AOPA Airport Support Network

AOPA Members Support Their Local Airports—So Should You

One mile of highway takes you one mile but one mile of airport runway takes you anywhere in the world.

Airports are one of our nation's most valuable transportation assets. Large or small, they are a vital link in the nation's transportation system. Airlines provide service to 660 airports across the United States, while general aviation serves over 12,000 airports — metropolitan, suburban and rural. Yet rarely does the true importance of an airport get conveyed to the non-flying community and elected decision makers.

The Federal Aviation Administration defines general aviation (GA) as all aircraft operations with the exception of scheduled airline flights or military operations. GA activities include such services as law enforcement, search and rescue, emergency medical transportation, agricultural spraying, traffic reporting, and pipeline patrol. Additionally, airline pilots of tomorrow come from general aviation pilots of today. Each year, general aviation contributes over $42 billion to the national economy. Your local airport makes a tremendous contribution to your community as well.

AOPA is committed to working with our members and community in support of local airports. For over 61 years, we have represented the interests of general aviation operators. A number of resources have been developed to garner support for local airports. These include the widely distributed How to Obtain Community Support for Your Local Airport book and a 24-minute videotape, Local Airports — Access to America. We've fought long and hard to obtain funding for airport development. Many states have implemented dedicated airport improvement funding accounts to channel monies collected from aviation back to aviation. AOPA has embarked on a grass-roots aviation advocacy network — the Airport Support Network — harnessing the power of our members to serve as a resource to local pilots and the community.

The association encourages its members to be sensitive to how their operations at the airport affect the community. That was the reason we produced and distributed the Flying Friendly video.

AOPA provides numerous resources to our members. Some portions of our web site are open to the public. We invite you to check out the links below.

• It's Your Airport (requires Adobe Reader)
• The AOPA Airport Support Program
• Guide to Obtaining Community Support for Your Local Airport
• The AOPA Airport Support Network
• AOPA communications resources for you

Questions? Send an e-mail to inforequest@aopa.org.