AOPA Announces 2014 Fly-In Locations and Dates!

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Katie Pribyl

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Katie Pribyl
AOPA announced this morning the locations and dates of six regional fly-ins as well as an “AOPA Homecoming” in Frederick, Md. Each AOPA Fly-In will be held on a Saturday, allowing pilots and their families and friends to attend as part of a weekend outing. The AOPA Fly-In schedule is:

o San Marcos Municipal Airport, Texas (HYI) – April 26, 2014
o Indianapolis Regional Airport, Indiana (MQJ) – May 31, 2014
o Plymouth Airport, Massachusetts (PYM) – July 12, 2014
o Spokane Felts Field, Washington (SFF) – August 16, 2014
o Chino Airport, California (CNO) – September 20, 2014
o Malcolm McKinnon Airport, Georgia (SSI) – November 8,

The AOPA “Homecoming” will be held in Frederick at AOPA’s headquarters on October 4, 2014. The Homecoming event marks the return of the popular AOPA headquarters fly-ins.

The AOPA Fly-Ins are built around the association’s members, but everyone is welcome to join in the fun. Each gathering will begin with a traditional pancake breakfast and town hall discussion where we will talk about the big issues affecting general aviation, discuss key AOPA initiatives, and answer questions from the audience.

Following breakfast, there will be opportunities for AOPA members to meet and mingle with one another and AOPA staff, take part in educational and safety seminars, and explore aircraft displays and aviation exhibits. Various flying activities and clinics will be offered, and for those who aren’t yet pilots, each event will include a learn-to-fly area.

There is no charge for admission and as a special thank-you, AOPA members will receive a complimentary lunch. There will be a reasonable charge for breakfast.


Keep an eye on www.aopa.org/fly-in for more information.


We hope that you will plan on joining us at one (or more) of our fly-ins this year!




Katie Pribyl
AOPA Communications
 
Katie,

Have you started a thread on the AOPA board, too?

I always make it to OSH, but I guess that will be as they've been, right. I hope to make it to Indy to see what these are like.

Two questions:
1) Why not one in Kansas or other more central state? (Thinking Kansas because of Av industry, too, could be a lot of extra folks there because of it.)

2) Just curious if you were able to think of some creative partnerships with vendors to make it work for them. As you know, sending a contingent to a show and setting up a booth is not cheap for small aviation suppliers. I hope there is some way to try to make it work.

OK, actually one more question:
Did you work with or talk to the Type clubs who hold annual get togethers? Combining your events with theirs would really help attendance. It may not be too late for that idea. Didn't ABS' meeting coincide with the last Summit?
 
And once again, completely ignoring the Mountain Time Zone.

That's ok, everyone else ignores us too.
 
murphey said:
And once again, completely ignoring the Mountain Time Zone.

That's ok, everyone else ignores us too.
Click to expand...

Well, that's because you're in "fly-around" country. As in you gotta fly around it, because it's too tall to get over safely. :)
 
There have been a couple questions posed that I am happy to answer!

1) Why not one in Kansas or other more central state? (Thinking Kansas because of Av industry, too, could be a lot of extra folks there because of it.)

We had to evaluate a lot of criteria to identify the right airports for our inaugural fly-ins:

[FONT=&quot]• Timing and weather – Distant in time or location from other
aviation events, weather patterns/history for the region
• Airfield – runway length, 2 runways desired, no landing fees
• Adequate aircraft parking and hangar and ramp space for all
staging and education needs; rain contingency guaranteed.
• Adjacent meeting space – ideal scenario will include additional
meeting space at adjacent facilities to accommodate education or
other activities.
• Favorable city / politics – FBO and airport willing to host
• Automobile parking / access….AND MUCH MORE!

We understand the importance of Kansas to GA and the fly-in locations for 2015 will be all new! We will most definitely try to go to the states/regions where we can't be this year.
[/FONT]
2) Just curious if you were able to think of some creative partnerships with vendors to make it work for them. As you know, sending a contingent to a show and setting up a booth is not cheap for small aviation suppliers. I hope there is some way to try to make it work.

Having exhibitors at these events is very important to us. We are working on solutions for them that we think will be reasonable and desirable. We'll have more details and reservation information in February!

3) Why not the mountain time zone?

As a native Montanan, I too wish we could have an event in the MST this year. Like I said above, we'll be going to new places in 2015 and we'll do everything possible to not "fly-over" you!

Thanks, everybody. Hope to see all of you at one of our fly-ins this year!
Katie

 
I like this news!.. And I like the tone/feeling of this announcement, it feels like AOPA wants members to feel the excitement of aviation again and also bring back the excitement and camaraderie of one of the biggest aviation organizations.

As I have posted here before, I have been disenchanted with AOPA for a while now. When asked by AOPA to express my issues to them I didn't reply because I found it hard to put into words and I didn't believe it was something specific that they could or would address. For me it has been a negative feeling, a negative vibe.

I am hoping this might be the start of a turnaround.
 
Katie Pribyl said:
There have been a couple questions posed that I am happy to answer!

1) Why not one in Kansas or other more central state? (Thinking Kansas because of Av industry, too, could be a lot of extra folks there because of it.)

We had to evaluate a lot of criteria to identify the right airports for our inaugural fly-ins:

[FONT=&quot]• Timing and weather – Distant in time or location from other
aviation events, weather patterns/history for the region
• Airfield – runway length, 2 runways desired, no landing fees
• Adequate aircraft parking and hangar and ramp space for all
staging and education needs; rain contingency guaranteed.
• Adjacent meeting space – ideal scenario will include additional
meeting space at adjacent facilities to accommodate education or
other activities.
• Favorable city / politics – FBO and airport willing to host
• Automobile parking / access….AND MUCH MORE!

We understand the importance of Kansas to GA and the fly-in locations for 2015 will be all new! We will most definitely try to go to the states/regions where we can't be this year.
[/FONT]
2) Just curious if you were able to think of some creative partnerships with vendors to make it work for them. As you know, sending a contingent to a show and setting up a booth is not cheap for small aviation suppliers. I hope there is some way to try to make it work.

Having exhibitors at these events is very important to us. We are working on solutions for them that we think will be reasonable and desirable. We'll have more details and reservation information in February!

3) Why not the mountain time zone?

As a native Montanan, I too wish we could have an event in the MST this year. Like I said above, we'll be going to new places in 2015 and we'll do everything possible to not "fly-over" you!

Thanks, everybody. Hope to see all of you at one of our fly-ins this year!
Katie
Click to expand...

An entire timezone of 9 states, and nothing met your specs? Someone really needs to do better research.
 
HYI - Excellent!

So you there!
 
...

Mods, please move this to "the classifieds" where it belongs.
 
jhausch said:
Katie,

Two questions:
1) Why not one in Kansas or other more central state? (Thinking Kansas because of Av industry, too, could be a lot of extra folks there because of it.)

?
Click to expand...


I was thinking this also. Dosnt seem to be any fly ins in the central part of the country but a lot of them along the east coast. :confused:
 
flyer said:
I was thinking this also. Dosnt seem to be any fly ins in the central part of the country but a lot of them along the east coast. :confused:
Click to expand...

they probably wanted to have fly ins near relatively large populations of AOPA members
 
Dav8or said:
Why? It's in "Cool Places to Fly" and they are announcing fly ins. Seems perfect too me. I guess this is cynical political commentary?
Click to expand...

It is a commercial announcement...they're selling...that's what the classifieds are for.
 
murphey said:
An entire timezone of 9 states, and nothing met your specs? Someone really needs to do better research.
Click to expand...

flyer said:
I was thinking this also. Dosnt seem to be any fly ins in the central part of the country but a lot of them along the east coast. :confused:
Click to expand...

tonycondon said:
they probably wanted to have fly ins near relatively large populations of AOPA members
Click to expand...

Population by Time Zone (unverified)
Eastern Standard Time (EST) - 141,631,478
Central Standard Time (CST) - 85,385,031
Mountain Standard Time (MST) - 18,715,536
Pacific Standard Time (PST) - 48,739,504
 
Ok, so Spokane is what? 50 miles from MST? Just pretend its in Lewiston, ID. . . .
 
Is that the first time for an AOPA fly-in in any of the New England states?
 
Bob Noel said:
Is that the first time for an AOPA fly-in in any of the New England states?
Click to expand...
They had one in Hartford, CT. a couple years ago. Plymouth is close enough I might stop in if I have no where else to fly.
 
murphey said:
An entire timezone of 9 states, and nothing met your specs? Someone really needs to do better research.
Click to expand...

To continue my disappointment...now that Dave Ulane moved from Colorado to (washington state or oregon) no AOPA regional manager lives in the time zone.

Lip service to members , at least, would have been served by an event in Kansas.
 
They aren't going to Alaska, and Alaska probably has as much land area as those nine states. OK, maybe not as much, but a considerable percentage. Maybe Alaska should whine loudest - and I only count 7 entire states in the MTZ. But they are going to Texas, and part of Texas is in the MTZ.
 
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Any list of AOPA venues is certain to bring the AOPA haters out of the wood work because the venue isn't in their back yard. yawn

In my case I hate the AOPA because although the San Marcos venue is in my back yard, I'm committed to a motorcycle rally that weekend and won't be able to attend.

Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
 
EdFred said:
They aren't going to Alaska, and Alaska probably has as much land area as those nine states. OK, maybe not as much, but a considerable percentage. Maybe Alaska should whine loudest - and I only count 7 entire states in the MTZ. But they are going to Texas, and part of Texas is in the MTZ.
Click to expand...

Mountain Time Zone All Inclusive:
Arizona, Utah, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Texas

Mountain Time Zone Exclusively:
Arizona, Utah, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico
 
SkyHog said:
Mountain Time Zone All Inclusive:
Arizona, Utah, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Texas

Mountain Time Zone Exclusively:
Arizona, Utah, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico
Click to expand...

I thought all of Idaho was in MTZ, but upon looking it appears from the Salmon River north it is indeed PTZ. I still don't know where the 9 states comes from.
 
Just checked the AOPA page announcing the 6 locations....golly gee whiz, unca bob - no more comments allowed, the comment section is closed.

wonder why.
 
murphey said:
Just checked the AOPA page announcing the 6 locations....golly gee whiz, unca bob - no more comments allowed, the comment section is closed.

wonder why.
Click to expand...

As stated in our online comments policy, which is linked from the page where comments are posted, the comments for each story close on the Monday after the story was originally posted. The comments on that story closed last Monday.

If there's something you'd like to share not already covered in the 63 comments already posted, I'm happy to hear it.
 
I'm not an AOPA fan(or a member) didn't they just go from one big convention to 6? And if they move them every year the chance of one being close soon just went way up. If stupid EAA would just hold Oshkosh in Massachusetts I might join those selfish only party in Wisconsin snobs.:rolleyes:
 
TomHaines said:
As stated in our online comments policy, which is linked from the page where comments are posted, the comments for each story close on the Monday after the story was originally posted. The comments on that story closed last Monday.

If there's something you'd like to share not already covered in the 63 comments already posted, I'm happy to hear it.
Click to expand...

Nope, already posted it earlier in this thread. As for the comments policy at AOPA, the problem is the website - it's really not all that great on a tablet. Sufficiently annoyed trying to read all 600 and some odd comments (could only read the first 15 or so) that I gave up.
 
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