BRIEFING ADAM SMITH JOINS AOPA New center seeks pilot growth AOPA HAS TAPPED Adam Smith as senior vice president to lead the Center to Advance the Pilot Community. The center will strive to stop the decline in the number of certificated pilots in the United States and seek ways to stimulate growth. Smith comes from EAA, where he served as vice president of membership for five years and oversaw the AirVenture airshow. He also served as vice president of outreach for the EAA Aviation Foundation for four years and as director of the EAA AirVenture Museum for two years. He is a private pilot currently working on his instrument rating. “Adam’s experience and leadership qualities make him the ideal person to guide the center as it brings together a whole range of programs designed to grow and support the pilot population,” said AOPA President Craig Fuller. Some of the center’s work has already begun with a focus on helping student pilots complete their training through the Flight Training Student Retention Initiative. It recognizes successful training programs with the Flight Training Excellence Awards and supports students with customized information through the My Flight Training website. AOPA has also begun research into successful pilot communities to help aviation enthusiasts create environments that get pilots flying and keep them flying. All of these efforts have been based on extensive research, which will continue to be an important part of the center’s activities. “What we have learned so far gives us hope for the future and has been the impetus behind the creation of the center,” said Fuller. “We see a future that includes a more robust pilot community in which more people earn pilot certificates, pilots are more active, and the flying lifetime of pilots is extended.” www.aopa.org/pilot AOPA PILOT | 41 XRX Only portable system with direction. www.zaon.aero (800) 496-9430http://aviation.levil.com http://aviation.levil.com http://www.zaon.aero http://www.AirFleetCapital.com http://www.zaon.aero http://www.aopa.org/pilot