National pilot association president to meet with pilots in West Palm Beach, Florida

AOPA President Phil Boyer will hold a Pilot Town Meeting (PTM) in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Thursday, November 20, 2003. Pilot Town Meetings offer local aviators a chance to come out, hear about national issues straight from the president of AOPA, and gives them the opportunity to voice their concerns about local issues plaguing the flying community. A lot has changed in the two years since the 9/11 attacks; there is a great deal to talk about when it comes to aviation. One of the ongoing changes affecting pilots: temporary flight restrictions (TFRs), especially ones that are hastily posted due to presidential travel. During the PTM, Boyer will address the many hard-hitting facts about the state of general aviation and explain what AOPA is doing to keep flying affordable, safe, and free from unnecessary regulations.

Boyer will discuss perceived security issues facing the general aviation community and talk about AOPA's Airport Watch program, which is a joint venture with the Transportation Security Administration to help keep America's general aviation airports secure from terrorists.

At the Pilot Town Meeting, Boyer will also be tauting a milestone that AOPA has achieved. Over the summer, the association topped the 400,000-member mark, making it the world's largest civil aviation organization.

Boyer will also outline a special tool that pilots can use as a reference when educating the public; it is the General Aviation Serving America Web site. This Web site is an initiative to educate the country about the important role of general aviation in the national economy and transportation system.

Phil Boyer, a 36-year veteran aviator and former network television senior executive, is the third full-time president in AOPA's 64-year history. Instrument and multiengine rated, he has logged nearly 7,000 flight hours, including two transatlantic crossings. He has been president of AOPA since January 1991.

Boyer has held over 300 Pilot Town Meetings since 1992, reporting to pilots all across the country and soliciting their feedback to keep AOPA action focused on current pilot concerns. To date, more than 65,000 pilots have participated in these Pilot Town Meetings.

AOPA represents pilots and owners of the 221,000 general aviation aircraft that constitute 92 percent of the U.S. civilian fleet.

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