BACK TO THE BASICS-Continuing to Focus on What’s Important —to All of Us
By Mark Baker
AOPA President and CEO
By now we all know someone – a friend, neighbor or local business – left overwhelmed by COVID-19 and the effects of the pandemic restrictions and crisis. Aviation has not been immune: Especially on the commercial side, we have been hit hard with reduced demand, revenue losses, and furloughs. But despite the difficulties in ours and related industries, AOPA has remained resilient. For more than 80 years, our organization has managed to survive wars and recessions, and now, a once-in-a-lifetime pandemic. Much of this has to do with the generous support of our members.
Like a pendulum on a clock, our membership has swung back and forth over the years. We’ve gained members, lost members, and have had members come back to us. Some are just starting on their flying journey; some have made the lifetime commitment; and others are somewhere in between. But every member at one point or another joined because of a shared love of general aviation – it’s the reason AOPA exists today.
I know each of us has a different idea of what we want out of our organization. Many of you have been vocal about what AOPA should be focusing on – whether it’s advocacy, diversifying and feeding the pilot pipeline, or providing resources for pilots. There’s no perfect organization tailor-made for each of us – we aren’t all in the same stages of life or stages of flight. Some of you are student pilots, others are rusty pilots, and the rest of us fall somewhere in between.
When I first became AOPA president in 2013, I made sure to heed the advice of any good leader: to listen. Feedback from members – whether it’s praise, criticism, or suggestions – is an important tool to prioritize our goals for the future. And although I know I can’t please everyone, I want to assure you we hear your voices.
We’ve made some significant changes in recent years. We’ve focused on new initiatives and added member benefits, while sunsetting others. We’ve embarked on campaigns to bring transparency to FBO fees and turned our attention toward building the pilot population with the implementation of our You Can Fly program. We’ve changed up our events and the way we host fly-ins and airshows. All the while, we’ve kept in mind who we are representing: the more than 300,000 who identify as AOPA pilots.
In the past year, we’ve taken steps to do our part in diversifying and broaden- ing the pilot population, especially among younger generations, women, and people of color. Building the pilot population is something we should all root for; it’s how we will ensure that general aviation exists for generations to come. I encourage everyone to support these efforts and even go the extra mile: invite a nonpilot on a flight or two.
Several other challenges within the general aviation community also deserve attention. One of the biggest concerns we’ve heard from longtime members is the spiking costs of insurance during renewal periods – in some cases, premium increases from 10 percent to 100 per- cent, or more. With aging GA pilots, some insurers are scrutinizing their underwriting criteria and as a result it has been extremely difficult, if not impossible, for those over age 70 to obtain the coverage they want. AOPA has made alleviating insurance pressures a priority for members and is working together with AssuredPartners Aerospace to address this important issue.
As we enter the new year, I am hopeful that the initiatives on which AOPA focuses will continue to be a benefit to our membership. While we don’t all prioritize the same things, I encourage you to remember the basics – why AOPA was founded in the first place.
Even if we disagree on priorities within the organization, we all want the same thing: to preserve GA and keep it alive and well.
