AOPA takes 'em flying!
Helps reporters understand GA through discovery flights
One of the biggest obstacles to helping the non-flying public understand general aviation is a reporter who shares the public's misconceptions. But AOPA is working to change that - one reporter at a time.
Working with flight schools around the country, AOPA is arranging for reporters to take a discovery flight themselves.
The flights take some of the mystery out of flying and give the reporters a hands-on understanding that they can use when covering GA stories. And the flights pay an extra dividend, because the reporters, in turn, are telling their readers what a thrill it is.
"You know the feeling when you're speeding up a hill in your car or on a roller coaster and your stomach drops a bit as your head gets lighter?" wrote one first-time pilot/reporter recently. "It's a really neat feeling, especially when you're the one controlling it."
"Expanding the pilot population is vital to the continued health of aviation in America," said AOPA President Phil Boyer. "And offering discovery flights to reporters is a great way to reach those who don't know how to take that first step."
AOPA members can help, too, by offering to take local reporters or civic leaders flying. More information on how to conduct a successful discovery flight is available online.
See more stories from across the country.
March 13, 2006
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