Recently my calendar has been full. I have had the privilege and pleasure to speak with many of you during my President’s Tour around the country, and in May, I spoke at a news conference with U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy on the state of our airspace system.
The AOPA media team produces the magazine stories you read here, videos to accompany those stories, fantastic photography, reels, and long-form videos on our Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok accounts.
AOPA and the AOPA Foundation will award $2.2 million in scholarships, the largest amount in the AOPA Foundation’s history. Nearly 400 recipients will receive awards, out of a competitive nationwide pool of nearly 7,000 applicants.
The work of your association to protect, promote, and defend our freedom to fly is multifaceted—from the tireless efforts of our government and state advocacy teams to the important work of assuring U.S. general aviation continues to be the safest in the world, the creative work of our media teams, the protection of your rights as pilots, as well as the immense responsibility to build the pilot community, AOPA, the AOPA Air Safety Institute, and the You Can Fly team are proud of what we accomplished in 2024.
The AOPA Foundation is awarding $2.2 million in scholarships—the largest amount in the foundation’s history—to nearly 400 recipients out of more than 6,800 who applied.
Since the first R.A. “Bob” Hoover Trophy was awarded to Hoover himself in 2016, the trophy has been presented annually to aviators who inspire a love of flight in others. Jared Isaacman accepted the honor on March 19, joined by other 2025 honorees who accepted their own awards from AOPA during a reception in the historic Terminal A Lobby at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.
AOPA: Your Freedom to Fly, AOPA’s video channel, was recently honored with YouTube’s Silver Creator Award in celebration of reaching 100,000 subscribers.
As I settle into my new office here at AOPA headquarters (what a thrill that is to say!), I am struck by the word “settle.” It’s not something I often do. I like change. I like learning new things. I like expanding my horizons. And I like to be better at everything every day.
Mark Baker had been a member for years when he took the helm at AOPA in 2013. But like most new employees, he quickly had a revelation—there’s a lot more to the association than most people realize. Even longtime members like Baker can get a bit of shock when they step behind the curtain.
I recognize that I am a lucky man. I’ve been able to fuel my passion for flying with great airplanes and wonderful people who shared their passion for aviation with me.
AOPA has named Darren Pleasance to serve as the association’s sixth president and chief executive. Pleasance, who will assume his new role at AOPA on January 1, brings a wealth of aviation and business experience.
It’s summertime and the work continues. Our media team has been out and about all summer, from Texas to California to Missouri, collecting stories no matter the weather. Read these stories and more in upcoming issues.
ForeFlight Mobile users will soon be able to browse events listed in AOPA’s online calendar within ForeFlight and plan trips to fly-ins, seminars, workshops, airshows, and other events that bring pilots together.
General aviation is a broad spectrum, and our editors are out and about exploring the corners and edges of our industry along with the more recognizable makes and models. No such thing as an ordinary day with an ordinary airplane. And usually there’s more than one story to be found at the same location.
It’s that most wonderful time of the year again. The time when we celebrate the great gift of our freedom to fly by joining thousands of our fellow pilots and aviation enthusiasts for a week of all things flying. Descending on the world’s largest airshow is truly a holiday season for us.
Aviation gear and accessory provider Flight Outfitters formed a partnership with AOPA to launch a new AOPA gear store on FlightOutfitters.com. This agreement brings together two well-known names in aviation to deliver a range of flight equipment and apparel featuring AOPA branding.