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KEEP ‘EMFLYINGBucking the TrendThere’s a troubling trend in general aviation—the long, slow decline in the number of activepilots—and it’s the sort of thing that keeps meawake at night. Over the past few years, this isan issue all of us at AOPA have been activelyinvestigating. We wanted to understand whatis happening and why. And we wanted to knowwhat we could do to change the trend.Today, we believe we have many of the answers.And we’re making big changes at AOPA to betterput what we’ve learned to work for the future of GA.We’ve created the Center for the Advancement ofthe Pilot Community—a new division at AOPA to be led by Adam Smith and staffed with ateam of experts in research, lifelong learning, and program development. The Center willbe home to a whole range of initiatives dedicated to growing the pilot population, reducingthe student pilot dropout rate, helping lapsed pilots return to the skies, and developing thekinds of supportive communities that keep pilots flying more often and more affordably.It may sound like a mammoth task, and frankly it is. But we believe this comprehensiveapproach is the best way to buck the downward trend.What really makes this effort different is that it’s based on success. When we started thisjourney, we were trying to understand why some 70 percent of student pilots quit trainingbefore they earn a certificate. And we found some very clear answers not only aboutwhere the problems lie, but also about what works. Despite the alarming numbers, wewere encouraged to see that some programs, schools, and students are succeeding—andthat they have much in common. Then we set to work to develop tools that support andencourage the most successful training strategies—tools like the Flight Training ExcellenceAwards and the AOPA Flight Training Field Guides to name just two.We’ll be talking a lot more about the Center to Advance the Pilot Community at AOPA’sAviation Summit in Palm Springs, where we’ll tell you more about our current initiatives, ourplans for the future, and what you can do to help. I hope to see you there as we launch thisexciting new approach to making GA stronger.Craig L. FullerAOPA President and CEO*For more information on the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association and the issues that affect your flying go to www.aopa.org today.OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2012 MIDWEST FLYER MAGAZINE 23