Pitch us your airport
AOPA seeks future fly-In locations
AOPA regional fly-ins have grown since 2014 into one of our most successful efforts, drawing members together for events hosted at the airports where we love to fly. We’d love to have you add your favorite airport to our list.
AOPA’s event planning team has issued a nationwide request for proposals to host a 2019 AOPA Regional Fly-In. It will be our eightieth anniversary year, and we are looking to find two very special airports—one in the east and one in the west—well suited for a big crowd. The events team also is looking for candidate airports for 2020 and beyond.
“To help airports make a proposal, we’ve created a two-stage response to the request for proposals. The first is to simply submit a one-page statement of interest that triggers a phone interview with me, followed later by the full-blown, multi-page proposal response,” Eads said. “This will help us guide airports in the right direction and hopefully trim their workload.”
Airport managers and owners who believe their facility would be a good fit for an AOPA Fly-In are strongly encouraged to start the process. The regional fly-ins have grown into major events that draw thousands of visitors and hundreds of aircraft, with a two-day schedule of activities for individuals and groups, seminars and clinics, great food, and a chance to spend some quality time with fellow pilots and their families—the people who understand best what we love about flying. The 2018 lineup includes four of these events, and those airports and their surrounding communities can also expect a tidy influx of business. (One of our goals is to craft fly-in activities and opportunities to encourage return visits long after the event is over.)
Information on how to begin the process of being considered for a future AOPA Fly-In is all here, and any pilot, fixed-base operator, or AOPA Airport Support Network volunteer is encouraged to offer suggestions and connect Eads and his team with airport operations staff and/or ownership.
