Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
Making A Difference For Airports<br />
AOPA is always looking for ways to protect our<br />
general aviation airports. Some 16 years ago,<br />
that search yielded a simple, yet groundbreaking,<br />
idea: Ask AOPA members to serve as our eyes<br />
and ears at their home fields. And so the AOPA<br />
Airport Support Network was born.<br />
This month we are celebrating an impressive<br />
milestone—having an ASN volunteer at each of<br />
2,500 airports. That means we now have a volunteer<br />
at nearly half of the almost 5,200 public-use airports<br />
nationwide, which is truly remarkable.<br />
These volunteers play a vital role in protecting their fields. They are the early warning system.<br />
They alert us to brewing threats so our experts at AOPA can work with the volunteers, local pilots,<br />
airport management, and decision makers to resolve problems before they become crises.<br />
But they also do much more. They promote their airports year round to help communities<br />
understand just how much value having an airport can deliver. With the help of how-to guides<br />
from AOPA, they host aviation events and airport open houses. They take part in city and county<br />
council meetings. They speak about the airport and its value at community events of all types.<br />
Aviation leaders in one state have demonstrated their understanding of just how important that is.<br />
Virginia recently became the first state to have ASN volunteers at all 66 of its public-use airports,<br />
thanks in large part to the efforts of Randall Burdette, director of the Virginia Department of Aviation.<br />
As a former ASN volunteer himself, Burdette views the program as a win-win. In his words, “It’s<br />
beneficial for the airport, its customers and the Commonwealth of Virginia to have enthusiastic<br />
volunteers help keep track of what’s happening at Virginia’s airports and to share that knowledge.”<br />
One day we hope to see every public-use airport in America have an ASN volunteer keeping it<br />
safe. If your airport already has a volunteer, get to know them and find out how you can support<br />
their efforts. If not, consider becoming a volunteer yourself. Either way, I hope you’ll explore the<br />
program and all that it does at aopa.org/asn.<br />
Craig L. Fuller<br />
AOPA President and CEO<br />
*For more information on the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association and the issues that affect your flying go to www.aopa.org today.
Change language