By Josh Heck
An appreciation for aviation must run in John Tomblin’s family.
Tomblin is the executive director of Wichita State University’s National Institute for Aviation Research. His first cousin, Earl Ray Tomblin, is the governor of West Virginia and recently proclaimed October as General Aviation Month there.
With the proclamation, Tomblin asked West Virginians to recognize the “critical role” general aviation plays in the state.
He said general aviation contributes $616 million annually to West Virginia’s economy, or $333 per capita. The state has 2,200 active pilots, 1,370 aircraft and 32 public airports.
http://www.bizjournals.com/wichita/print-edition/2012/10/12/tomblins-share-appreciation-for.html