AOPA Pilot Magazine - November 2021 - 16

LETTERS
PRESIDENT 'S POSITION
Freedom to fly
Reflecting on our liberties
F R E E DOM TO FLY ( " President's Position:
Cherish Your Freedom to Fly, " September 2021
AOPA Pilot) brings up an interesting story for
me. I saw the smoke from the towers on 9/11,
my wife was across the country that morning,
and I got the opportunity to exchange that freedom
with members of the Chinese Communist
Party a few years later.
Our town had a sister school relationship
with several schools in Shandong province
in China. In 2007 I was going to China on an
exchange trip as chair of my board of education.
Before we left, the Chinese members of the
delegation came to the United States and stayed
close by. One afternoon, I offered to give these
folks an aerial look at our area. As a pilot and
aircraft owner I could make that happen. The
day dawned clear but as happens often in New
England, clouds rolled in. That said, it was clear
to the south, west, and east.
So, I improvised, adapted, and overcame. I
decided to fly the Hudson Corridor. I loaded up
three members of the Shandong province education
system, one of whom was the translator,
and with headsets in place we launched into the
noon sky and flew south and west. The cameras
started clicking!
The New York skyline came into view. We
overflew Laguardia at 1,500 feet in the Class
Bravo, down the East River, around " The Lady "
(Statute of Liberty) twice and then back up the
Hudson, exiting the corridor and back to our airport
in Eastern Connecticut.
After landing, the Chinese Communist Party
officials asked me how much effort it took to get
clearance to do that. They expected months of
approvals and effort to obtain that approval. I
said, basically none. We had a different plan that
morning. I made the decision to fly down the
coast and fly them around New York City shortly
before we left.
They refused to believe me. They believed it
impossible that a pilot of a small airplane could
decide to take off and fly down the coast into
some of the densest airspace in the country on a
whim. Despite trying to explain how our system
works, they could not understand it.
That's my freedom to fly story. And I'm
proud of it. I'm proud of the controllers who
16
AOPA PILOT / November 2021
Cherish your
freedom to fly
A defining moment that forever changed
everything
BY MARK BAKER / President and CEO
SEPTEMBER 11, 2001, is a day that I will never forget. Watching
the morning news over a bowl of cereal, I was planning my
flight to Chicago for an afternoon meeting. Suddenly, everything
changed. The memories of the events from that day still
haunt many who watched the horrible aerial siege in real-time.
A memory now, but one painted so vividly, it's hard to believe
20 years have gone by.
The terrorist attacks of 9/11 were a defining moment in history
that forever changed our society and culture. Patriotism
grew like we've never seen in modern times, and with it, a call for
heightened security. In the aftermath of the attacks, our nation's
first and foremost duty was to protect its citizens-ensuring that
our country and people were safe. And with that, ensuring our
skies were safe.
While parts of the world may not be much safer
after 20 years, we should be proud that we have
worked very hard to keep our skies safer than ever.
Courtney Vidt
Reflecting on those dark days 20 years later, I am amazed at
what we were able to accomplish. It's made me more cognizant
and appreciative of the freedoms we still have. Our industry has
worked hard over the past two decades with a vested interest in
keeping the skies safe-not only from threats, but by being the
safest pilots we can be. Safety wears many hats.
Some of our most important security initiatives grew from a
post-9/11 world. In 2003, our AOPA Airport Watch program was
established by AOPA in coordination with the Transportation
Security Administration, which uses more than 600,000 pilots as
the eyes and ears for reporting suspicious activity at airports. The
program has been a significant model for educating security agencies
and government officials on the value of partnering with GA.
Unfortunately, increased security came with consequences
Brody Wilson
for GA. Fences, badges, and new restrictions at some airports
weren't exactly the welcoming environment pilots want for
newcomers or our neighboring communities (see " GA Under
Siege, " p. 68). But fighting to ensure a vibrant future for GA has
been part of AOPA's mission since its founding in 1939. That
didn't fall to the wayside.
To confront these challenges, we had to try harder to break
Sarah Cooke
Within hours the world's busiest, most complex airspace
system went quiet. Watching the live flight map that morning
was incredibly unsettling.
In the days and weeks following 9/11, the future of aviation-
especially the future of general aviation-remained uncertain.
Even after commercial traffic was cleared to resume, GA
remained grounded. Top government officials considered undue
restrictions and limitations on GA, leaving a large population
of safe and conscientious pilots left to defend themselves from
government overreach. General aviation never had an argument
against safety and security; it was one against unnecessary
bureaucracy. There needed to be a proper balance.
In what can only be described as controlled chaos, AOPA
down barriers to entry and make aviation more accessible and
affordable. From introducing young students to our high school
aviation STEM curriculum and awarding a range of scholarships,
to helping pilots start flying clubs and bringing pilots back
through our Rusty Pilot program, we've made progress in fueling
a passion for GA. We know that we are stronger in numbers.
For the first time in decades, the number of pilots is increasing.
On this anniversary we will relive and remember the tales
and then he flew for the number-one airline, United. He really
enjoyed what he did. He loved to travel, he loved to take pictures,
and he loved taking advantage of being in other countries. " He discovered
new places, went to museums, " and always came home
with stories. "
She reconciles her personal loss with the solace that " United
worked around the clock alongside the Department of Defense,
the FAA, and other security stakeholders to get GA off the
ground. Slowly and incrementally, we reclaimed our freedom
to fly (see " The Day Aviation Stood Still, " p. 66).
8
AOPA PILOT / September 2021
Past, Inspiring the Future " ceremony in
Philadelphia August 28 to commemorate
the twentieth anniversary of 9/11. Here
are some of their stories.
93 was the flight that fought back. I often wonder if LeRoy was not
on that flight, would it have made it to the U.S. Capitol that day? "
Perhaps her husband's position on the flight deck " was LeRoy's
purpose in life. I don't like it, I don't have to like it-but I understand
that in his life, he had already taken an oath to protect and
serve his country. That day was just an extension of it. "
Nineteen of the 27 recipients will attend an " Honoring the
of heroism, tragedy, and resilience that tested us as Americans.
As a nation, we will always have our guard up, and while parts
of the world may not be much safer 20 years later, we should
be proud that we have worked very hard to keep our skies safer
than ever. We are lucky to
live in a country where this
freedom is protected and
preserved. Let's always
make sure we cherish this
freedom to fly.
mark@aopa.org
want to be near. " She considers military service one of her
" proudest achievements. "
If Cooke met LeRoy Homer today, she said, " Oh, man, my eyes
are going to water. I would tell him, 'thank you' for his legacy, and
for his contributions to my life. I'm very fortunate. It's just a really,
really wonderful group of people. "
U.S. NAVY LT. CMDR. Richard Valenta (2003), a Lockheed Martin
F-35C Lightning II pilot based at Maryland's Naval Air Station
Patuxent River, was an inaugural scholarship recipient who
knew at an early age that he wanted to become a military pilot.
However, his parents " didn't have the most money in the world
and even in 2003 it was quite an expense to get a pilot license. "
One day he typed aviation scholarTRIUMPH
OUT OF TRAGEDY
United Airlines Flight 93 lives on in
LeRoy W. Homer Jr. flight scholarships
BY DAVID TULIS
TUESDAY MORNING, SEPTEMBER 11, 2001, defined a generation
after terrorists hijacked four commercial airliners and used them
as weapons of war. Three crashed into symbols of America-the
twin towers in New York City and the Pentagon in Washington,
D.C.-and passengers on United Airlines Flight 93 saved countless
others when they battled to veer the flight from the target of
the hijackers who had seized control from Capt. Jason Dahl and
First Officer LeRoy Homer Jr.
The LeRoy W. Homer Jr. Scholarship Foundation has turned
tragedy into promise. The first officer's widow, Melodie, pledged
to keep her husband's memory alive by fully funding primary flight
training scholarships for those demonstrating a strong desire to
pursue aviation, a balanced background, and a financial need.
70
AOPA PILOT / September 2021
Melodie Homer said her husband would be " amazed " at the 25
young people who have already become pilots while keeping the
pilot's memory alive. She explained that flight training can vary
widely depending on location, so the scholarships fund the entire
expense-from the first day of ground school to the private pilot
checkride-no matter the cost.
" We really wanted to look at this young adult population and
sort of replicate what LeRoy did by having them follow in his
footsteps, " and opening the doors to a variety of potential aviation
careers.
She said the Homer flight scholarships recipients have a 100
percent completion rate and span military, commercial, and general
aviation pilots. " We have four military pilots-two in the Air
Force, two in the Navy-and two recipients who are currently at
the Air Force Academy. We have people in the cockpit, we have
people working in the airlines, we have people in cyber security,
and we have people working at Boeing. We have cargo pilots, general
aviators, and flight instructors. "
Homer believes her husband's " big plan was exactly what he
did. " A U.S. Air Force Academy graduate, he flew for his country in
" the exact plane that he wanted-the [Lockheed] C-131 Starlifter,
SPIRIT AIRLINES First Officer Sarah
Cooke (2003 recipient) was 18 and fresh
out of high school when her life trajectory
changed forever. Cooke grew up " in
the middle of nowhere Idaho " and didn't
have the financial resources to pursue an
aviation career before she was awarded
one of the first three LeRoy Homer Jr.
Scholarship flight training scholarships.
She earned a private pilot certificate that summer and praised
Melodie Homer took her
husband's memory
and decided to do
something amazing
with it.
the award as the " single greatest gift that I've ever been given.
That flight scholarship opened so many doors for me. It truly
changed the direction of my life, " Cooke reflected. " I simply
could not have afforded it. I grew up incredibly poor. "
Cooke also won the first-ever Captain Jason Dahl Scholarship,
which funded an instrument rating and led to a United Express
position. However, she was furloughed a short time later during
the Great Recession of 2007 to 2009. " I did everything right,
but there I was, 23 years old and unemployed, so I joined the Air
Force. " She attended Officer Training School and is a distinguished
U.S. Air Force graduate.
She commanded a Boeing RC-135 reconnaissance aircraft
" in international waters over countries you probably wouldn't
ships on his computer " and the Homer
Foundation popped up. Applications were
due in like five days, and I said, 'Oh, my
gosh, I've got to get this done.' "
" It was such a life-changing day "
when the 16-year-old was awarded an allexpenses-paid
flight scholarship. He spent
" every day at the airport that summer
studying aviation and flying in a Cessna 152
with a single VOR, a single ADF, and a single
radio, with a DG that precessed quite a bit. "
Earning a private pilot certificate at age
17 was " one of the most defining moments
of my life, " Valenta said. Aviation classes at Purdue University, a
Navy ROTC scholarship, and military flight training followed.
" I cannot stress to Melodie...and to everyone in the foundation
how much of a positive impact that scholarship had on my
life. I hope I can pay it back and give someone else the opportunity
they gave me. "
U.S.AIR FORCE MAJ.Courtney Vidt (2006), an instructor pilot
and weapons officer, praised the LeRoy Homer Scholarship
Foundation for her aviation accomplishments. " The credit really
belongs to Mel Homer. She took his memory and decided to do
something amazing with it. "
The first recipient to graduate from the U.S. Air Force Academy,
Vidt said even her passion for flying gliders mirrored Homer's.
AOPA PILOT / September 2021
71
AOPA President
MARK BAKER is a
commercial pilot with singleand
multiengine land and
seaplane ratings, and a
rotorcraft rating.
cooperated. And the security apparatus that
" gave in, " and the members of the lobbyist
groups like AOPA and others, who preserved
it for us.
Joe Farrell / AOPA 4641780
Tucson, Arizona
WY not?
Thank you for Julie Summers Walker's wonderful
piece on Casper, Wyoming ( " Casper,
Wyoming " ), in the September 2021 issue of
AOPA Pilot. I wish that we'd been able to show
even more about Casper and our local community.
After seven years living in Australia, my
family chose Casper to move back to and make
a home-so we're truly grateful as well as huge
Casper fans.
Tom Van Kleef / AOPA 10447499
Casper, Wyoming
Looks like a Skyhawk...
I enjoyed Dave Hirschman's article on
Corsair's V-8 engine in the September 2021
AOPA Pilot ( " Looks Like a Skyhawk, Sounds
Like a Corvette " ). I am in agreement with Jay
O'Donnell that it makes sense to apply the
" Triumph out of
Tragedy " was a
wonderful, uplifting
article!
It would be kind if
you could pass along
to Melody Homer our
thanks, gratitude,
and appreciation
for such a patriotic
gesture of support
for the American ideal
as she fosters in the
LeRoy W. Homer Jr.
Scholarship Foundation.
She makes us proud
to be Americans. God
has blessed us with
Americans like her.
Wayne A. Wentz /
AOPA 673508
Scottsdale, Arizona
DAVID TULIS
AOPA Pilot Magazine - November 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of AOPA Pilot Magazine - November 2021
