Our sweepstakes story

You can find out who won the 2025 AOPA Sweepstakes Cessna 182 and check out the next sweepstakes aircraft we’ll give away in 2026—an Aviat A–1C-200 Husky. But the most-asked question about our sweepstakes is: How do we choose the winner?

AOPA contracts with Ventura Associates International, LLC, an independent sweepstakes administrator and judging organization, to create and implement the AOPA Sweepstakes official rules. According to the rules, if you are an AOPA member as of 11:59 p.m. Eastern time on June 15, 2026, you are automatically entered in the drawing to win the sweepstakes Husky. AOPA members enrolled in automatic renewal, and AOPA life members receive five additional entries.

After the sweepstakes entry period ends, the rules state AOPA must wait several weeks to receive any mailed entries. AOPA then sends Ventura a list of members who were automatically entered along with individuals who entered using an alternate method.

Ventura conducts a random drawing from all eligible entries received during the entry period. The winner must be a legal resident of one of the 50 United States (or District of Columbia), Canada (excluding Quebec), Guam, Puerto Rico, or the U.S. Virgin Islands, age 18 years or older at date of entry, and certificated by the FAA as a student, recreational, sport, private, commercial, or airline transport pilot as of June 15, 2026.

aopa.org/sweeps

The early years /

The first giveaway, in 1956, was broadcast live on CBS from a hangar at Washington National Airport (DCA) with host and AOPA charter member Arthur Godfrey acting as emcee. Two aircraft were given away: an Aeronca Champion “Sky-Trac” tricycle-gear Champ and a Piper Tri-Pacer. The aircraft were given away as prizes in a contest to create the best reason to join AOPA, then a 70,000-member organization. With no standalone membership magazine at the time, contestants got their entry forms from AOPA Pilot inserts in Flying magazine.

Sweepstakes history /

The 27 sweepstakes airplanes AOPA has given away include 11 Cessnas, six Pipers, two Beechcraft, and one each from Aviat, Cirrus, Commander, Grumman, Mooney, Remos, Van’s, and Waco. After we award the airplane to the winner, its fate is out of our control. AOPA does not put any restrictions on how long the winner must keep the airplane or who can (or cannot) buy it. Most AOPA members who win a sweepstakes airplane eventually sell it (see “Where Are They Now,” July 2024 AOPA Pilot).