1.5 million to launch its campaign. A spokesman said Ford volunteered for the job.
“We have not spent a penny to have him appear in the ad,” said Chris Dancy, a spokesman for the group.