Aviator Showcase
Thursday November 17, 4 to 7 p.m
Friday November 18, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Fort Worth Alliance Airport
Attendee registration required;
no walk-ups, $20
Great exhibitors, great products
Join us at Fort Worth Alliance Airport in Fort Worth, Texas, on June 16 and 17 for an exclusive gathering with the industry’s leading experts in avionics and cockpit technology, flight planning and weather resources, and aircraft manufacturing and sales. AOPA’s Aviator Showcase will feature an exhibit hall, aircraft display, and educational seminars presented by event sponsors. If you’re looking to upgrade or still searching for the perfect aircraft, local services such as paint shops, avionics manufacturers, and aircraft detailers will be there to help. You can also talk to aviation finance professionals, insurers, and dealers about buying the aircraft of your dreams. Register now to secure your spot for this exclusive event. Lunch will be available for purchase from local food trucks.
aopa.org/aviatorshowcase
Great seminars
Presented by the biggest and brightest in the industry, discover how technology is shaping aviation today and tomorrow. From tips on buying an aircraft to the latest developments in avionics, our educational seminars will give you all the tools you need to be the best and safest pilots.
Join us at Fort Worth Alliance Airport (AFW) for an exclusive, in-person buying experience with general aviation’s leading experts. Kick off the show on Thursday evening by enjoying happy hour with our exhibitors. Wander the exhibit hall and aircraft display at host FBO Alliance Aviation Services and chat with industry experts and fellow aviators. Exhibit hours continue Friday with the addition of educational seminars presented by event sponsors. Register online today!
The richness of Fort Worth
AOPA hosts its 2022 Aviator Showcase at Fort Worth Alliance Airport (AFW) November 17 and 18 at Alliance Aviation Services, the host FBO.
Fort Worth Alliance Airport is the result of a partnership between Ross Perot Jr., the city of Fort Worth, and Hillwood, a real estate investment and development company led by Perot Jr.
He is a passionate aviator who flies a Northrop T–38 and a Bell helicopter. In the late 1980s, the Perots had a concept for an industrial airport on a large portion of land the family owned north of Fort Worth, Texas. Perot found an enthusiastic partner in Bob Bolen, then mayor of Fort Worth, who sought to create jobs that would replace those the city had lost in the economic downturn of the mid-1980s. The Alliance name was chosen to reflect that three-cornered partnership. Fort Worth Alliance Airport opened on December 14, 1989.
“This airport is a great example of a public/private partnership,” said Christopher Ash, senior vice president of aviation business development at Hillwood. “Ross was the driving force for the airport.”
Today Alliance is undergoing a “growth spurt,” says Ash, ironically spurred by the shutdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. As Alliance is an industrial airport, its tenants such as FedEx, Amazon Prime, and others saw cargo deliveries surge. Alliance recently opened its second 11,000-foot-long runway. Ash hopes general aviation pilots who might have shied away from the big industrial airport will come to AFW for the AOPA Showcase and see the area’s unique layout and its facilities. “General aviation is very important to us,” said Ash.
Ash describes the Fort Worth area as “aviation rich.” It’s where B–24s were manufactured during World War II, where the F–16 and now F–35 are built. It’s the home of American Airlines, Southwest Airlines, and Bell helicopters. The airport is known for its iconic tower, which visitors say looks like a big waffle ice cream cone. The historic B–29 Fifi is hangared nearby in the Vintage Flying Museum.
But that’s not all Fort Worth has to offer. Since its slogan is “Where the West begins,” prepare for a cowboy experience: Twice each day Longhorn cattle stroll through the streets of downtown from the historic stockyards, home of the oldest continuously running livestock show and rodeo in the country; Fort Worth’s largest and oldest honky-tonk is Billy Bob’s Texas on Rodeo Plaza and Mule Alley; and the most famous Texas barbecue is served at Risky’s.
Sponsors
Platinum
Fort Worth Alliance Airport
Aircraft Spruce
Jeppesen
ForeFlight
SiriusXM Aviation
Gold
AssuredPartners Aerospace
ATP Flight School
Breitling
Aviators Hotline
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