Sweepstakes promotes GA safety

Paul Burger, a retired businessman and general aviation pilot, is the founder of the Wings Industry Advisory Committee, a volunteer coalition of stakeholders in GA safety that recently distributed “cash incentives” through the $10,000 Paul and Fran Burger WINGS Sweepstakes. Awards went to selected participating CFIs with membership in the National Association of Flight Instructors or the Society for Aviation and Safety Educators “who assist their clients to earn a phase of Wings at the Flight Review,” and to selected pilots who complete a Wings program phase, “whether Basic, Advanced or Master.”

The 2019 sweepstakes is open to all pilots and CFIs to encourage participation in the FAA educational program aimed at reducing GA accidents. The entry deadline is Dec. 31, 2019, for a chance at four prizes of $1,500, four prizes of $750, and two prizes of $500.

According to the Wings Industry Advisory Committee website, Burger is a “passionate aviator” who earned commercial and airline transport pilot certificates, single- and multiengine and instrument ratings, and accumulated 2,446 hours of flight time. “During his time flying he heard of many GA accidents, too many resulted in fatalities. Then, Paul lost two very special friends to a GA accident that he and others believed could have been avoided with adequate training,” it says.

Burger then “made it his personal mission help save the lives of pilots and their passengers by making a substantial donation to the AOPA Air Safety Institute and most recently put up $50,000 for this sweepstakes.” The sweepstakes is funded “at $10,000 per year through 2022.”

AOPA supports the FAA’s Wings program, and has made it possible for pilots who take the AOPA Air Safety Institute’s Focused Flight Review to receive Wings program credit for their work, said Air Safety Institute Executive Director Richard McSpadden.

“We appreciate any effort to promote Wings and grow aviation safety,” he said.

Burger said organizations including the FAA Safety Team, the National Association of Flight Instructors, and the Society of Aviation and Flight Educators support the initiative. Hartzell Propeller of Piqua, Ohio, is a national sponsor. There are also several aviation groups acting as industry sponsors, and several individual sponsors.

“We have all agreed to move forward under the following premise: When it comes to general aviation safety, we cooperate, we don’t compete,” he said.