President's Perspective

How to make a good impression about GA

Even as student pilots, we have an opportunity to make an impression on many other people every day: our fellow student pilots, instructors, other pilots, airport neighbors, and our community. The impressions that we make, both individually and as a group, have a huge impact on how millions of people view general aviation. In all my years of meeting new people and mentioning that I'm a pilot, I have yet to meet someone who doesn't want to engage in a conversation that many times starts with, "I've always dreamed about learning to fly."

The fact is that most people take little notice of general aviation aircraft. Those few who do understand GA's many economic and social benefits strongly support it. As with anything that few people understand, a handful give GA a bum rap or make it a target of their uninformed criticism. Whether they're genuinely concerned citizens or misguided politicians, they have the ability to paint a negative picture of general aviation and confuse others.

One of AOPA's key missions is to inform both pilots and nonpilots. We keep our more than 414,000 members well informed on an increasingly broad range of issues and challenges, communicating through a variety of media--from this magazine and AOPA Pilot to AOPA Online, our recently redesigned Web site, and free weekly e-mail newsletters. But we also work hard to inform the nonflying public about what GA is, what it is not, what it does, and what it means to them.

We just concluded a series of TV commercials that ran through the holiday season on The Weather Channel. These 30-second announcements helped to educate viewers about general aviation, telling them about GA's important contributions. Each ad invited the audience to visit the GA Serving America Web site to learn more. I urge you to visit the site yourself if you have not had the opportunity to do so; it provides a wealth of information, and you'll find lots you can use as you talk to people about GA. These commercials ran 114 times and reached more than 36 million households. That means we made impressions on more than 36 million Americans.

We also ran a 30-second advertisement on the Outdoor Channel that promoted the idea of learning to fly. This spot was run 266 times and reached some 10.7 million households. Some of these viewers have always wanted to learn to fly, and they accepted an invitation to visit the Be A Pilot Web site and download a coupon for a discounted introductory flight.

The TV ads we ran will help to reinforce the right impressions about GA. But there is still got a lot of work to do--and we will do it. If you're currently a student pilot, remember that you will create impressions on every flight you make. Your instructor takes careful notice, as will the FAA examiner on your checkride. And those of us who already have our pilot certificate must be sure we continue to make all the right impressions by the way we conduct our flights--every time.

As you will learn--or have been learning--a lot goes into planning a successful flight. It may start with checking the weather, calculating fuel consumption, and figuring weight and balance. But it also means staying current about--and fully complying with--a wide range of regulations and notices to airmen, some creating temporary flight restrictions that affect your route of flight. You may occasionally read that a few pilots failed to comply with airspace restrictions; it sometimes makes the evening news when it happens. And I cannot overemphasize the fact that it doesn't take many of those violations to create a bad impression about GA.

Continuing to make a good impression is much easier thanks to an amazing array of resources from AOPA. You have immediate--and free--access to a range of powerful tools. Whether it is information to talk with local residents about their perception of airport noise or to explain why students seem to be flying over their homes constantly for touch-and-go landings, these resources are available online 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You can learn how to fly friendly, taking steps to reduce your aircraft's noise footprint on the ground--the neighborly approach can go a long way toward making friends around your airport. These tools and others at AOPA Online were prepared by professionals who conducted extensive research and are aware of the most frequently asked questions--and the best way to address them.

Be sure to take full advantage of these resources. They're all part of your AOPA member benefits. Some of your instructors may not even be aware that this information exists on AOPA Online. Remember that "a good pilot is always learning," and AOPA is here to help you learn how to make the right impression on those who don't know much about general aviation--every time you are asked.