AOPA Pilot Magazine - December 2021 - 6

PRESIDENT 'S POSITION
Unusual attitudes
Playing the cards we're dealt
BY MARK BAKER / President and CEO
AT SOME POINT, we've all been told to step outside of our comfort
zones-it's what breeds success, growth, and happiness. That
step turned into a leap after a global pandemic disrupted our
lives and threw our comfort zones into some unusual attitudes.
COVID-19 has forced us all to embrace the challenges and play
the cards we've been dealt. At AOPA, that has meant making changes
to the way we conduct business and the way we engage with members.
It also meant grieving and overcoming loss within our own
family. But it doesn't mean we have lost focus on our mission.
As I reflect on the accomplishments and experiences of the
past 12 months, I see a chance to use those lessons to continue
forging ahead. We may be heading into year 83 of protecting the
freedom to fly, but we still carry a learning mindset-proud but
never satisfied. We are always looking for new ways to exceed our
members' expectations and do what's best for the GA community.
2021 forced us to look at things through a new lens. We took some
leaps-we redesigned our tried-and-true AOPA Pilot, expanded our
social media presence, and held events like we never had before.
While recovery has been slow for commercial aviation, GA continues
to thrive. Pilots are consuming safety videos, participating in
seminars, and improving their flying skills in record numbers. And
2021 is on track to be the safest year ever in GA (see " Safety Spotlight:
Art of the Possible, " p. 24). Now that's something to celebrate.
We also continued to expand on our founders' principles in
ensuring the long-term health and viability of GA, by continuing
to build the pilot community and protecting the interests of all our
members. Thanks to generous donations to the AOPA Foundation,
our You Can Fly program is stronger than ever.
We've created programs to support flying clubs, encourage
best practices in flight training, get lapsed pilots back in the air,
and help high schoolers learn about careers in aviation. In fact,
our High School Aviation STEM curriculum is now in more than
300 schools in 44 states across the country, engaging more than
10,000 students. Because of its success, AOPA's You Can Fly program
received the prestigious STEM.org accreditation.
AOPA also has been hard at work fighting for common-sense
legislation, saving our nation's airports, and making flying less burdensome
and cost restrictive. After rallying support from members,
and allies in Congress, our team in Washington, D.C., has fought
back against the FAA's misguided interpretation of flight training,
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AOPA PILOT / December 2021
that requires operators of certain categories of aircraft to obtain a
letter of deviation authority to conduct flight training. Progress is
being made to overturn the FAA decision, thanks to an amendment
in the National Defense Authorization Act. If all goes to plan, flight
training can resume as normal and pilots won't need to undergo
any more unnecessary and burdensome paperwork.
We're also always on the front lines when it comes to threats
to our GA airports. Most recently, we secured a huge win for pilots
and aviation businesses at Dillingham Airfield in Hawaii after it
faced an impending closure threat. AOPA helped build a multifront
grassroots campaign that garnered support among lawmakers
and was joined by more than 450 individuals, earning local media
coverage of the issue. Thanks to the team effort, Dillingham will
remain open for at least the next three years. AOPA will continue to
educate officials on the economic benefits of keeping Dillingham,
and all GA airports, open for the long term.
Additionally, we continue to encourage and push for online
transparency of FBO prices and fees. More than 300 aviation organizations
have joined us in support of the Know Before You Go
program, an industry voluntary program that encourages fee and
pricing transparency for pilots. We've made considerable progress,
and applaud such major FBO chains as Atlantic Aviation and others,
which have made their pricing transparent. Unfortunately, the
lion's share of larger FBOs still do not post all their prices and fees
online. We obviously have more work to do, and we will continue
our efforts, especially with the remaining larger FBOs. Not only is
this the right thing to do for FBOs, but pricing transparency will help
pilots with their preflight planning, promote competition, and provide
good customer service. One way or the other, we will get there.
Going into 2022, we still have many issues to tackle, such as
the continued search for a fleetwide, drop-in unleaded fuel solution.
But it's hard not to appreciate the wins that were made this
past year-professionally and personally. Life is unpredictable,
so we should take time to celebrate the positives. For me, that
means appreciating every time I get to be in an airplane. So, I'll
leave you with this: Cherish
the freedom to fly and play
the cards you're dealt. Blue
skies and happy holidays!
mark@aopa.org
AOPA President MARK
BAKER looks forward to
more flying in 2022.
http://www.STEM.org
AOPA Pilot Magazine - December 2021

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