AOPA Pilot Magazine - August 2013 - 4

PRESIDENT’S POSITION

Your AOPA Summit

CRAIG L. FULLER
AOPA President and CEO

Please join us in Fort Worth—it’ll be as big as Texas
DURING THE COURSE of the year, AOPA creates and
participates in gatherings across the country where
we interact with our members, share flying stories,
and talk about the issues that affect our general aviation community. There is one gathering that, for us,
represents the pinnacle of our annual outreach activity—the AOPA Aviation Summit.
Your AOPA team plans all year for this multiday
event. We build strong educational sessions. We work
to ensure you’ll have access to the most informative
and interesting exhibitors inside the convention center and out at a vibrant general aviation airport. And
we build opportunities for leaders in the general aviation community to join in meaningful conversations
about the future.

Whether you spend a day with us or the better part
of a week, the Fort Worth community is ready to
make this a great experience for each of us.

AOPA PRESIDENT

Craig Fuller is an
active general
aviation pilot who
owns an Aviat
Husky.

4 | AOPA PILOT August 2013

I like the AOPA Summit precisely because it represents our greatest effort to gather our members in
one place for valuable interaction and engagement.
And, while we work hard to ensure that the experience is exceptional for thousands of attendees, we
also work hard to include those who can’t take part
by sharing share the highlights of the AOPA Aviation
Summit.
We’ll give you special coverage in ePilot during
the show, and we’ll wrap it all up with a story in AOPA
Pilot following the event. And, of course, you’ll want
to see everything that’s happening on AOPA Live This
Week. In fact, AOPA Live was launched at our Summit
meeting in 2009 through a grant from a donor who
wanted to help us enhance the perception of general
aviation by reaching a larger audience, and each year
AOPA Live attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors
from around the world.
This year AOPA Summit will be held in the middle of the country for the first time in a long time.
Many of you have asked me through the years when
it would happen. Well, it is happening this October in
a very big way, which is the only way they do things
in Texas! We will be in Fort Worth from October 10
through 12, and you can expect great things from our
event and this lively city.

Whether you spend a day with us or the better part
of a week, the Fort Worth community is ready to make
this a great experience for each of us. We are excited to
have built a large and first-rate group of presenters for
our extensive seminar offerings. We’ve also lined up an
impressive group of exhibitors at the convention center. Additionally, Airportfest at Fort Worth Meacham
International Airport will provide an exceptional
opportunity to get out and see what is new in GA.
While there is no substitute for experiencing all
that is happening firsthand, the entire event will be
covered by our ever-present AOPA Live team as well
as our editors, who will file stories and interviews
throughout Summit.
One guarantee I’ll offer is that there will be no
shortage of interesting activities for you and your family to experience:
From mogas pilots to the Jet A crowd, Summit’s
top-quality programs connect you one-on-one with
experts who can help you get the most from your
flying. They’ll share information you can put to use
immediately to boost safety, manage costs, and find
new ways to enjoy general aviation.
Summit is the place to plan your next equipment
upgrade, buy the hottest gear, and learn about the newest apps that your friends are using. The Exhibit Hall
will bring you 400 live-action opportunities to reach
out and try things, talk with pros, and make moneysaving deals.
Then, it’s out to the airport to climb into some great
airplanes and enjoy live music, speakers, and learn-tofly displays. This is a great place to introduce friends
and family members to the fun of general aviation.
After three days of serious aviator focus at the
AOPA Summit, enjoy serious fun in Fort Worth. From
zebras, ghosts, and Picassos to meteorites, rodeos, and
the Cowboy Hall of Fame, you can turn a few days into
a fabulous vacation.
This will truly be a special AOPA Summit in a unique
location that is easy to get to—and very GA friendly.
Online registration is open now, and you’ll have access
to money-saving packages by making your plans early.
We can even save you money on hotels, airfare, and
rental cars. Make your plans to drop in for a visit and
become part of the action this October.
AOPA
EMAIL craig@aopa.org

AOPA Pilot Magazine - August 2013

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of AOPA Pilot Magazine - August 2013