AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2014 - 20

FOUNDATION FOCUS

If you believe

BY BRUCE LANDSBERG
AOPA Foundation President

Toss your hat into the ring

BRUCE LANDSBERG

has been a member
of the AOPA Hat in
the Ring Society for
21 years.

20 | AOPA PILOT March 2014

PERHAPS THE MOST famous group of American
pilots in World War I was the 94th Aero Squadron.
Stationed in France to clear the skies over Western
Europe and led by Capt. Eddie Rickenbacker, they
shot down more than 50 enemy aircraft. The squadron's Hat-in-the-Ring insignia was tribute to the fact
that the members were volunteers, willing to do battle for what they believed in. The AOPA Foundation's
Hat in the Ring Society currently has nearly 600
member donors who have thrown their hats into the
ring to help preserve our freedom to fly.
So why is more financial fuel needed beyond your
AOPA dues? That's simple. As a more than 40-year
member of AOPA, I can tell you that our dues have
lagged far behind inflation and that AOPA has
been asked to do much more-especially since the
September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. The Airport
Support Network; staffing to push back against
overreaching security mandates; more need for airport preservation efforts; and a major expansion of
safety programs, both live and online, through the
Air Safety Institute are activities that are essential
and need funding.
You'll remember that "little" recession we went
through a few years ago. That resulted in two major
sources of revenue to AOPA shrinking drastically-
print advertising and an affinity credit card program.
The need to stand up against overregulation and local
misunderstandings that often threaten general aviation airports has increased significantly. Growing
the pilot population through the promotion of flying clubs, improving training, and the perception of
GA all take time and money to develop and execute.
A last comment on why this is important: If
you've been to other parts of the world, you'll know
that light GA is regulated almost out of existence.
Without AOPA it would be the same in the United
States. You'll hear more in our 75th anniversary issue
of AOPA Pilot that's coming up in May.
It takes your financial support-and that of thousands of other pilots-to support the free world-class
safety training presented and provided by the Air
Safety Institute. Every contribution makes a difference, and we thank everyone who donates to the
AOPA Foundation. Financial circumstances are
different, but by contributing at any level you are
declaring that GA matters to you.

For those who are able, Hat in the Ring Society
members commit $1,000 or more annually to show
their support for GA and encourage others to do
the same. I've been a member for more than 20
years-as long as I've worked here-because ensuring the future of GA means investing in the present.
(You shouldn't ask if you don't give!) It also means
immediate benefits that can be seen every day (see
"Foundation Focus: What Have We Done for You
Lately?" December 2013 AOPA Pilot).
Some society members are well known: Actors
Harrison Ford, Morgan Freeman, and Dave Coulier,
author Stuart Woods; celebrity chef Alton Brown; and
airshow star Michael Goulian all believe and contribute. Hundreds of other society members are leaders
in their businesses and communities, who see the
benefits general aviation in their own lives, and want
others to have similar opportunities.
But you don't need to be a CEO or personality to
throw your hat into the ring. Very simply, all society
members have a common bond-a love for GA and a
desire to protect the freedom to fly for themselves and
others. Their tax-deductible contributions allow the
AOPA Foundation to continue to bring flying within
reach of more Americans and help build local support for community airports. They support the Flight
Training Excellence Awards, the AOPA Flying Club
Network, and the AOPA Foundation's "Giving Back"
program, which provides modest but needed contributions to worthy charitable flying organizations.
And they support the Air Safety Institute, which provides safety education, research, and analysis to the
entire GA community-not just to AOPA members.
Society members know that it takes persistence
to solve aviation's most longstanding and intractable problems. And they make an annual donation
because they recognize that we can't afford to stand
back and hope someone else will take action. If you
believe general aviation is a cause worth fighting for
and can make the move to a higher level of commitment, you belong here. To learn more about how you
can take a leadership role in protecting general aviation, contact Hat in the Ring Society membership
liaison Justin Biassou at 301-695-2268 or justin.biassou@aopa.org.
AOPA
WEB www.aopafoundation.org

http://www.aopafoundation.org

AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2014

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2014