AOPA Project Pilot gives experienced pilots a way to share their love of flight by mentoring student pilots. Backed by the resources of AOPA, mentors help guarantee the best possible introduction to flying, from first flight to checkride.
Success story
After years spent dreaming of flight, I finally received my private pilot certificate on April 23, 2004. I joined AOPA in early 2003, before considering taking flight lessons. While browsing the AOPA message boards, I read a message written by a coworker, Darren Pralle, AOPA 4069536. I contacted Darren and it turned out that we were located on the same floor of the same building! Darren strengthened my desire to fly by taking me on several trips in his flight club's Cessna 172. Although I insisted that I couldn't afford to fly until my kids, who are 3 and 5, were through college, my wife, Cathy, convinced me that learning to fly later in life would only waste years that could have been spent flying. We agreed that the money used for this passion would be well spent. As I began my flight training, Darren signed up to be my AOPA Project Pilot mentor. Part of keeping the costs of training down were the hundreds of free ground school hours logged by having Darren explain concepts to me. Darren was an invaluable part of my flight training. Seven months after beginning my training, and 63.4 hours later, I am a private pilot. I owe much of my success to Darren and to AOPA for bringing us together. I couldn't have done it without Cathy's support and patience, and my instructor, Frank Schmidt of Davis Airport in Maryland. — Adam Donaldson, AOPA 4743470, Mount Airy, Maryland
An expanded version of "Project Pilot Update" is available online. Visit the Web site ( www.aopa.org/info/pp/) and click on the link Project Pilot Update.
We welcome your photos. While we can't guarantee publication, we encourage following the photo guidelines available online ( www.aopa.org/info/pp/) or by calling 800/USA-AOPA (800/872-2672). For more information or to nominate someone for AOPA Project Pilot, please go to the Web site ( www.aopa.org/info/pp/).
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