By KATRINA SHULL
Ridgeline Aviation at Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport (KBZN) in Montana hosted a stop June 14, 2025, on a national tour by Darren Pleasance, the newly appointed president of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA).
Bozeman was the third stop on the tour, which kicked off at the SUN ’n FUN Aerospace Expo in Florida in April. Other stops include Bend, Oregon, Wichita, Denver, Dallas, and, of course, EAA AirVenture Oshkosh in Wisconsin.
More than 100 attendees gathered at KBZN to meet the association’s new leader and hear about the future of general aviation.
In a packed hangar he shared his aviation journey during an hour-long town hall.
Pleasance has logged more than 8,000 flight hours in more than 70 types of aircraft, including the P-51 Mustang. He flew aerobatics with Mike Goulian, served on the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) board for 14 years, and still instructs student pilots today. He also flew a Hawker jet for John Travolta.
“The most powerful thing that AOPA does is advocacy at the national, state, and local level,” he said. “Our ability to do that well is entirely dependent on having as high a share of pilots being members of AOPA as possible. If that number drops down, and we don’t earn people’s membership, our ability to advocate for the industry drops dramatically.”
He added that AOPA’s purpose is to preserve the vibrancy of general aviation.
“AOPA has the scale to tell the story of why small airports and aircraft matter,” he added.
Some of the issues he discussed included air traffic control modernization — not privatization — as well as the continuing transition to unleaded fuel.
“We’re committed to being lead-free by 2030,” Pleasance said. “We have to move away from relying on a single supplier of leaded fuel. It’s just not sustainable.”
Pleasance also addressed a number of core issues specific to pilots in the hangar, including safety, affordability, and training.
“While avionics have evolved, stick-and-rudder skills are still the foundation of safe flying,” he said. “Pilots need to stay sharp, not just with technology, but with flying fundamentals.”
Slides that accompanied his talk showed that accident rates from 1993 to 2022 are down 45% while fatalities have dropped 55%.
There were also discussions about legislation aimed at protecting pilots from unfair landing fees tied to ADS-B data.
“Pilots are pulling breakers before landing to avoid being charged,” he reported. “That degrades safety in the air, and is why we are pushing for legal and privacy protections.”
He noted that Montana was the first state to make it illegal to use ADS-B data to charge automatic landing fees, with Minnesota close behind.
“While we’re still working on MOSAIC (the long-anticipated update to the Light Sport Aircraft rules), basic medical restrictions, and medical denials, this year is tracking to be the safest for flying in history, despite the news, and GA operations are steadily increasing,” he said.
Pleasance also highlighted the organization’s efforts to grow the pilot population. AOPA’s You Can Fly high school curriculum has reached more than 100,000 students, helped 14,000 rusty pilots return to the skies, and provides more than $2 million in scholarships annually.
The tone of the event was informal and engaging, with Pleasance welcoming both praise and criticism.
“These discussions are crucial and informative,” he said. “They’re about listening and understanding what matters most to our members. That feedback helps shape what AOPA does next.”
“General aviation matters,” he continued. “It is incumbent on every one of us to get articulate on how we benefit the community.”
After the event, he lingered to speak one-on-one with attendees and mentioned plans to fly his amphibious aircraft to an upcoming seaplane “float-in.”
“Staying proficient is part of being a good pilot,” he said, adding with a smile, “it will be a unique experience.”
For more information: AOPA.org
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