Safety, airports an important foundation AOPA tells Alaska conference

By Elizabeth Tennyson

Pilots and residents of Alaska know how important airports are for everything from transportation and tourism to delivery of medical care and food, but that doesn’t mean threats don’t arise. Having local pilots on the lookout for potential problems can often prevent them.

That was the message AOPA Airport Support Network (ASN) Director Jennifer Storm delivered during an Oct. 17 presentation at the Aviation North Expo in Fairbanks.

“Every airport needs an ASN volunteer,” said Storm. “These dedicated individuals serve as our eyes and ears at community airports. They are the ones who are best positioned to spot potential problems and work with local officials and AOPA to resolve them before it’s too late.”

Storm urged pilots to find out if their airport has an ASN volunteer and consider nominating themselves or another local pilot for the vital role.

Also at the conference, JJ Greenway, chief flight instructor for the AOPA Air Safety Foundation delivered the popular “Mastering Takeoffs and Landings” and “Top 5 Mistakes Pilots Make” safety seminars.

October 23, 2008