AOPA Pilot Magazine - May 2019 - 14

LETTERS

FROM OUR MARCH 2019 ISSUE

Destinations
Oh, the places you'll go! Readers reacted to AOPA Pilot's annual Destinations issue.
I read Ian J. Twombly's article about the traveling Kitfox
("Some Assembly Required")
with interest. I also do low
and slow now after 40 years
of flying fast and high. Last
June I flew my Zenith CH801
on a 26-day, 11,235-mile flight
from Georgia to Alaska, around
Alaska, down the Trench to
Vancouver, down the Cascade
Range to California, over the
Donner Pass to Reno, over
Salt Lake City and up the
Snake River eventually to
Yellowstone, across the top of
Montana down through the
Black Hills and back to South
Carolina.
Sam McNair
AOPA 910469
Pelzer, South Carolina

A very sincere well done to
Julie Summers Walker and
Mike Fizer for the "Island
Hopping " piece in March
AOPA Pilot magazine. It
brought back many pleasant memories of flying in one
of our beautiful Northwest
treasures.
My awareness of the San
Juan Islands began on May
25, 1973, when a pilot friend

PRESIDENT'S POSITION

Traveling light
Adventure is everywhere
WE ALL KNOW THE SAYING: "A mile of road will take you
a mile. A mile of runway will take you anywhere." When
I think about that phrase, I can't help but appreciate
the freedom that comes with general aviation flying.
Often, I catch myself studying aeronautical charts,
scanning the tiny dots representing thousands of our
nation's airports, helipads, grass strips, and seaplane
bases. As pilots, there's no better feeling than pointing
our nose to the wind and discovering the many hidden
gems that lie within this great nation. But in a country
with more than 19,000 public- and private-use airports,
how do we choose where to fly?
For me, conversations with fellow aviators offer
some of the best insight. One of my favorite aspects of
working at AOPA is all the opportunities I have at fly-ins,
conventions, airshows, and meet-ups to ask other pilots
about their adventures and where they like to fly. It's
always rewarding
to cross paths with
Ready to check out some great GA destinations?
fellow pilots at new
See our Destinations section, beginning on p. 51.
destinations and
share our flying
adventures. My personal paradise is the Florida Keys,
but everyone has their own, and I've found you can learn
a lot about someone depending on their answer. I've also
found that there's no place like home.
For example, a history buff might have a special
place in her heart for Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Not
far from the general aviation airport, visitors have
the opportunity to get a glimpse of the Civil War era
by exploring the battlefield, taking tours, and walking
around the historic city center.
All pilots can appreciate First Flight Airport on North
Carolina's Outer Banks. The field marks the birthplace of
aviation, where the Wright brothers first took flight in 1903.
Spanning 40 acres in Kill Devil Hills, the airport is a bucket
list destination for any aviator looking to pay tribute to our
founding fathers of flight. And wine connoisseurs may
be partial to airports such as Napa County Airport, also
known as the "Skyport to the Wine Country." Conveniently
located near the world-class winegrowing region with topranked restaurants and incredible golf courses, this Bay
Area airport is not to be missed.
AOPA President
Aviators looking for a more relaxed vibe should
MARK BAKER
check out some of the unique airports along our other
was inducted into
coastlines. On Alabama's Dauphin Island, the 3,000-foot
the Living Legends
of Aviation in 2018.
runway juts into the water and is absolutely stunning.

EMAIL mark@aopa.org

and I flew to Roche Harbor
intending to have lunch. The
restaurant was not serving
lunch, but we went inside to
see what we might find. On the
wall in the entry was a large
Geochron clock. The guest
book was open on a nearby
table. The last signature in
the book was that of Ernest
K. Gann. I was enamored with
the area and my logbooks show
a total of 26 return trips over
the years.

Yes

74%

16%

Maybe

10%

14 | AOPA PILOT May 2019

Beach bums on the West Coast might favor Catalina
Island's "Airport in the Sky," perched 1,600 feet above
the Pacific Ocean. The relatively short runway sits on
the flat top of a mountain with cliffs at both ends-a fun
challenge for any GA pilot. Adventurers to Catalina can
also explore some of the best hiking trails, fishing, and
boating, or just enjoy the California breeze on the island.
Coming from the Midwest, I find there are few places
that are as beautiful as Mackinac Island, Michigan, and
traveling by aircraft is one of the only ways to get to
the island. GA aircraft are always welcome to visit and
explore the shopping, carriage rides and lively nightlife.
Don't consider Michigan a flyover state.
Unbound by commercial airline regulations and
strict procedures, GA flying is a gratifying and surreal
experience that allows us to see the world from above.
And aviation thrives when pilots are flying and airports are busy. We are doing more to inform you of all
the great places there are to fly with our editorial content. AOPA's Destinations platform (www.aopa.org/
destinations) is a tool we've been developing and updating to give pilots all the information they need before
taking off. Using the airport directory, pilots can read
crowdsourced airport and FBO reviews and get firsthand feedback about each location.
Pilots also can search for airports based on amenities
and activities; plan trips by activity-whether it be
outdoors, amusement parks, fishing, or museums; check
nearby lodging; book rental cars; and store their favorite
airports. I encourage all pilots to take advantage of AOPA's
resources to get out and discover new destinations.
And our advocacy team works every day to ensure
that these great locations remain open and accessible
to pilots and are a good place for aviation companies
to conduct business. From working with elected officials on legislation to helping individual airports work
through their challenges, our staff at headquarters and
in the field are committed to protecting these economic engines and gateways to the world.
While flying to all these incredible places is always
a thrill, everyone appreciates their home base. It may
not be a coastal paradise or a runway below a snowcapped mountain. It may just be a grass strip in your
backyard. But there's nothing like being on final to your
home airport, wherever that may be.
AOPA

6 | AOPA PILOT March 2019

Should spin instruction be part
of the private pilot curriculum?

Aviation eBrief poll

BY MARK BAKER
President and CEO

10%
16%

74%

Thanks to Mark Baker for his "shout out"
to our airport (W05) in historic Gettysburg
("Traveling Light"). The newly formed
Gettysburg Airport Advocacy Corporation is
eager to explore airport enhancement opportunities with aviation-related businesses and
investors that might locate in "America's Best
Small Town."

Michael Cooper-White
W05 AOPA Airport Support Network volunteer
AOPA 1174422
Orrtanna, Pennsylvania

It was a one-and-a-half
hour flight and good for anything from a lunch run to a
two-week stay. Stops were
made at each of the airports
mentioned. Thanks for rekindling the wonderful memories
that came to life once again.
My wife's remains are in the
waters of the San Juans and
mine will join her later. Thank
you, Julie and Mike.
Chuck Austin
AOPA 457256
Salem, Oregon

I really enjoyed Sarah Deener's
article ("Happy Trails"). I got
my "no quickie ratings" seaplane rating from Steve Bean at
the operation in Rangeley she
mentioned and much earlier, I
got my license at Augusta State
Airport in 1970 from Bill Perry.
Jack Pines
AOPA 868103
Palo Alto, California

Jam sessions

For several years, I have been
hosting weekly "Aviation
Jam Session" meetings at the
Flight 126 Cafe at the Santa
Paula Airport-a small group
who likes to chew on aviation
topics. Our backgrounds and
experience vary from Cessna
to Boeing, and we come to
have fun.
Back near the beginning,
someone brought in a "Test
Pilot" column with a question
about Barry Schiff 's answer...
and those columns of eight
questions and answers have
since become a staple inspirator at our meetings. Kudos
also to AOPA for making
Barry Schiff 's archives available online.
This is a thank-you note,
long overdue, and is signed
(in spirit) by everyone who

AOPA Pilot Magazine - May 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of AOPA Pilot Magazine - May 2019