AOPA Fly-Ins: Top 5 Reasons Members Volunteer

Spending time at the airport. Aviators are always looking for an excuse to hang out at the airport, and the AOPA Fly-In is a perfect one. Airports come to life as hundreds of pilots fly in and thousands of aviation enthusiasts camp, enjoy educational seminars, shop in the exhibit hall, look at display aircraft, and hang out with other pilots. In addition to spending a day at the airport, volunteers get a behind-the-scenes perspective of what it takes to host a fly-in because they are an active part of pulling it off safely and efficiently.

Close to the action. Pilots can volunteer to help with airside operations, where they are stationed on taxiways and in grassy areas closer to the runway than the main event. It offers a first opportunity to look at tricked-out, rare, or brand-new aircraft as they taxi by.

Working with airplanes. Pilots love to work around airplanes—the sights and sounds of aircraft maneuvering on the ground are second only to the sights and sounds of aircraft flying. The adrenaline rush of watching an aircraft taxi by, marshalling it to the parking area, or parking aircraft offers a sense of adventure and accomplishment.

Meeting fellow pilots. General aviation is a welcoming community in which pilots from all over the country can bond instantly during a conversation about flying. Volunteers said that one of their favorite aspects of the event was greeting pilots after they had parked and shut down their aircraft. Working with fellow pilots also ranked high. Two pilots who volunteered at the Plymouth, Massachusetts, Fly-In in 2014 really hit it off and later married.

Being a part of AOPA. By helping fly-in airside operations run smoothly, volunteers expressed a closer sense of belonging to AOPA. Many cited the shoulder-to-shoulder interactions with AOPA staff members as one of the benefits of volunteering—and were even on a first-name basis with staff by the time their volunteer shift ended.

Pilots interested in volunteering at 2017 AOPA Fly-Ins can explore the opportunities available at all four of the 2017 locations and sign up to help out. Volunteers also receive a free lunch, a volunteer T-shirt, and a cap as a thank-you from AOPA.

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