AOPA Pilot Magazine - January 2022 - 47

service and for all the veterans who have
helped to preserve our way of life.
Simultaneously, a flight of three highly
polished Swifts and an RV made a formation
pass with the missing man turning
west, as we all must eventually. A lone
bugler played taps.
A bit somberly we returned to the hangar
to partake of shrimp, fiery-hot corn,
potatoes, corn bread, and all the comfort
food that surrounds such events. On a table
next to the lectern was Charlie memorabilia.
His Delta captain's hat and wings; a
picture of his last command, the Lockheed
L-1011; and a model of his beloved and polished
Swift. In short, tribute to a man who
loved flight and those who loved the sky.
There was time to reflect
on the blessing that we
who fly are surrounded
by truly spectacular
people.
The mood brightened as friends, wives,
children, and grandchildren recounted all
manner of Charlie stories, but the constant
theme revealed a man who did not
compromise and was intensely loyal to
his friends. Laughter and tears. Dogs provided
solace and life-affirming humor to
the gathering. A tribute to love and loyalty-my
kind of service.
As I walked back to my hangar and
sat quietly in the cockpit of the aircraft
I'm privileged to own, there was time to
reflect on the blessing that we who fly are
surrounded by truly spectacular people.
They're endowed with depth, commitment,
enthusiasm, joy, intelligence. These are rare
commodities in an increasingly shallow and
virtual world. Charlie planned and funded
this event so that our pilots association, his
friends, and family could share camaraderie
and aviation in a place he loved. It serves as
model for all who call the sky home and see
airports as a gateway to both today's world
and what lies beyond for all of us. Bruce
Landsberg is the former executive director
of the AOPA Air Safety Institute.
Report card
High school initiatives are working
AOPA IDENTIFIED a gap in aviation youth education that no other
organization is filling. By working with high schools directly,
AOPA is helping to introduce aviation to a diverse group of students
who may have otherwise never realized that a career as a
pilot or in a drone-related field is completely within reach.
A record-breaking 322 schools
390 Teachers
participated in
You Can Fly
workshops
are teaching the AOPA Foundation
High School Aviation STEM
Curriculum. Perhaps most important,
we had a 100-percent renewal
rate, with every school that taught
the curriculum last year returning.
The You Can Fly team has also
begun development of the twelfth grade unmanned aircraft systems
track, which will be rolled out to schools utilizing block
scheduling beginning in January 2022. Production on the UAS
track is expected to wrap up in the spring of 2022, which will mark
the completion of all four years of curriculum, including the pilot
and UAS tracks.
Teachers for the 2021-2022 school year completed their training
workshops virtually via online courses developed by the
You Can Fly team. The team also continues to host their quarterly
webinar series, Office Hours,
where teachers can give feedback
about their schools' current learning
environments, ask questions
about lessons, and collaborate with
other teachers.
youcanfly.aopa.org/
high-school
154 Teachers
participated in
You Can Fly
webinars
Your generous contribution to the AOPA Foundation
has a significant impact on AOPA's You Can Fly and
AOPA Air Safety Institute programs. These lifesaving,
life-changing initiatives are funded by the AOPA
Foundation and they need your support to continue
making a stronger, safer aviation community.
aopa.org/donate
AOPA PILOT / January 2022
47
http://youcanfly.aopa.org/high-school http://youcanfly.aopa.org/high-school http://www.aopa.org/donate
AOPA Pilot Magazine - January 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of AOPA Pilot Magazine - January 2022
