Schiff named chairman of AOPA Foundation Legacy Society

The AOPA Foundation Legacy Society recognizes those who have included a gift to the AOPA Foundation in their estate plans. The gifts help ensure a solid future for general aviation by supporting AOPA’s important You Can Fly program and the Air Safety Institute. These efforts are committed to growing the pilot population and keeping aviators safe in the skies.

“Like many other pilots, my entire life experience has benefited from my connection to aviation,” Schiff said. “While I’ve also managed to make a career in aviation, anyone who experiences general aviation knows that the discipline and perspective you have as a pilot enriches all areas of your life. And for that I am grateful and want to make sure that others have the same opportunities that I had. My legacy gift to the AOPA Foundation will help assure that happens.”

A longtime AOPA member, columnist, and contributor to AOPA Pilot magazine, and a retired airline captain with more than 28,000 hours logged in more than 360 types of aircraft, Schiff has flown everything from the Lockheed Constellation to the Boeing 747 during his storied career. He has received numerous honors for his many contributions to aviation safety.

“Barry has a unique understanding of the Legacy Society’s benefits and needs, and what we need to do to ensure a robust general aviation community for future generations,” said AOPA Foundation Executive Director Melissa Rudinger. “I look forward to working with Barry to create strategies to build recognition and participation in the Legacy Society.”

Members of the Legacy Society have made a commitment to future giving in a number of ways: through a specific dollar amount or an asset, such as an aircraft, in their will or trust; by giving a percentage amount from their estate; or by naming the AOPA Foundation as a beneficiary of their life insurance, IRA, 401(k), or other account.

“It’s vital that general aviation grow and prosper, and including a legacy gift to the AOPA Foundation  gives AOPA members a vehicle to make a personal contribution to that cause,” said Schiff. “There is no other organization that works as hard for general aviation the way AOPA does, and no opportunity like joining the Legacy Society for you to be a part of it.”

Rudinger explained that making a legacy gift can be an appropriate giving strategy for individuals in multiple stages of life. “While many may think of an estate plan later in life, considering legacy giving now allows people to implement a smart financial strategy while ensuring that general aviation is an important recipient,” Rudinger said.

Legacy Society members have the opportunity to have their names engraved on the Legacy Society recognition wall at AOPA headquarters in Frederick, Maryland, joining hundreds who have already named the AOPA Foundation in their estate plans.

For more information on joining the AOPA Foundation Legacy Society, please visit the Legacy Giving page on our website, or contact the Legacy Giving office at 301-695-2320 or via email.

The You Can Fly program and the Air Safety Institute are funded by charitable donations to the AOPA Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization. To be a part of the solution, visit www.aopafoundation.org/donate.