I was sitting in the terminal of a major airport recently, waiting to board a commercial flight. A vast wall of 40-foot windows provided an unobstructed view of the ramp area and runway. Inside, travelers paid little notice to the well-choreographed aviation ballet on the other side of the glass. Almost everyone was staring or tapping intently on a smartphone or electronic device.
Then I noticed a young girl whose family was sitting near the windows. She wasn’t looking down like the other passengers; she was out of her seat, peering intensely out the window and pointing. “Look, Mommy, look, Daddy—airplane! Airplane!” She was fascinated at the marvel of aviation and the magic of flight.
As I watched, I couldn’t help but lament the ways technology has encroached on our lives. No one except for this child was enamored by the show just outside the window. However, it occurred to me that the dream of flight and the passion for aviation are alive and well.
AOPA members tell me they feel strongly that if general aviation is to be a gift we can pass on to our children, then we need to take action, get new pilots flying, and reduce costs wherever possible. But technology has made the world a much busier place, and myriad activities compete for a potential pilot’s time and resources. GA pilot numbers are declining, and I am often asked what AOPA is doing about it. I’m happy to report that AOPA and the AOPA Foundation are taking action. In the past 24 months, we have made some remarkable strides.
First, we recognize there’s no silver-bullet solution. It will take a multipronged effort to address our collective challenges. Here are just a few of the programs we are working on to get young people excited about aviation and keep the passion for flying alive in current pilots.
AOPA has designed a national program to support and strengthen aviation-focused high school science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) programs. One objective is to increase the number of pilots who eventually will fill the looming shortage of career aviators. A broader objective is to partner with the aviation and aerospace industry to create a pipeline for future employees. Additionally, AOPA’s AV8RS program helps kids get inspired and become the pilots of tomorrow. The foundation also provides scholarships designed to help young people complete their pilot training.
And we aren’t just focused on the younger generation. Sometimes life intervenes and pulls seasoned pilots away from flying. We want them back. Through Rusty Pilot seminars, we’ve been able to get more than 1,000 dormant pilots back in the air. To help ensure they fly safely, the AOPA Air Safety Institute provides more than 300 safety education products to all pilots for free.
We also want to make flying more affordable. Our Flying Club program and Flying Club Finder help pilots enjoy flying at a significantly reduced cost and create a community at the airport. Speaking of community, AOPA Fly-Ins have been an unparalleled success. With close to 30,000 attendees over two years, we are taking the fun of aviation to our members, letting everyone enjoy a day at the airport.
I love going to these events and meeting AOPA members. However, I am surprised at how many members don’t realize that all of the programs I’ve mentioned are funded through support to the AOPA Foundation. If one of these programs holds significant importance to you, then I would encourage you to go above and beyond, and help us continue this important work. We have many tax-deductible options. And support can be in many forms. Thousands of volunteers assist during our regional fly-ins, and members continue to lend their voice in support of third class medical reform and against user fees. Our strength comes from our collective passion for GA and flying.
Technology is wonderful, but it often distracts us from what makes life so interesting. The airplane, in its variety of forms, is still one of the most extraordinary and awe-inspiring inventions in the modern world. It simultaneously defies gravity, provides freedom, and bends the rules of time travel. The young girl clamoring to share the magic of aviation with her parents reminded me of that. If we allow ourselves to focus for a moment on the real world, and stop spending so much time in the virtual one, we can find inspiration to enrich our lives—even in a setting like a commercial airport. The AOPA Foundation is working hard to keep the dream of flight alive and vibrant, so that when a child presses her face against the glass and marvels at the magic of aviation, she’ll have a pathway to pursue that dream.
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George Perry leads the work of the AOPA Air Safety Institute, which is funded by the AOPA Foundation.
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