You Can Fly challenge raises over $6 million

Between June 1 and Dec. 31, 2023, more than 2,900 donors gave more than $3.5 million to the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) Foundation for its You Can Fly Challenge, unlocking the Ray Foundation’s $2.5 million dollar-for-dollar match.

In all, the You Can Fly Challenge raised more than $6.2 million to fund essential AOPA aviation programs that promote and protect GA, according to AOPA officials.

The late James C. Ray was a World War II veteran and a member of the AOPA Foundation New Horizon Society who believed “life skills are learned through aviation.”

“The generosity of our donors and their shared commitment to general aviation is something we never take for granted, and we are grateful for their support,” said AOPA Chief Operating Officer Elizabeth Tennyson. “It is only because of donors to the AOPA Foundation that we can offer You Can Fly programs that get people flying and keep them flying.”

The AOPA Foundation’s You Can Fly program comprises four initiatives:

1. High school aviation STEM curriculum
2. Flight training
3. Flying clubs
4. Rusty Pilots

Nearly 23,000 students in 47 states and Washington, D.C., are currently discovering aviation through the High School Aviation STEM curriculum, according to AOPA officials.

To date, more than 71,000 students have earned high school credit through these courses. More than 60% of graduates indicate they are pursuing an aviation career, association officials reported.

AOPA’s Flight Training Advantage (AFTA) program, designed to make flight training more efficient and transparent with detailed progress reporting, cockpit scoring, and individualized lessons tailored to each student’s strengths, has been used so far by more than 2,110 flight schools and independent certified flight instructors, AOPA officials said. More than 14,000 training hours have been logged on AFTA since March 2021, officials added.

The Flying Clubs team has helped launch 241 clubs nationwide, while nearly 13,000 lapsed pilots are back in the flight deck thanks to the help of AOPA’s Rusty Pilots program, designed to make it easy to get back in the air, even after decades away.

Since the Rusty Pilots program began 10 years ago, nearly 51,000 pilots have attended more than 1,000 in-person and online seminars, officials reported.

For more information: Foundation.AOPA.org