AOPA Pilot Magazine - October 2020 - 34

PILOT BRIEFING
YOU CAN FLY |

Michael Goulian

Dierks Bentley

You Can Fly Champions share love of flight

34 | AOPA PILOT October 2020

Goulian is no stranger to AOPA-the aerobatic champion and owner of
a Cirrus Aircraft training and management company has supported AOPA
in many initiatives. "As far as You Can Fly goes, I think what you're doing in
the high schools is amazing. We need to expose people to this great industry at a young age," he said. "When you get them in high school, they're old
enough to start to know what they like and what they want, and to expose
them to that at that point, I think, is fantastic."
AOPA will be adding more You Can Fly Champions. Pilots can watch
Bentley and Goulian talk about their passion for aviation and follow them
on social media.
"It's about community with anything that you're doing," Bentley said.
"AOPA has created this unbelievable community, message boards, ways to
contact other pilots. I would tell anybody it's awesome being a pilot, but
it's not about doing it all by yourself. The heart of getting into this whole
thing is when you see another guy that's a pilot, another girl that's a pilot,
you have this instant bond."
youcanfly.aopa.org/ycf-champions

AOPA's You Can Fly program was created to get more people flying
and keep them flying through four key initiatives: High School STEM
curriculum, Flight Training, Flying Clubs, and Rusty Pilots. The program is funded by donations to the AOPA Foundation.
aopafoundation.org

LEFT: CHRIS ROSE, RIGHT: COURTESY MICHAEL GOULIAN

THEY ARE AT THE TOP of their respective industries:
one an award-winning country music superstar, entrepreneur, and pilot; the other a renowned airshow
performer, aerobatic champion, and 13-year Red Bull
Air Race World Championship pilot.
Now they are teaming up through their love of aviation as AOPA's You Can Fly Champions.
Critically acclaimed singer/songwriter Dierks
Bentley and three-time member of the U.S. Unlimited
Aerobatic Team and National Aerobatic Champion
Michael Goulian are hoping to inspire people from
all walks of life to go up for their first flight and enjoy
the experience of flying as much as they do.
AOPA announced the You Can Fly Champions
August 19-a fitting day, National Aviation Day, which
coincides with Orville Wright's birthday. Bentley and
Goulian are touting the freedom of flying to attract
student pilots, increase the diversity of the pilot population, and create a greater appreciation for aviation.
With nearly 4,000 flight hours, Bentley said, "I'm
a big champion of aviation and what it allows you to
do. I think I do represent a large part of the population that has to travel for work...[and I'm hoping to]
shed light on what is possible in aviation as far as quality of time and quantity of time goes with your family.
It's a huge honor."

http://youcanfly.aopa.org/ycf-champions http://www.aopafoundation.org

AOPA Pilot Magazine - October 2020

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