AOPA Pilot Magazine - January 2013 - 32

focus on the future.
AOPA’S VALUES
As members of a vibrant and diverse community, we at AOPA commit to the following defining values. INITIATIVE: Getting things started and getting things done—the ability to identify and follow through on an idea, task, plan, or action.

Keeping existing pilots engaged is flight restrictions that were popping common goal. another challenge. We believe better access up after the 2001 terrorist attacks. An SERVICE: Commitment to using all of our to affordable aircraft and the supportive upgrade in 2006 created a purely webskills, experience, and resources for the benefit of our members, the GA community, community available through flying clubs based flight planner for easier access. will go a long way toward helping pilots fly and the AOPA team. In 2008 we rebuilt our AOPA Airports more. To that end, last fall we kicked off an INTEGRITY: Commitment to ethical online pages and, working with WingX principles. initiative to provide flying clubs with the and ForeFlight, launched mobile verresources they need to be more successful, sions for a variety of smartphones. EXCELLENCE: An environment that fosters pride and success in what we do for our similar to what we did with flight schools Last spring, working with a new partand CFIs. In November, 630 people regis- members and general aviation. ner, Seattle Avionics, we debuted the tered for our first webinar on establishing FlyQ Pocket mobile airports directory, flying clubs, and our database of more than weather center, and flight planner for 650 flying clubs is growing. Our goal is 1,000 flying clubs within iPhone—followed in the summer with an Android version. We five years. Perhaps it’s time you got involved in—or started—a club took the next step in mobile flight planning in the fall with the at your airport. We can provide the resources to help. introduction of FlyQ EFB for iPad, which expands on the FlyQ These initiatives to increase the pilot population are housed in capabilities by adding moving maps, geo-referenced approach the new Center to Advance the Pilot Community at AOPA. This charts, and synthetic vision for use in the cockpit. FlyQ Pocket new entity is just getting organized, but we believe it can have a remains free to members while FlyQ EFB is available at a memsignificant impact on the future of general aviation by creating ber discount. a place where complex issues can receive the sustained, expert Always looking for ways to create new value for pilots and attention they deserve. leverage the best from industry partners, our passionate aviators We also want to encourage young people to pursue their will continue to seek new products and services that increase the interest in aviation, so this past summer we launched the AV8Rs value of aviation. program, which provides a free AOPA membership to teens ages 13 to 18. The membership includes a free subscription to the digi- CHANGING RULES AND FUELS tal edition of Flight Training magazine, access to social networking Creating an app is one thing. Creating a new airplane is quite sites just for these members, and other resources and events. another. Aircraft manufacturers continue to struggle under the Similarly, we are now providing free one-year memberships to burden of outdated and cumbersome certification rules that stifle active military members with an interest in aviation. Our surveys innovation and safety advances, which leads us back to advocashow service members—many of whom are exposed to aviation cy’s role in advancing the freedom to fly. AOPA is in the middle in the military even if they aren’t pilots—have a strong interest in of a group of industry associations and the FAA in attempting to learning to fly, and we’re happy to help. simplify aircraft certification as a means of lowering cost and spurring innovation. NEW TOOLS FOR PILOTS I am pleased with how receptive the FAA has been to the idea of Flying clubs and special memberships for teens and military per- the FAR Part 23 rewrite, which is led by the agency and the indussonnel are just some of the activities we are backing to help make try through an aviation rulemaking committee, of which AOPA aviation more accessible, affordable, and fun. The pilots here at is a part. In fact, this initiative is moving at breakneck speed by AOPA have a long history of innovation around flight planning. regulatory standards. We expect to have a set of recommendaOur first online flight planner launched in 1999, along with online tions by spring that will simplify the process of certifying new access to our airports database. In partnership with Jeppesen, light airplanes and will also offer more effective ways of adding our first electronic flight planner with a graphical interface came safety-enhancing equipment to our existing aircraft. Over the next online in 2003, designed to help pilots avoid the many temporary few years those regulations will allow manufacturers to more
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TEAMWORK: Working together to reach a

AOPA Pilot Magazine - January 2013

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of AOPA Pilot Magazine - January 2013