Edward Stimpson, aviation advocate and former president of the US General Aviation Manufacturers Association, has died, aged 75.
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Stimpson is probably best known for helping to drive through the General Aviation Revitalisation Act in 1994 which was designed to prevent general aviation companies from being named as defendants in lawsuits involving crashes of light aircraft 18 years old or older. Such lawsuits forced many airframers, including Cessna, to halt piston aircraft production as annual sales plummeted from about 13,000 between 1965 and 1982, to about 500 by 1993.
"It is hard to put into words the indelible mark Ed has left on this industry," says GAMA's current president, Pete Bunce. "He was a leader, a mentor and, most importantly, a friend to countless numbers within the worldwide aviation industry. His spirit, dedication and enthusiasm were unmatched and will never be duplicated."
Former Cessna chief executive and GAMA chairman Russ Meyer adds: "The opportunity to work with Ed for almost 40 years was clearly one of the privileges of my life. He was a great champion of general aviation whose effectiveness and achievements rank him among the pioneers of this industry."
Source: Flight International
