AOPA Pilot Magazine - September 2022 - 32

BRIEFING
SWEEPSTAKES /
We have a winner
California pilot captures the Tiger
BY NIKI BRITTON
AVID BACKCOUNTRY PILOT Alex Browne
was in disbelief as AOPA President
Mark Baker delivered the news that he
was the proud new owner of the AOPA
Sweepstakes Grumman Tiger.
I had lured Browne, an AOPA member
since the age of 16, to the Petaluma airport
on July 15 under the guise of an interview
about backcountry flying and his modified
Cessna 185. Little did 33-year-old Browne
know, AOPA President Mark Baker and
AOPA Senior Vice President of Media
and Marketing Kollin Stagnito were hiding
just out of sight, awaiting the signal
to step in.
Surprised by Baker's sudden appearance,
the shock set in as Baker explained
that Browne was now the proud owner of
the Grumman Tiger and presented him
with the aircraft's Tin Tail Numbers sign.
" Woah, Woah, What?! No....I'm blown
away! " Browne said. " This is like the first
thing I've actually won! "
Browne called his wife to share the
good news, " I uhh...I just won a plane...the
AOPA sweepstakes, the giveaway of the
Grumman Tiger. " Browne's wife, Soraya,
knew the aircraft, and after confirming
32
AOPA PILOT / September 2022
the aircraft was the same one the cover
of a recent AOPA Pilot magazine a few
months prior, exclaimed, " I'm speechless! "
before heading to the airport with
their son, Cal. Browne and his family
then went to EAA AirVenture Oshkosh
in Wisconsin, to meet their new aircraft.
Browne, a commercial pilot, started
taking flying lessons when he was 14 years
old and earned his private pilot certificate
before his driver's license. A passionate
outdoorsman, Browne has become adept
at flying in the backcountry in his Cessna
185. Of his new Grumman Tiger, he said,
" I see this as an opportunity to give back
and help boost aviation within the local
community. I'm hoping to get more people
involved in aviation-the first being
my wife! "
" The experience of being surprised
by Mark Baker, " Browne said, " was one
I'll never forget. I'm a huge fan of him
and everything he has done to promote
backcountry flying. I never thought in
my wildest dreams that I would have the
opportunity to meet Mark in person, let
alone have him stand in my hangar! "
niki.briton@aopa.org
Oh, the places
you'll go
Cessna 170 is new AOPA
Sweepstakes giveaway
The newest AOPA sweepstakes
aircraft is a 1953 Cessna 170B. The
170 was one of the world's most
popular four-place airplanes when
new and was designed to fly off short
grass runways. AOPA is going to
tweak the original design and turn
the AOPA Sweepstakes Cessna 170
into a fire-breathing backcountry
beast. We'll start by giving the 170
an engine transplant-increasing
horsepower from 145 to 180. Then
we'll install bigger tires, a lightweight
interior, modern VFR instrumentation,
and other modifications to complete
its transformation into an outstanding
backcountry performer. You won't
be able to miss the dramatic
backcountry-inspired paint scheme.
Watch these pages for more
information and check aopa.org for
regular updates.
aopa.org/sweeps
Visit aopa.org/sweeps for full
sweepstakes rules and a list of
generous contributors.
http://www.aopa.org http://www.aopa.org/sweeps http://www.aopa.org/sweeps
AOPA Pilot Magazine - September 2022

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