The spirit of giving

We give of our time, we open our homes, and we give from the wallet. In fact, the United States was named the world’s most generous country over the past decade by the Charities Aid Foundation’s World Giving Index.

I’m not surprised about that, and am also not amazed that National Philanthropy Day and Giving Tuesday are becoming staples in November, a month already known for benevolence.

Yet nowhere have I found a more caring community than general aviation. Whether it’s Angel Flights, rescuing people and property from natural disasters, transporting people and supplies to fight the battle against COVID, or flying rescue pets to their new homes, the GA community always steps up in a big way (see “From Rescued to Rescuer” p. 28 and “Christmas in the Nation,” p. 58).

We also love to give back to aviation—this passion that has given so much to all of us. As pilots, I see it as our responsibility to make sure that GA is strong for those who come after us, so we can keep this remarkable thing going.

I can’t think of a better way to support general aviation than to support the AOPA Foundation. The Foundation funds important AOPA programs—You Can Fly and the AOPA Air Safety Institute—that your membership dollars do not cover. These programs are critical for getting more pilots into the skies and keeping them there safely. A more vibrant general aviation community and industry is what we’re all striving for.

A centerpiece of You Can Fly is our High School Aviation STEM Curriculum, whose focus is helping to ensure that aviation has a bright future by providing bright futures for students. We now have more than 12,000 students enrolled in more than 400 classrooms across the country. We’re starting to see real dividends as these students go on to higher education, the military, or solid jobs in the industry (see “Briefing: True North Star,” p. 30).

I am most proud that 40 percent of the students in our curriculum come from minority backgrounds, and more than 20 percent are female. I continue to stress that we need more inclusion in aviation—it needs to be a true reflection of society in order to thrive.

Many of you have also interfaced with You Can Fly through our Flight Training, Flying Clubs, and Rusty Pilots initiatives. We’ve designed all of these to make learning to fly more efficient, and continuing to fly more approachable.

While we just saw the safest year yet for general aviation, we can’t rest on our laurels. We all need to keep our eye on the ball. To that point, the AOPA Air Safety Institute continues to offer a wealth of content that pilots find educational and engaging—and even live-saving. More than 12 million times over the past year, pilots and aircraft owners downloaded ASI videos, guides, and other materials to keep them sharp.

We continue to hear great feedback about ASI’s Early Analysis series. The videos answer our members’ requests for ways to learn from unfortunate events. In recent videos, ASI Senior Vice President Richard McSpadden provided some initial understanding from the training accidents in Santa Monica, California, and Newport News, Virginia. Of course, the videos are not meant to replace any official investigation, just to give pilots some insight that they can apply to their own flying.

To support these programs, and to help keep GA vibrant, the AOPA Foundation provides a variety of giving opportunities to ensure that all aviators can protect our shared passion for flying. You can visit our website (foundation.aopa.org/ways-to-give) to see the range of ways to give that fit your life. Donations made in support of the You Can Fly program before December 31 are eligible for a dollar-for-dollar match, effectively doubling the impact of your donation. Some, including me, choose to take their support to the next level by including a gift to the AOPA Foundation in their estate plans, such as their will or trust. Becoming a member of the AOPA Foundation Legacy Society (aopa.org/legacy) provides a great opportunity to help build a stronger, safer pilot community.

You should know that we take our responsibility as stewards of your generosity very seriously. The AOPA Foundation has a four-star designation from Charity Navigator for our ethical and efficient use of donations.

As we gather with family and friends over this holiday season, and continue to think about how to support things we hold dear, please consider how much general aviation has enriched your life. A donation to the AOPA Foundation is a wonderful way to uphold our collective responsibility to keep this wonderful passion vibrant. Happy holidays!

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