AOPA Turbine Pilot Magazine - March 2025 - 4

PRESIDENT 'S POSITION
Pursuit of
excellence
Never compromise the fundamentals-
in the cockpit or in life
BY DARREN PLEASANCE / President and CEO
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. Which leads me to another word:
airmanship. For pilots, the skill and knowledge we apply to
uphold our responsibilities in the air and on the ground should be
without compromise. But lately it appears to me that, in the rush
for ratings, some pilots are compromising the fundamentals that
make great pilots. Fundamentals such as hand flying, situational
awareness, communicating effectively, common courtesy, and
not over relying on technology. Don't get me wrong-I'm all for
technology. You'd be hard pressed to find a person in my age
bracket who is more into technology than me. After all, I have
spent most of my corporate career in emerging technology with
companies such as Google and Cisco. And, as a pilot, I believe that
a list of many good things has come from the digital cockpit, top
of which is safety. But what good pilots consistently do is perfect
their foundational skills. They practice-they live-on airmanship.
It's courtesy, consistency, and core competency.
I want to amplify the opportunities we have as
pilots and aircraft owners. To push ourselves.
What do I mean? For example: choosing to extend the
downwind when there are multiple aircraft waiting to depart
at a nontowered field; entering on a 45 when the pattern is busy
rather than " asserting " a straight-in to save yourself time (or at
least say " traffic permitting " when you call for your straight-in to
let others know you will yield to them); using your feet to dampen
yaw in turbulence so your passengers are more comfortable;
not filling someone's hangar with dirt when you do your runup;
keeping the controls in the correct position when taxiing (even
though this doesn't matter much on modern airplanes, it shows
a level of situational awareness that many pilots lack); and
recognizing that a go-around is not a bad thing, it's aviation's
version of a magic eraser. Seems simple, I know, but when you
start relaxing on the fundamentals, you get sloppy and you're not
being the best you can be.
4
AOPA PILOT / March 2025
For more than 85 years, AOPA has been protecting, defending,
and advancing general aviation in this country. I've added
" advancing " because that's one of my main goals as your new
president. I want to amplify the opportunities we have as pilots
and aircraft owners. To push ourselves. To strive for excellence.
Airmanship to me is also the ability to be comfortable at all
edges of the flight envelope. I remember an instance early in my
training when there was a 90-degree crosswind, and I assumed my
instructor would say it wasn't a good day to fly, but instead said it
was a great day to fly. Pushing yourself is the only way to learn and
to get better. That same instructor liked to conclude most training
flights with a loop, roll, and spin. It was intimidating the first time,
fun the next time, and ultimately one of the things I looked forward
to the most, and each time I worked to see how I could improve.
And I've been a flight instructor since I was 19, and training
others for this avocation has been one of the most important parts of
my life. While I can't instruct as much as I'd like these days, I see the
role of a CFI as one of the most critical aspects of general aviation.
Allow me to pause here and apologize if I'm sounding preachy.
Like the loop, roll, and spin, I also think our flying lives should
be fun. So, while we are pursuing excellence and remembering
our basics, I also want to emphasize the exciting things we're
working on. As I write this, your Outreach team is finalizing
great AOPA activities at the Buckeye Air Fair. We're planning for
events such as Sun 'n Fun and EAA AirVenture as well as fly-ins
in South Carolina and Ohio this year. Our writers, photographers,
and videographers are traveling the world gathering great content
about the exciting world of general aviation. Our marketing team
is amassing great discounts and benefits for our members, and our
member services teams are answering your questions and sharing
their joy of aviation with you.
This positivity only happens if we are paying attention. Just
like in the cockpit, our awareness of what's going on and what
needs to be accomplished are paramount to our success in flight
and in our work. I am anxious to work together with you in this
pursuit of excellence as pilots
and as members of a great
association. But remember to
loop, roll, and spin!
darren@aopa.org
DARREN PLEASANCE
has flown over 8,000
hours in more than 80
different types of aircraft.
AOPA Turbine Pilot Magazine - March 2025

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