Starting the journey
There are many pathways to a lifetime of aviation
I’ve then parsed that realization into framing the three key ways AOPA supports the growth and vibrancy of general aviation. Let’s start this month with the first of these areas of support: helping people begin or continue their aviation journey.
When I was a teenager starting to fly in Livermore, California (LVK), I was blessed to be surrounded by an amazing aviation community. I watched airshow pilots practice their skills, shared rides with welcoming pilots, saw then-new designs like the Christen Eagle, and admired vintage aircraft and warbirds. Livermore was a vibrant hub and showcased the diversity of general aviation that I became so enamored with and made me want to be part of it. The flying experience at Livermore was fun, inspiring, and there was no shortage of learning opportunities.
Not everywhere is like Livermore. Some airports are fenced-in, intimidating places where only hard-working trainers like the Cessna 172 are lined up waiting to be put through their paces. Students are simply marking time on their way to a career. In fact, I was recently at an airport where I asked the young pilots what they did for fun and where they flew for lunch, and they looked at me like I had three heads. “Fun?” they asked. “We’re just trying to prep for our next phase check, and we’re not allowed to take the airplanes anyplace if it’s not for training!”
Sure, it’s important to get your stick-and-rudder skills and to build hours if you’re hoping to head to the airlines, but my message—and AOPA’s mission—is to open the world of aviation and illustrate the remarkable opportunities available to everyone. There are many pathways to a lifetime of aviation.
My own first plan was, just like those young pilots I met, to go for an airline flying job. That got derailed with an adverse color vision test, which knocked me out of contention for the airlines. While perhaps today airlines might be willing to overlook someone with my color deficiency, I am kind of grateful for the way my path had to change. I found out about all the other opportunities available in aviation and am proud that I fulfilled so many of my aviation dreams. That’s what I want AOPA’s foundational support to focus on: helping people embark on an inspiring journey in the diverse world of aviation.
That means exposing people to a myriad of opportunities in aviation in addition to being an airline pilot. Not that I have anything against that admirable pursuit, but so many students today have no awareness of the breadth of aviation and often aren’t investing in their own development to maximize the opportunities (and enjoyment) that aviation can provide. There’s maintenance (we need A&Ps); there’s instruction (we need CFIs); there’s recreational flying (the backcountry is calling); there’s corporate flying, medevac flying, aerial firefighting, air traffic control, airport management, and so much more.
AOPA offers helpful career guidance on its website, gives out millions in scholarships for all manner of aviation pursuits each year, offers a free four-year high school aviation curriculum, and promotes the many opportunities available in aviation. I call it a “landscape” of opportunity. One of my top three goals in the upcoming years as your president is to tell the story and ignite excitement around the many diverse opportunities in aviation. To open our world to everyone who looks to the sky and wonders “What if…”
One of my top three goals in the upcoming years as your president is to tell the story and ignite excitement around the many diverse opportunities in aviation.
And, for the icing on the cake, to also remember the many of you who started in aviation but got derailed for time, money, and/or obligations, AOPA will support you in restarting your aviation journey and making it a part of a life well lived. Aviation is a melting pot of people, careers, avocations, and occupations. Let us help you find yours.
