Boyer visits Palm Springs Air Museum

AOPA President Phil Boyer toured a newly constructed third hangar of the Palm Springs (California) Air Museum on Wednesday, February 21, evaluating the site's potential for an evening member event during next year's AOPA Expo, scheduled for Palm Springs, October 24-26, 2002.

An AOPA "Air Museum Party" dinner and dance held at the facility during the 1998 AOPA Expo drew high member praise for the venue. The museum contains one of the world's largest collections of flying World War II military aircraft, many provided by museum Chairman and CEO Robert "Bob" Pond, AOPA 162331, an AOPA member since 1958. There are also aircraft on loan from the National Air and Space Museum, U.S. Navy, and private owners. An average of 26 aircraft are on display on a daily basis.

Boyer was in Southern California for a series of Pilot Town Meetings, updating members on aviation issues and AOPA activities on their behalf.

The AOPA president also briefed Pond on activities of the AOPA Air Safety Foundation, including ASF's "Project V"—for Video—which for the past two years has supplied more than 30,000 free safety videotapes annually to new private pilots and newly rated instrument pilots.

Boyer (left) and Pond posed in front of the museum chairman's Grumman F8F Bearcat.

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