My greatest reward
Ever since my student pilot days in California, my pleasure in the company of other pilots has never dimmed. It was there that I joined my first "flying club," the Sacramento Valley Pilots Association, and I still envy the fun I read about in their regular newsletter. More than 6,000 flying hours later, I still enjoy hangar talk, loitering about airports, and learning from the experiences of other pilots.
Over the last two weekends, instead of attending speaking engagements someplace other than home, my wife and I have had the opportunity to fly our personal Cessna 172 around the area. Where do we end up? At local airports and wherever there are pilots, of course. For instance, I recently witnessed the maiden flight of a unique homebuilt airplane in Martinsburg, West Virginia, and talked with the owner
This weekend we flew a short distance to visit a relatively new GA airport, Tipton (FME) in the Baltimore area. For many years we have flown over this relatively unused Army air field at Fort Meade, and through the hard work of both AOPA and local pilots, it has now been reopened for civilian use. There are 43 based aircraft and a proposal to build hangars. While there we met the wonderful FBO owner who, although not a pilot, has the spirit of aviation in his approach to building this into a first class facility.
But weekend flying isn't the only way I get to meet pilots and other aviation enthusiasts face to face. Perhaps the most enjoyable, most satisfying part of my job is holding AOPA Pilot Town Meetings (PTMs)all across America. During the past 10 years, these meetings have enabled me to talk with thousands of pilots -- about 45,000 at last count -- in more than 220 sessions. I continue to be invigorated by the experience, and it provides outstanding two-way dialogue between members of AOPA and the association itself. I place a high value on the opinions and forward-looking ideas of the pilots I meet, from students to ATPs.
On the professional level, my continuing interchange with pilots all over the country gives me insight into the vast range of pilot concerns. This is the keystone in AOPA's effective response to the needs of our members and all of general aviation. It also helps me direct our advocacy and defense of general aviation toward what matters most.
Often I hear about airport problems from local pilots, and I carry the specifics back to AOPA staff who follow up with the members to work on the issue. Some are simple, others quite complicated. We can't always solve them, but we do work hard on issues that could set precedents at other locations around the country.
Not all pilots come to PTMs with problems. Many are looking for suggestions on how to get more enjoyment from their flying, most frequently wondering how to get a nonflying friend or spouse to share their enthusiasm. My response to these questions almost always calls on my own past experience. Although my wife Lois is now a pilot, she flew with me for some 2,500 hours as a white-knuckled passenger (no reflection on my flying, I hope).
Whether the topic being discussed is fearful passengers or hot issues on Capitol Hill, you can imagine the planning and logistics required to present 30 to 35 PTMs each year at locations ranging from Florida to Alaska and from California to New England. Of course, I could never handle such a far-flung operation if we didn't practice what we're always preaching: Use general aviation and multiply your effectiveness!
In addition to the logistics, our Pilot Town Meetings require a lot of preparation to offer pilots an interesting, interactive presentation of useful, up-to-date information. Altogether, the PTM program involves a lot of hard work, but I wouldn't give it up for anything. There's just no substitute for direct, pilot-to-pilot communication with the people AOPA represents. When I hear them express their ideas and opinions in their own voices and meet them face-to-face, I get more than basic information. I get the real sense of their concerns, their intensity, and their dedication to aviation.
It's a win-win situation. Pilots get a personal presentation of what the nation's largest aviation association is doing for them, and I get feedback to direct our future work, or validate AOPA's current projects.
So whether you're on a business trip somewhere around the country or just taking a weekend pleasure flight, flying brings together many of us, all sharing a common bond. We speak the same language of GPS, VORs, crosswinds, and we eagerly listen to the experiences and stories of others. After all... A good pilot is always learning.
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