I spend a lot of time traveling around the country and talking to pilots, especially at this time of year when everyone is enjoying the great weather and many airshow and fly-in opportunities. All this year, I’ve been talking to the people I meet about engagement and what we can do to protect our freedom to fly. Everywhere I go, people ask me, “What can I do to help?”
One of the simplest things you can do is make a contribution to one of AOPA’s three fundraising programs. Unfortunately, I’ve discovered that too many AOPA members don’t know about these initiatives and what they do. I want to take this opportunity to tell you about these programs and why they are so important to the future.
The first, the AOPA Foundation, is AOPA’s 501(c)(3) charitable organization. Money raised by the AOPA Foundation is tax deductible and goes to support safety, education, and research programs. Specifically, the AOPA Foundation is focusing its efforts on four areas that our members have identified as critical to general aviation’s future: protecting airports, improving the image of general aviation, enhancing GA safety, and restoring the pilot population. In just the past year, the AOPA Foundation has funded numerous AOPA Air Safety Foundation projects. It also helped to increase the awareness of GA by supporting AOPA Live—a streaming media outlet that has reached more than 150,000 people in 160 countries with video information, stories, and interviews on general aviation topics. If you haven’t visited the AOPA Live section of the Web site, take a look. We’ve recently added great new content from our recent travels.
The second, the AOPA Political Action Committee, is just for AOPA members. It stands up for the rights of pilots and represents the interests of general aviation in Congress. In this election year, it has an especially important role to play, helping AOPA support candidates who support GA.
And the third, the GA Serves America campaign, was created to let people know just how valuable GA is to all Americans, whether they fly or not. Through advertising, public events, and other opportunities, GA Serves America is helping decision makers and the public discover GA’s vital role in our national transportation network. In fact, it’s a message that the campaign has delivered more than 44 million times—and, with the help of our volunteer spokesmen, actors Harrison Ford and Morgan Freeman, is continuing to get the message out in Washington, D.C., and around the nation.
All of this is in addition to the wide range of services we provide to AOPA members every day. That’s why we need your help. It’s a big agenda, but it’s one we believe is vital to protecting our freedom to fly for the long term.
We’re making it easier for you to learn more about each of these programs with a tab on the AOPA.org home page. When you make a contribution to the AOPA Foundation, the AOPA Political Action Committee, or the GA Serves America campaign, you’re joining thousands of other pilots, aircraft owners, and aviation enthusiasts—so even small individual contributions can have a big impact.
I encourage you to visit our Web site and learn more about the work we’re doing on behalf of GA, and I hope you’ll consider making a contribution as well. Only your support can provide the resources we need to protect our freedom to fly. And, it’s one of the easiest and most effective things you can do to get engaged!
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