No doubt you have heard about The Center to Advance the Pilot Community, AOPA’s energetic and far-reaching initiative to increase the number of student pilots who go on to earn a pilot certificate, and to reverse the decline in the number of active pilots. So, consider yourself invited to meet the center’s team members and participate in four forums that they will present at the thirty-ninth annual Sun ’n Fun Fly-in and Expo, April 9 through 14 at Florida’s Lakeland Linder Regional Airport.
Flying clubs meet-up
AOPA has performed extensive research to discover what encourages and supports student pilots as they work through their training, and what keeps pilots active and engaged in their passion for flight once training is completed. One important answer to both questions: flying clubs! Join speaker Adam Smith, the Center to Advance the Pilot Community’s senior vice president, on April 10 from 9 to 11 a.m. for a Flying Clubs Meet-up and Information Sharing session, in Forum Room No. 1. This will be an opportunity for existing clubs—and those just getting started—to share ideas for growth and expansion. A series of breakout sessions will focus on topics including marketing, insurance, financing, maintenance, and starting a new flying club. Joining Smith to moderate the forum will be Woody Cahall, vice president of AOPA’s Pilot Information Center, and Chris Lawler, program manager of the AOPA Flying Club Network.
Adventures beyond the pattern
Earning your pilot certificate was a thrill and a challenge. What comes next? From new aircraft to new destinations to new training goals, the possibilities are almost limitless. For insights about where to go from here, join Shannon Yeager, the Center to Advance the Pilot Community’s vice president of strategic initiatives, on April 11 at 10 a.m. in Room No. 4 to craft ways to create adventures beyond the flight training environment. (Doesn’t that topic have an exciting ring to it, now that you can officially act as pilot in command?)
Reducing flying costs: A ‘new era’
Can’t get enough of your flying? The center knows that one sure way to make the most of your time aloft is to reduce its cost. Let Cahall put a new shine on an old strategy. “The tried and true techniques to save a few dollars here and there still work. But this is a new era,” he says. “The ability for every pilot to dramatically decrease the cost of flying is at hand.” So stop by and attend the Center to Advance the Pilot Community’s one-hour forum Reduce Your Cost of Flying… the “New” News, on April 11 at 11 a.m. in Room No. 7. Learn what AOPA and individual pilots are doing to cut the cost of flying!
Your path to pilothood—learn to fly!
What’s one thing that all prospective pilots have in common? They are overflowing with questions about how to get started on their training, and how to keep the program moving ahead. Luckily for them, AOPA and the Center to Advance the Pilot Community are overflowing with answers—and the staff loves providing them! No one does that better than Brittney Miculka, AOPA’s manager of flight training initiatives. Join her for the forum Your Path to Pilothood—Learn to Fly! on April 13 at 11 a.m. in Room No. 1. Find out how to save time and money, overcome obstacles, and get access to free student support resources.
All of the staff of the Center to Advance the Pilot Community look forward to meeting you at AOPA’s Tent at Sun ’n Fun, and at the forums, and can’t wait to share some time with you at one of the first major aviation events of 2013. So come on out and tell us about your flying!
AOPA preps for Sun 'n Fun presence
The 2013 Sun 'n Fun International Fly-In and Expo is on as scheduled with the same high-quality FAA air traffic controllers. To purchase tickets online click here. Remember, AOPA members receive a $5 discount on daily admission to the show. Discount admission can be purchased at the gate.
Learn more about AOPA events and activities at the show online.
