The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) has revealed the dates and locations of its first-ever regional fly-ins to be held nationwide throughout 2014.
The association will host six fly-ins as well as an “AOPA Homecoming” in Frederick, Md., giving AOPA members throughout the United States a chance to interact and share ideas with AOPA President Mark Baker, mingle with one another over breakfast and lunch, and take part in safety briefings, aviation clinics and flying activities.
Each AOPA Fly-In will be held on a Saturday, allowing pilots and their families and friends to attend as part of a weekend outing.
The AOPA Fly-In schedule is:
- San Marcos Municipal Airport, Texas (HYI) – April 26, 2014
- Indianapolis Regional Airport, Indiana (MQJ) – May 31, 2014
- Plymouth Airport, Massachusetts (PYM) – July 12, 2014
- Spokane Felts Field, Washington (SFF) – Aug. 16, 2014
- Chino Airport, California (CNO) – Sept. 20, 2014
- Malcolm McKinnon Airport, Georgia (SSI) – Nov. 8, 2014
On Oct. 4, AOPA will host an “AOPA Homecoming” fly-in at its Frederick, Md., headquarters (FDK) as the association celebrates its 75th anniversary.
“These fly-ins were inspired by our members. They wanted a way to connect with one another and AOPA, and I’m excited that we’re able to bring this experience to so many pilots around the country,” Baker said. “This is going to be a great way for our members to tell us what they care about most when it comes to aviation and to share the aviation experience with family and friends in a fun, relaxed setting. Plus, it’s a great excuse to get out and do some flying that supports airports and aviation businesses close to home.”
The fly-ins take the place of AOPA’s annual Aviation Summit.
Each AOPA Fly-In and the “Homecoming” will feature a pancake breakfast and pilot town hall hosted by Baker, free lunch for members, exhibits and static aircraft displays, flying activities and safety clinics, a “Learn to Fly” area, and a chance to visit with AOPA staff and program specialists.
Aviation product exhibitors — a major feature at AOPA summits — will also be welcome at the regional fly-ins, giving pilots a chance to see, test, and buy new products and technologies, AOPA officials said.
For more information: AOPA.org
I think that a regional fly-in is a fabulous idea. It gives the “typical” GA pilot the opportunity to attend a “national caliber” AOPA event without having to travel thousands of miles. High praise to the AOPA staff.
I quit the AOPA years ago as it did not represent sport aviation and refused to help pilots get low cost mogas onto airports. Why is it now creating new events when others exist? To save costs and attract a larger crowd, dove-tail these events with popular regional grassroots fly-ins. Everyone has a few they attend, and I am not referring to the big shows in Lakeland, Sebring, Oshkosh, etc. For instance the terrific Triple Tree Aerodrome Fly-In in SC each fall. Some years ago the EAA sponsored a series of annual regional events which were quite popular. These however were abandoned due to high insurance costs, so they said. Does the AOPA not have this problem?