Expert speakers highlight Beaufort Fly-In

From AOPA President Mark Baker to AOPA Videographer Paul Harrop, AOPA Editor in Chief Tom Haines to AOPA Photographer Chris Rose, we’ve assembled the most active and engaged staffers who are experts in their fields. Attendees to the Beaufort Fly-In will hear the state of the association news and efforts on your behalf from Baker and his government affairs staff; learn how to become a better, safer pilot from AOPA Air Safety Institute Senior Vice President George Perry; and learn how to avoid big, bad thunderstorms from longtime weather expert, Editor at Large Tom Horne, who has written the AOPA Pilot “Wx Watch” column for more than 25 years.

Harrop has been reporting on and filming GA activities for the association for the past three years. His love of aviation and the stories he tells is infectious, and his presentation, “Telling the Story of General Aviation,” will bring a lump to your throat and make you proud to be a part of the GA community. Rose has been hanging out of airplanes for more than 10 years, capturing the beauty and grace of aircraft in flight. His presentation, “The Art of Aerial Photography,” offers insights into how the magic is made.

For the active pilot, two panel discussions will be hard to miss: AOPA Technical Editor Mike Collins is at the forefront for Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) installation, investigating for the association the myriad details of this important upcoming new requirement. He will moderate a panel discussion with ADS-B hardware manufacturers, which will help attendees understand the FAA’s approaching Jan. 1, 2020, mandate for ADS-B Out. Speaking of the FAA, Haines will lead a panel discussion on the new FAA compliance policy. Who better to lead a discussion on what this new policy means for pilots than a 3,500-hour active GA pilot who has been flying for nearly 40 years?

AOPA experts will also round out the topics with information on starting a flying club, on basic skills for nonpilots, and on emergency procedures. Of course, it’s not just the experts from AOPA who will be on hand—representatives from Lockheed Martin, ForeFlight, Garmin, Avidyne, Jeppesen, and more will be available to discuss what’s new in their product lines.

The first AOPA Fly-In of the year takes place May 20 and 21 in Beaufort, North Carolina. You won’t want to miss a moment!