For the past 7 years AOPA has held a fly-in on a Saturday in early June. This event was initiated shortly after I came to work here and would often watch aircraft taxi up to our ramp on the weekend. The pilot and passengers would deplane and walk up to a locked front door at the headquarters of their association. Naturally, because it was not a weekday, the AOPA offices were closed.
The fly-in has become a very popular way to open the headquarters on a Saturday, when member pilots have the time to fly into Frederick (Maryland) Municipal Airport (FDK) and tour the building. In addition to this unique way to meet staff, the event enables AOPA and the AOPA Air Safety Foundation to hold seminars and provide other interesting forums covering such things as FAA regulations, public-benefit flying, and a short version of the popular Pinch-Hitter course; this year, we added programs on aviation education for young people and on aircraft photography.
There are some 60 exhibit booths displaying and selling the latest avionics, headsets, and aviation gadgets, plus a static display of new and used aircraft. This year there were more new aircraft than ever before, visible evidence of the product liability legislation supported by AOPA members and passed by Congress some 50 miles away in Washington, D.C. The new Cessna Skylane and Skyhawk were on display, along with a New Piper Saratoga II HP, several new Mooneys, and Raytheon Aircraft's Beech Baron and Bonanza. The Diamond Katana was on the line, along with the Zenith CH2000; and Cirrus Design had its SR20 on display. One used airplane received particular attention — AOPA's membership sweepstakes "Ultimate Arrow," which had returned from refurbishment in Florida just the day before.
Much of your AOPA staff participates in answering member questions and conducting tours of their individual departments. Pilots often remark that they had no idea of the size and scope of the services available to them through membership in the association.
I enjoy greeting members, and most often asked this year was the current status of the user fee issue that we have been battling on Capitol Hill for the last 3 years. The National Civil Aviation Review Commission (NCARC; see " President's Position: No GA voice," May Pilot) has been meeting regularly during the past several weeks, and AOPA Legislative Action has been sitting at the table alongside the 21 appointed commissioners, as well as providing testimony at a public hearing. Our message is loud and clear as to the efficiency of allowing general aviation users to continue to pay their share of FAA funding through the aviation fuel tax. We constantly point to the safety concerns of a user fee system and the fragile nature of our members' participation in an activity that cannot withstand more taxation.
While the NCARC attempts to conclude its work and come to a recommendation in short order, the tax committees are continuing the overall budget-balancing debate and have their own view of FAA funding. In order to complete the monumental task in terms of the overall budget, much of their work falls outside of aviation. These committees seem to favor some form of long-term renewal of the airline passenger ticket tax and GA fuel taxes, a stance that is favorable to AOPA's position. But the situation with user fees is very fluid right now, to say the least. Anything can happen, and we listen closely to the ideas being presented both at the commission level and by various committees in Congress.
Our political action committee call for funds to fight the national parks overflight issue has been misunderstood by some members, and several at the 1997 fly-in asked me if we really support flying low and disturbing the environment around places like the Grand Canyon. "Absolutely not" is my answer. Pilots are concerned with the environment and do not wish to disturb those who enjoy the serenity of our national park system. While we are not the primary advocacy voice for those who make a living by giving sightseeing flights at low level, we do represent pilots who overfly the park system, often to get from Point A to Point B. We all know that a light aircraft operating at 2,000 feet agl or higher is not a noise problem for those on the ground. And AOPA is quite concerned that the Interior Department would like to take over the management of the airspace above our national park system. The establishment of an expanded special flight rules area over the Grand Canyon, announced at the end of last year, has been placed on hold until the work of a recently established committee is complete and its recommendations have been made. A senior AOPA manager serves on that committee.
When the AOPA fly-in began in 1991, we encouraged the City of Frederick to join with us and hold its Airport Appreciation Day at the same time. So, many nonpilots and their children come to the airport for this annual event.
Yes, there is only one headquarters and one AOPA fly-in; however, the concept is reproduced many times each year around the country by local airport groups, chapters, and civic organizations. Whether it be a pancake breakfast or a display of antique aircraft, the visibility a fly-in brings to a local airport, its pilots, and general aviation is very special and important. Often the airport and its users are misunderstood by the general public, and events such as this go a long way towards building a bridge between the community and pilots. Each year, your staff at AOPA headquarters works hard on the AOPA fly-in; but when it ends, we all feel that the member and public benefit outweighs the loss of a weekend day and the other inconveniences.
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