www.AOPAProjectPilot.org
AOPA's Project Pilot provides members with the tools to find viable flight training candidates and support them as student pilots with the wisdom and encouragement of experienced pilots through mentoring. Students with a Project Pilot Mentor are three times more likely to successfully complete their training. This exciting program is available free to all AOPA members. You don't have to be a CFI to participate. All it takes is someone who wants to share the joy of general aviation and a few minutes a week to help student pilots along.
A message from Erik
Pass the juice
I am proud to be a founding board member of the Aviation High School in Seattle. My rationale for spending my time and energy on AHS is this: I graduated high school with a C average (not real proud of that). This doesn't reflect that I am of slightly below average intelligence, but it is evidence of my having more interesting things to do with my life than homework. I tried to do as much work as I could during class because my time out of school was spent exploring more exciting things.
Although my grades improved in college, it wasn't until I got to flight school that I earned a 4.0 grade point average. Why? Because I was into it! I'm not really good at math, but I did whatever it took to learn whatever I had to because I wanted it. I call that juice. Aviation gave me the juice to learn the math, to figure out how to fly NDB approaches, to memorize the FARs, and to tackle all of the tougher parts of becoming a commercial-rated pilot and instrument flight instructor.
That's what gives me the juice to spend my time working on the Aviation High School — we are giving kids the juice to learn whatever it is they need to learn about life through the aviation lens. I don't really even care if they end up in the aviation industry or not. The important thing is that they are motivated, and aviation does that.
Through AOPA Project Pilot you can share that juice. Take someone up for a flight. Encourage them to learn how to fly. Aviation changed my life and it keeps giving me the juice to reach new goals. Give that gift to someone else.
The sky is no longer the limit! — Erik Lindbergh
AirShares Elite accepts AOPA Project Pilot challenge
AOPA has formally challenged the nation's pilots to inspire others to learn to fly through the AOPA Project Pilot program. Nearly 1,500 have answered the call since the enhanced program was launched in early June.
Now a private company is the first to answer the challenge with dollars — $100,000!
AirShares Elite Inc., a professionally managed, shared ownership program operating nearly 50 aircraft across the country, is offering its 230 owner-pilots $100,000 worth of free flight time to use while actively mentoring new pilots. AirShares Chief Executive Officer David Lee hopes his customers will use the incentive to "bring those people in who come to us wanting to know more about aviation."
AirShares Elite hopes that after pilot candidates fly in its fleet's technically advanced Cirrus SR22s, they too will be moved by the excitement, safety, and benefits that only GA can add to both personal and business lifestyles.
"Using the great tools available through AOPA Project Pilot, we want to enable all of our owners to each convert at least one new prospect into a successful student pilot as well as challenge other aviation companies to step forward and support such a worthwhile cause," Lee said.
"We applaud AirShares Elite for stepping forward to help keep GA strong and growing," said Jeff Myers, executive vice president of communications for AOPA with responsibility for the Project Pilot program. "AirShares Elite is a wonderful example of how each of us can use the resources at our fingertips, to support the GA of today and tomorrow."
AOPA Project Pilot Mentors bring students to Oshkosh
Steve Danhof, AOPA 1573427, of Muskegon, Michigan, and student Scott Elsenbroek, from Grand Rapids, Michigan, toured around AirVenture together. Elsenbroek was hooked and ready to start flying once Danhof took him up for a flight and let him "play" with the controls. Still presolo, Elsenbroek is flying Cessna 172s out of Muskegon Airport (MKG).
Erv Dukatz Jr., AOPA 918858, of La Crosse, Wisconsin, brought his former neighbor Ernesto Brauer to AOPA's Big Yellow Tent. Dukatz first took Brauer for a flight a few years ago, but a new job has allowed Brauer to start lessons. He's finished ground school and is nearing his first solo. Dukatz and Brauer still fly together on weekends when Ernesto comes home to visit his family. Dukatz flies out of La Crosse (LSE), and Brauer takes his flying lessons out of South St. Paul Airport/Fleming Field (SGS).
Mentor and dad Henry Hartman, AOPA 838613, and son and student pilot Dale Hartman both live in Hanover, Pennsylvania. Dale is 15 years old. He's been flying with his dad since he was 2 or 3 years old, but entered his first dual instruction logbook entry in mid-July, just a few weeks before EAA AirVenture Oshkosh. He hopes to solo on his sixteenth birthday, November 25. His CFI, Dave Myers, thinks he'll be ready long before he's legal. He and his dad fly out of York Airport (THV), where they are part of a flying club that owns a Polish PZL Koliber (formerly the French Socata Rallye).
Rick Garcia, AOPA 749381, the owner of Gulf Coast Avionics, has signed up his son Ricky for AOPA Project Pilot.
Mentor Marc Epner, AOPA 677577, of Vernon Hills, Illinois, was in Oshkosh with his student, Yuemin Wang of Lake Zurich, Illinois.
We welcome your photos. While we can't guarantee publication, we encourage you to e-mail photos to [email protected] or call 800/USA-AOPA (800/872-2672). For more information or to nominate someone for AOPA Project Pilot, please go to the Web site.
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