See you soon

And one of the best parts of a fresh start is daydreaming about the adventures ahead. With thousands of general aviation airports across the country, there’s always somewhere new to go and plenty of old favorites—and old friends—to revisit. For me, 2024 promises to be filled with both.

So, what’s on my radar for the coming year? For a start, I plan to be at great aviation events all across the country.

I hope to see many of you in Arizona at the Buckeye Air Fair, February 16 through 18. I’ve been to Buckeye a few times, and the city and people never disappoint. My friend, AOPA member, and Buckeye Mayor Eric Orsborn, always has a warm welcome for fellow aviation enthusiasts. And the Air Fair is a really special event. With two days of airshows and a private viewing pavilion just for AOPA members, plus seminars, exhibitors, display aircraft, and activities for the kids, it’s a great way to spend a long holiday weekend enjoying the Southwest sunshine.

The event season really heats up (literally) when we head to Florida for Sun ’n Fun Aerospace Expo in April. It’s another great place to connect with old friends and make new ones. Be sure to come to the AOPA tent to renew your membership, visit with our medical and legal experts, talk to our Pilot Information Center team, or just say hi.

Late July always brings the granddaddy of aviation events, EAA AirVenture. I’ve lost count of my trips to Oshkosh, but I still discover something new every time. If you’re planning a trip to Wisconsin, make sure to check out our extensive seminar schedule and join us for an update on all things AOPA at our Pilot Town Hall. And you can always just stop by our campus to take a break, sit in the shade, or watch the airshow from our front-row seats right by the big Brown Arch. I can’t think of a better way to spend a summer afternoon.

I plan to ease into fall with a very different type of fly-in at what is arguably the best grass strip in America. Come September, I’ll be headed to the Triple Tree Aerodrome in South Carolina for its annual fly-in. We’ll have the AOPA team there, too, with a cool, shady spot for you and your friends to refresh, relax, and watch college football. If you’ve never been to Triple Tree, make this the year. With its 7,000-foot-long, golf-course-smooth grass runway, it’s truly a special venue and one you’ll want to visit again and again.

Maybe the most notable flight I’ll make this year will begin and end at AOPA’s home airport in Frederick, Maryland. It’s not every day you can fly down the National Mall, right past the Washington Monument, but that’s just what a lucky group of pilots will be doing May 11 as part of the National Celebration of General Aviation D.C. Flyover. Spectators on the ground and online will watch the aircraft fly above the Lincoln Memorial, down Independence Avenue, and past the Washington Monument. More than 60 aircraft, tracing the history of general aviation back to the Golden Age, will be part of the event showcasing the variety and utility of GA aircraft through the decades. You’ll see everything from a Staggerwing to light jets, and homebuilts to seaplanes.

While we’re celebrating all that GA has done to serve this country, we’ll also be celebrating AOPA’s eighty-fifth
anniversary. Stay tuned for more about how we’ll mark this important milestone.

If the D.C. Flyover will be the most notable flight, the most important flights I make this year may be those in a specially equipped Beechcraft Baron that we will use to demonstrate high-octane unleaded fuels as they are authorized. There’s no doubt that we need to move away from leaded aviation fuel, but it’s critical that we do it safely. That’s why we’ll fly with unleaded fueling one engine and 100LL fueling the other. We’ll be closely monitoring engine wear and performance throughout to demonstrate just how well the new fuel works in the real world.

In between all these happenings, I’m looking forward to a host of regional airshows and aviation events, type club meetings, pilot gatherings, and lazy Saturday afternoons spent poking holes in the sky or splashing down in cool, clear water.

This year, I plan to make the most of my freedom to fly. I hope you will too.

Here’s to another 12 months of blue skies.

[email protected]