Below are notes taken by LIBAA President Joseph Loccisano while attending the Republic Airport tenant meeting held on April 23, 2012.

I used to think it was all so simple and I bet most of you all did as well. Back when we became part of the aviation scene years ago we did our jobs and happily went home. For me, I chose the path of an aviation mechanic when I was 16. Aviation was about getting that ship fixed and back to someone to get flying again. That was the extent of my vision then. The aviation community, specifically the Long Island community, we all did our individual part in keeping airplanes flying. We all may not be on the aircraft operations side but we all certainly gain economically from the operational end of this business. In short, when the planes keep flying, we all prosper. From manufacturing, component overhauls, part sales, paint shops, fuel providers (the list is endless) we all contribute to supporting and advancing aviation. We may not have seen it as “advancing aviation” but when we all do our jobs well, we are advancing the benefits of aviation.