AOPA Pilot Magazine - September 2013 - 52

Adding up the wins
Small victories mean big results

Much of what we do at the AOPA Foundation happens incrementally—thousands of small wins that,
taken together, generate big results. Every time a
pilot completes an online course from the Air Safety
Institute, it’s a small win for safety. Every time a
student earns a pilot certificate, it’s a small victory
for building the GA community. And every time
pilots band together to protect their home field, it’s
a small win for airports everywhere.
These victories are important, and they can only
happen with donations to the AOPA Foundation.
Dues alone can’t support the bold programs supported by the foundation—programs that tackle the
challenges we must face if we are to preserve the
freedom to fly.
Now, as we look back on the past year, we can
see how these wins add up and take a moment
to recognize what our donors have helped us
achieve together. In 2012, the AOPA Foundation
supported AOPA’s efforts to grow the pilot population by launching the new Center to Advance the
Pilot Community. We helped preserve community
airports; educate the public about the value of GA;
and, of course, provided a wide range of safety
programs through the Air Safety Institute.
Tens of thousands of pilots are taking courses,
attending seminars, and watching videos, but does

it help? Over the decades of our existence, the accident rate per flight hour for general aviation has
dropped by 90 percent. It represents real pilots and
real lives. The AOPA Foundation played a part in
that and it’s worth celebrating.
In 2012, the Air Safety Institute had a recordbreaking year of outreach into the general aviation
community. Online courses, videos, quizzes, seminars, Flight Instructor Refresher Clinics, and other
products were viewed by pilots more than
1.8 million times.
Collaborating with the Air Care Alliance, FAA,
DOD, NATCA, NTSB, and many other organizations,
the Air Safety Institute produced online courses on
topics including volunteer pilots, UAS, ADS-B, and
aging pilots. Videos included interviews with air
traffic controllers, explanations on thorough passenger briefings, and an accident case study involving
datalinked weather information to the cockpit. A
special video documentary communicated one pilot’s tragedy and the lessons that all pilots can learn
from it. Some 35,000 pilots attended in-person
seminars. Two seminars, Wanted: Alive and Flying
for a Lifetime, were presented 200 times throughout the year.
The AOPA Foundation provided funding for programs that preserve community airports, such as

THE AOPA FOUNDATION INC.
STATEMENTS OF FINANCIAL POSITION
December 31, 2012 and 2011
Amounts in ($000s)
(Unaudited)

ASSETS
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents
General accounts receivable
Contribution commitments—
current, net of allowance
Prepaid expenses
Other assets
Total current assets

2012

2011

$1,926
87
4,854

$2,032
129
4,260

45
120

7,032

6,515

LIABILITIES AND NET ASSETS
Current Liabilities:
Accounts payable
Accrued liabilities
Deferred revenue

Total current liabilities
Long-term obligations
Total liabilities

Long-term assets:
Contribution commitments—long-term,
net of allowance and discount
Investments, at fair value
Property and equipment, net

52 | AOPA PILOT September 2013

2011

$78
338
108

$249
302
103

524

654

1,173

951

1,697

1,605

7,442
2,589
11,135
9,989

6,602
2,589
10,116
9,879

31,155

29,186

$32,852

$30,791

Net assets:

3,011

2,511

22,710

21,478

Unrestricted—non designated
Unrestricted—board designated
Temporarily restricted
Permanently restricted

287
Total net assets

Total Assets

2012

$32,852

$30,791

Total liabilities and net assets

AOPA Pilot Magazine - September 2013

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