Pilot Briefing

AOPA News

You Can Fly challenge tops its goal

Generous donors exceed AOPA Foundation expectations

By Julie Summers Walker

More than $2.8 million has been contributed to the 2019 AOPA You Can Fly Challenge, which ended on August 31, 2019. Donations from more than 5,000 generous donors will help fund the life-changing opportunities the You Can Fly program brings to the aviation community.

“The You Can Fly program’s performance is truly outstanding, and based on the fundraising results, our fellow aviators agree it’s a worthwhile investment to help others develop life skills through aviation and grow our pilot ranks,” said Chuck Ahearn, president of the James C. Ray Foundation.

The 2019 challenge exceeded expectations and, because of the amount raised, the Ray Foundation’s directors voted to increase its matching grant from $2 million to $2.5 million, combining with other donor contributions to total more than $5.3 million in funding for You Can Fly.

The AOPA Foundation supports the You Can Fly program's four initiatives: a high school science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) curriculum that is inspiring the next generation of pilots; resources to improve the flight training experience; support for new and existing flying clubs; and Rusty Pilots seminars to help lapsed pilots get back in the air.

“Our donors continue to amaze me,” said Jennifer Storm, vice president of the AOPA Foundation. “We asked for their support to help build a stronger pilot community and they stepped up by making generous contributions that will help more people become pilots, continue flying, or get back into flying.”

“When a number of larger donations were made in the final days of August, we were incredibly grateful that the Ray Foundation was willing to consider a proposal to increase its matching grant,” Storm said.

The Ray Foundation has for the past four years offered a matching grant to the AOPA Foundation to provide significant funding for You Can Fly’s mission to get and keep more pilots flying. The 2019 matching grant is an increase over last year’s $1.4 million challenge. In 2018, donors rose to the challenge and contributed more than $1.8 million and the Ray Foundation increased its matching grant to $1.8 million for a total of more than $3.6 million in funding.

The 2019 You Can Fly challenge results were announced at the Tullahoma, Tennessee, AOPA Fly-In on September 14.

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Together with its generous supporters, the AOPA Foundation is building a stronger, safer pilot community. To contribute, please visit aopafoundation.org/donate

Events

Shining light on veterans day

Every November 11 at precisely 11:11 a.m. on Veterans Day, a remarkable tribute to fallen soldiers occurs in Arizona. At that time, the sun’s rays pass through the elliptical openings of five pillars at the Anthem Veterans Memorial in Anthem, Arizona, illuminating a glass mosaic medallion of the Great Seal of the United States.

The five pillars represent the five branches of the United States military. They stagger in size from 17 feet tall to six feet tall, with military seal placements on each pillar, arranged in the Department of Defense order of precedence (from tallest to shortest): Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard.

The memorial was designed by artist Renee Palmer-Jones and erected in 2011.

A Circle of Honor around the monument features brick pavers, which are inscribed with the names of U.S. servicemen and women. The pavers are red, the pillars are white, and, yep, the sky is blue to represent America’s flag.

News

GA rallies to help in the Bahamas

Pilots put passion into Dorian recovery

On September 1, Hurricane Dorian devastated the Bahamas, turning portions of the island paradise into a disaster zone. The hurricane caused nearly “total destruction” to two islands before bearing down on the United States. GA pilots were quick to respond with offers to deliver supplies and to assist recovery efforts, but officials suggested exercising caution to make sure recovery efforts are safe and orderly.

The Abaco and Grand Bahama Islands bore the brunt of the storm’s wrath as it stalled above them and pummeled the islands for more than 36 hours with 185-mph winds. AOPA’s senior leaders traveled to Florida to coordinate with Bahamian officials soon after the storm moved north, and various general aviation organizations began flying in food, water, and other critically needed items almost as soon as weather conditions allowed. However, the combination of devastated infrastructure and the limited capacity to service aircraft on the ground reinforced AOPA’s messaging to pilots: Don’t go; but donate to relief organizations instead.

By September 8, the airports and airspace around Grand Bahama Island and the Abaco Islands were so congested with well-meaning relief flights that aviation authorities reached out to AOPA pleading for pilots to follow procedures.

“General aviation is poised to do the best it can to help Bahamians recover from this disaster,” said AOPA President Mark Baker. “The number one thing you can do right now is to start donating to relief groups that are going to be in the area” to fuel their efforts to rebuild. He added that rebuilding would be “a complicated relief effort” because of the number of boats, aircraft, military traffic, and two governments involved in the process. He acknowledged there would likely be frustration as efforts ramp up and asked for patience. “We are going to try and work this thing through as best as we can and as fast as we can.”

AOPA has a long history of working with the Bahamian government and its people; AOPA members operate thousands of airplanes and helicopters in the area and many have visited the Bahamas in better times and forged lifelong friendships there.

Tom Haines, senior vice president of AOPA Media and Outreach, who was in Nassau after the storm, said the devastation in the Bahamas was “much worse than when we helped in 2017” when GA aircraft caravans brought much-needed supplies to Florida and the Caribbean islands after Hurricanes Irma and Maria.

“One of the best ways to help is for GA pilots to donate to relief organizations that are already in the area, that are skilled in these types of recovery efforts,” Haines said. “It’s going to be a massive effort” to rebuild after nearly “total devastation on some of the islands.”

How to help: aopa.org/pilot/dorianrelief