New AOPA Destinations platform inspires, informs

AOPA's new tools will provide access to more general aviation travel information than ever before. With the theme of "explore the world from the airport out," pilots will soon be able to use AOPA's Destinations site as a comprehensive place to find more details on each airport across the country. The new part of AOPA.org will be a one-stop shop for pilots looking to find everything from restaurants and lodging to activities like golfing, skiing, fishing, amusement parks, museums, and much more—and even save some money on hotels, car rentals.

"If we want pilots to fly more, we need to give them all the tools to help them do that, and we hope by developing this platform, pilots will learn about exciting destinations and be better informed before they even take off," said AOPA President Mark Baker. "We’re not only improving the way pilots plan for upcoming flights, but we're also encouraging them to explore new places in the most informative and in-depth way. We want to inspire pilots to fly more and to get more out of their aviation experiences. Pilots who fly more are safer, and with more flying comes a stronger aviation ecosystem.”

Pilots will be able to read crowdsourced reviews from airport and fixed-base operation visitors and get firsthand feedback about each location.

"In developing this suite of new features, AOPA listened to pilots about exactly what features and information they want to fly and explore new destinations," said AOPA Senior Vice President of Marketing Jiri Marousek. "The more information we give pilots about where they can travel, the more inclined they’ll be to do more flying and experience new places."

Using the new directory, pilots can:

• search for airports based on available amenities and nearby activities;
• view comprehensive airport details from the FAA as well as airport managers;
• plan trips by activity—outdoors, amusement parks, fishing, museums, and more;
• check nearby lodging availability and book rental cars;
• save favorite airports;
• download or print airport details and terminal procedures; and
• view maps, runway diagrams, sectional charts, and satellite views of the airport or destination.

Additional images of the new application are available on the AOPA website. Tools and features will continue to be added as we invest in inspiring current and future pilots to fly, and fly more, by showing them new places their aircraft can take them.