Giving away AOPA Sweepstakes airplanes
Well, I have -- each of the 12 times that I have presented a key to the lucky winner of an airplane in AOPA's annual membership sweepstakes.
Although I only get to give away one airplane each year, more than 50,000 typically change hands in a 12-month period. Only 2,000 are brand-new. The vast majority are, as a car salesperson might say, previously owned. Unlike a 10-year-old car, however, an aircraft can be refurbished and brought up to like-new -- or, in many cases, better-than-new -- condition.
That refurbishment process is the reason AOPA gives away an airplane each year. The work that goes into the airplane, and the reasons for selecting some modifications and improvements over others, are documented extensively on AOPA Online and in this magazine's sister publication, AOPA Pilot. Often the result is one tricked-out airplane. Some on our staff joke that the airplane isn't finished until the weight of additional manuals, handbooks, and paperwork equal the airplane's useful load.
We don't expect any one owner to replicate all the modifications we typically make to a sweepstakes airplane -- a process that can extend from a new engine, custom paint, and interior to state-of-the-art avionics, enhanced interior and exterior lighting, and new fairings and modifications designed to make the airplane fly faster.
The value of the sweepstakes is for anyone who buys a previously owned airplane and considers updates or modifications. Articles documenting our efforts provide inspiration about the unlimited possibilities available to an aircraft owner, as well as insights, tips, and guidance that will help them along the way. Although a completed AOPA sweepstakes airplane tends to be a unique creation, virtually every step along the way can be applicable to any aircraft, even if it is a different make or model.
When my wife, Lois, and I set out to modify our 1977 Cessna 172, we drew heavily from articles about past AOPA sweepstakes airplanes. And although the engine and paint on our airplane were in great condition, we did install a new interior and upgrade the avionics and instrument panel -- choosing the ideas and features we liked best from this plethora of options.
This year's project, the 2005 AOPA Commander Countdown, involves the refurbishment of a 1974 Rockwell Commander 112A. It is a low-wing, retractable-gear, single-engine airplane known for its stable ride, roomy cabin, and rugged construction. It's an ideal airplane for personal transportation, recreational flying, or the new student pilot who's ready to move up to a complex airplane -- with its variable-pitch propeller and retractable landing gear -- and start on an instrument rating.
One of the many reasons we selected the Commander is its large instrument panel. This allows us to install a wide variety of contemporary avionics, centered around the Chelton FlightLogic Electronic Flight Instrument System (EFIS). This EFIS is one of the modern glass cockpits you've read about in the pages of this magazine, and it gives the Commander capabilities similar to (and in some ways better than) those of state-of-the-art jets. Instead of traditional flight instruments and round "steam gauge" dials, the winner of this unique aircraft will reference a large, full-color primary flight display (PFD) and multifunction display (MFD) to aviate, navigate, and monitor aircraft performance. Glass-cockpit aircraft are in high demand, especially among the flight academies and universities that specialize in training career pilots.
How can AOPA afford such extensive projects? Many aircraft components and modifications are contributed by their manufacturers, and most of the rest are provided at a substantial discount. This allows us to undertake more ambitious projects than we -- or most aircraft owners, for that matter -- could otherwise afford.
Every AOPA member who joins or renews their membership during the calendar year is automatically entered in the sweepstakes. Student pilots enrolled in the free AOPA Flight Training six-month introductory membership are not, however -- your membership must be paid. Why wait? Your free introductory membership has already demonstrated the value of AOPA's modest $39 annual dues. Join today and your membership will begin, automatically and seamlessly, when the introductory period ends. And you'll know that you're eligible to win this fantastic airplane.
Giving away airplanes is one of the great pleasures of this job, which doesn't always have a lot of fun things to offer. I'll be giving away AOPA's Commander Countdown Sweepstakes airplane early next year. Will you be the winner?
For more information on the 2005 AOPA Commander Count-down Sweepstakes, see AOPA Online.
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