Excitement building for second annual AOPA Day at Sun 'n Fun
Join us April 15 in The Big Yellow Tent
 Look for AOPA's big yellow tent at Sun 'n Fun. |
 The grand prize in the 2005 AOPA Day Garmin Giveaway Sweepstakes is a Garmin 296 GPS handheld. |
 First prize in the 2005 AOPA Day Garmin Giveaway Sweepstakes is an AOPA Wristwatch from Sporty's. |
As an AOPA member, you'll get special treatment from the moment you walk up to the entrance gate at Sun 'n Fun on Friday, April 15 - that's because it's the second annual AOPA Day.
The first perk you'll notice on AOPA Day is a $5 discount off the single-day admission for you, your spouse, and one other adult guest. This discount cannot be combined with any other special admission offers.
Everyone who attends Sun 'n Fun that day will get a special AOPA sticker when they enter the gate, and AOPA staff will be on the lookout for those sporting the yellow and blue patch. If you are spotted, you might get "pulled over" by the AOPA Surprize Squad and win a Garmin 296 handheld GPS or an AOPA watch from Sporty's Pilot Shop. The AOPA Surprize Squad will give away one handheld GPS and five watches.
But that's not your only chance to win prizes - stop by AOPA's big yellow tent to register for chances to win another Garmin 296 or one of five additional watches. Everyone who comes to the tent will receive a free CD containing all of the AOPA Online Safety Center courses and many other valuable resources, including AOPA's Real-Time Flight Planner, a powerful flight-planning program developed by Jeppesen exclusively for AOPA members.
While you're at the tent, don't forget to take a look at AOPA's Grand Prize in the 2005 AOPA Commander Countdown Sweepstakes: a 1972 Commander 112-A. Your Commander will be parked right beside the tent for the entire week, sporting its new paint scheme, interior, and Chelton FlightLogic ® glass panel. ( 
View a short video of the FlightLogic panel in action. Also see the restoration updates on the Commander.)
All this is just the tip of the iceberg. AOPA has an entire day of prizes, hangar sessions, and more lined up for your enjoyment.
AOPA Day started last year and is Sun 'n Fun's way of recognizing the association for its many contributions to general aviation through its three-fold mission: advocacy, education, and information. Last year's event marked the first time in Sun 'n Fun's history that a day had been set aside to honor a single organization.
AOPA Day actually kicks off the night before when AOPA President Phil Boyer hosts a Pilot Town Meeting at 7:45 p.m. on Thursday, April 14, at the Florida Air Museum, adjacent to Lakeland Linder Regional Airport. The Pilot Town Meeting (a free event open to the public) gives pilots a chance to learn what is going on in the industry and to ask questions or express their concerns to the world's largest general aviation association - more than 404,000 members strong.
"Pilot Town Meetings are one of the best ways for AOPA to know what's really on pilots' minds," said Boyer. "But this year we're also going to try something much more informal on AOPA Day itself."
Boyer and other key AOPA staffers will each take a turn answering questions in hour-long hangar sessions that will be held in the reception area next to the AOPA tent.
Visitors will have a chance to speak one-on-one with AOPA Air Safety Foundation Executive Director Bruce Landsberg about new courses from the AOPA Online Safety Center. AOPA Director of Medical Certification Gary Crump will discuss how AOPA helps save some 6,000 medical certifications each year and answer visitors' medical questions. AOPA Pilot Editor-in-Chief Tom Haines will discuss how the association publishes the world's favorite aviation magazine. Famed aviation photographer Mike Fizer will talk about techniques to take better airshow and aviation photographs, while AOPA Pilot editors Steve Ells and Tom Horne will discuss the restoration of the Commander Countdown Sweepstakes airplane.
Throughout the seven-day event, AOPA staff members will be on hand in the association's tent to show pilots all the tools that AOPA offers to make flying safer, more affordable, and just plain fun. There will also be a hospitality area where members will be able to relax.
April 1, 2005
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