Safe skies

I know that’s an easy thing to say, and it’s probably something I’ve said every year over the past few decades. There are, in fact, countless ways to define best—new places, new people, new opportunities, new challenges. They all check that box, but my mission for 2022 under the heading of best is simple: Do whatever it takes to keep general aviation safe. Safe pilots are happy pilots, and happy pilots keep flying. And when we keep flying, general aviation thrives. We all win.

If we equate safest with best, then we have a lot to celebrate from the past 12 months. The year 2021 was the safest year ever for the general aviation community. Continuing to emerge from the pandemic, we saw a 29-percent year-over-year improvement, one that has set a high bar going forward. We will take on that challenge.

My colleague Richard McSpadden, senior vice president of the AOPA Air Safety Institute, reports that ASI material was accessed a record 12 million times over the past year. That marked a whopping 40 percent year-over-year increase, and subscribers to the ASI YouTube channel jumped by nearly 50 percent. We can attribute those increases to three factors: ASI continues to provide fantastic and engaging content; our GA community took the pandemic and its challenges very seriously and head on; and aviators have never been as focused about safety. Talk about a best year!

Pilots are a by-the-numbers sort. We take comfort in the fact that when we do things as planned, we get the outcomes we expect.Naysayers might suggest the skies weren’t busy, but it’s quite the opposite. Anyone who went aloft this year can attest to that. Whether it was busy GA traffic across the country, packed flight schools, or flying clubs becoming more appealing, general aviation didn’t miss a beat in the face of COVID-19 challenges. Everywhere I went, I spoke to pilots who took advantage of the privacy, safety, and convenience of flying GA. More and more people have come to enjoy and relish this freedom. I’ve heard from many aviators—experienced or new—who say they just can’t go back to life as airline passengers. At least not when they can help it.

Are we really all that surprised by this safest year yet? I’m not. We love this freedom, but with it we take great responsibility. Pilots are a by-the-numbers sort. We love checklists, we love routines, and we take great comfort in the fact that when we do things as planned, we get the outcomes we expect. We like the familiar, but we also enjoy the new and exciting. That’s why we became pilots in the first place.

I am confident that 2022 will bring about an even busier and safer year for general aviation. If the demand for pilots and aviation technicians is increasing as reports dictate, so will the need for continued safety. The latest commentary states that thousands of pilots and technicians will be needed over the next several decades. This bodes well for those wanting to break into aviation or further their career. GA remains the best place to start and grow.

I know safety will be a top priority as the AOPA team and I continue to get out to meet members and the GA community across the country. We started to get back to a sense of normal with a few AOPA aviator showcases during 2021, as well as a return to Sun ’n Fun and EAA AirVenture.

AOPA is currently working on plans for an exciting events calendar for the year ahead. I personally can’t wait to see more of you and spread this gospel of the freedom to fly—and doing it safely. I know pilots love our ASI safety seminars, which will continue to be a feature of these events.

If I have a formal New Year’s resolution, perhaps it will be to not rest on the laurels of the previous year. Show me a pilot who is satisfied…wait, I’m not sure he or she exists. Anyway, here’s to a 2022 with much happiness, tailwinds, and blue skies!

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