10th annual Fly-In to AOPA headquarters June 3 will feature more seminars, more airplanes, more exhibits, and more Machado

10th annual Fly-In to AOPA headquarters June 3 will feature more seminars, more airplanes, more exhibits, and more Machado

AOPA's tenth annual Fly-In to AOPA headquarters will feature a return appearance by noted aviation humorist Rod Machado, more exhibits, more airplanes, and more seminars. The Fly-In is scheduled for Saturday, June 3, from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Frederick (Maryland) Municipal Airport.

"For me, the AOPA Fly-In is one of the best events of the year," said AOPA President Phil Boyer. "It's a wonderful opportunity for pilots and their families to get together, attend some exciting seminars, and see the latest developments in aircraft and equipment.

"And it's just plain fun to meet and talk with all of our great AOPA members."

The AOPA Fly-In is the one day each year that AOPA headquarters is open on a weekend, the time most general aviation pilots have an opportunity to fly.

The event has grown larger and more exciting each year and is considered one of the premier aviation events in the Mid-Atlantic region. Last year, more than 720 aircraft and 7,000 aviation enthusiasts and their families participated.

More exhibits, more seminars

More than 100 exhibitors and static display aircraft are scheduled this year. AOPA has expanded its giant exhibit tent by more than 60 percent to accommodate the additional displays.

An expanded roster of educational seminars is planned, with presentations from the AOPA Air Safety Foundation, the FAA, Embry-Riddle Aviation University, and AOPA technical experts.

Seminars will include:

• Operations at Towered Airports
  Increase your knowledge and boost your confidence with tips and techniques for flying in Class D airspace. Learn how to avoid runway incursions.
• Airspace Refresher
  A clear explanation of today's modern airspace to help you untangle the maze of weather, equipment, pilot, and communication requirements for each airspace class.
• More Never Again
  True stories of brushes with disaster that provide powerful lessons in dealing with flying challenges.
• Protecting your medical certification
  Tips on minimizing delays and complications with your next medical certification.
• Cockpit Companion
  Learn how to use your right-seat companion to make each flight safer and more enjoyable.
• Ask the Lawyers
  Always one of AOPA's most popular seminars, pilots can gain valuable insight into the legal side of flying and ask questions of AOPA and FAA attorneys.
• GPS for VFR Operations
  Learn the capabilities, traps, and tricks of GPS navigation for the VFR pilot.

Humor and learning with Rod Machado

A special treat for pilots will be two presentations by acclaimed lecturer and columnist for AOPA Pilot and Flight Training magazine, Rod Machado.

His two AOPA Fly-In presentations, "Creative Solutions to the Aviator's Most Common Problems" and "Hangar Flying with Machado," will offer aviation wisdom wrapped in humor.

'Millennium Mooney' on display, plus special prizes

AOPA's 2000 sweepstakes plane, the " Millennium Mooney," is also scheduled to headline the Fly-In static display. The refurbished and upgraded Mooney 201 is still a work in progress, but pilots will see the exciting new instrument panel and an avionics suite based around innovative UPS Aviation Technologies offerings. The "Millennium Mooney" should be sporting its striking, "Harley-like" paint job as well.

Pilots who sign in at the AOPA registration booth will be eligible to win special door prizes, including a Garmin GPS III Pilot and a framed aircraft photograph by AOPA Pilot magazine photographer Mike Fizer.

AOPA headquarters will be open for guided tours. AOPA staff will be on hand to answer questions about association operations, furnish aviation technical information, and explain the policy issues affecting pilots and aircraft owners today.

Breakfast may be purchased beginning at 8 a.m., while lunch service begins at 11:30 a.m.

The FAA will set up a temporary control tower on Saturday, June 3. Special AOPA Fly-In arrival and departure procedures will be in effect from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. A temporary FAA flight service station will operate in the exhibitors' tent, with flight service specialists offering pilots face-to-face briefings.

Fly-In procedures, driving directions, and additional information are available on the AOPA Web site or by calling 888/462-3976.

The 355,000-member Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association is the world's largest civil aviation organization. More than one half of the nation's pilots are AOPA members.

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April 20, 2000