President's position: Traveling light

For me, conversations with fellow aviators offer some of the best insight. One of my favorite aspects of working at AOPA is all the opportunities I have at fly-ins, conventions, airshows, and meet-ups to ask other pilots about their adventures and where they like to fly. It’s always rewarding to cross paths with fellow pilots at new destinations and share our flying adventures. My personal paradise is the Florida Keys, but everyone has their own, and I’ve found you can learn a lot about someone depending on their answer. I’ve also found that there’s no place like home.

For example, a history buff might have a special place in her heart for Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Not far from the general aviation airport, visitors have the opportunity to get a glimpse of the Civil War era by exploring the battlefield, taking tours, and walking around the historic city center.

All pilots can appreciate First Flight Airport on North Carolina’s Outer Banks. The field marks the birthplace of aviation, where the Wright brothers first took flight in 1903. Spanning 40 acres in Kill Devil Hills, the airport is a bucket list destination for any aviator looking to pay tribute to our founding fathers of flight. And wine connoisseurs may be partial to airports such as Napa County Airport, also known as the “Skyport to the Wine Country.” Conveniently located near the world-class winegrowing region with top-ranked restaurants and incredible golf courses, this Bay Area airport is not to be missed.

Aviators looking for a more relaxed vibe should check out some of the unique airports along our other coastlines. On Alabama’s Dauphin Island, the 3,000-foot runway juts into the water and is absolutely stunning. Beach bums on the West Coast might favor Catalina Island’s “Airport in the Sky,” perched 1,600 feet above the Pacific Ocean. The relatively short runway sits on the flat top of a mountain with cliffs at both ends—a fun challenge for any GA pilot. Adventurers to Catalina can also explore some of the best hiking trails, fishing, and boating, or just enjoy the California breeze on the island.

Coming from the Midwest, I find there are few places that are as beautiful as Mackinac Island, Michigan, and traveling by aircraft is one of the only ways to get to the island. GA aircraft are always welcome to visit and explore the shopping, carriage rides and lively nightlife. Don’t consider Michigan a flyover state.

Unbound by commercial airline regulations and strict procedures, GA flying is a gratifying and surreal experience that allows us to see the world from above. And aviation thrives when pilots are flying and airports are busy. We are doing more to inform you of all the great places there are to fly with our editorial content. AOPA’s Destinations platform is a tool we’ve been developing and updating to give pilots all the information they need before taking off. Using the airport directory, pilots can read crowdsourced airport and FBO reviews and get firsthand feedback about each location.

Pilots also can search for airports based on amenities and activities; plan trips by activity—whether it be outdoors, amusement parks, fishing, or museums; check nearby lodging; book rental cars; and store their favorite airports. I encourage all pilots to take advantage of AOPA’s resources to get out and discover new destinations.

And our advocacy team works every day to ensure that these great locations remain open and accessible to pilots and are a good place for aviation companies to conduct business. From working with elected officials on legislation to helping individual airports work through their challenges, our staff at headquarters and in the field are committed to protecting these economic engines and gateways to the world.

While flying to all these incredible places is always a thrill, everyone appreciates their home base. It may not be a coastal paradise or a runway below a snow-capped mountain. It may just be a grass strip in your backyard. But there’s nothing like being on final to your home airport, wherever that may be.

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