History on display

We in GA are fortunate to be part of this living history. Whatever the aircraft, destination, and mission, every one of us who lifts off the runway is writing a page in our shared aviation time line.

To be part of this is something I cherish every time I take flight. And when I fly around to visit our members, they tell me the same thing.

I can’t wait for this living history—our history—to be on full display as more than 60 aircraft leave AOPA headquarters at Frederick Municipal Airport on Saturday, May 11, for the National Celebration of GA DC Flyover. This amazing display over our nation’s capital will honor general aviation from its roots in the Golden Age to the post-war boom years and the most modern, technologically advanced aircraft in the skies today.

While I may have crossed off many items on my aviation bucket list, the flyover will be something truly new. Flying over the Potomac River and past the Lincoln Memorial, then down the National Mall toward (but not over!) the Capitol will be a spectacle for everyone in our GA community, from the most seasoned pilots to those just starting out on their aviation journeys.

And what an honor it will be to fly the lead airplane in my 1944 Beechcraft 17 Staggerwing. Talk about a historic airplane flying a historic mission! Following me will be a formation of airplanes (flown by some of the nation’s best pilots) that represent the incredible value that GA has provided to our nation and communities over the past eight decades—from trainers that taught most of us to fly (including me) to postwar aircraft, homebuilts, backcountry gems and seaplanes, helicopters, business jets, and others that have added special chapters to such a rich GA history. We’ll also see aircraft that fly missions vital to our communities, such as law enforcement, search and rescue, and disaster relief.

I would love everyone in our GA community to take part in this monumental day, as you are all part of this history. Get everyone together at your airport, hangar, flying club, FBO—really anywhere—for a viewing party. Make it the big celebration that it should be. Make sure the kids are watching, as they are the future of GA. What a great way to pass down this passion during this once-in-a-lifetime event.

The flyover will be broadcast live on our AOPA YouTube channel (@flywithaopa) with commentary from longtime AOPA Live This Week host Tom Haines, journalist Miles O’Brien, and special guests.

To pull off such an amazing feat has taken immense coordination and a true partnership with many agencies, including the FAA, ATC, TSA, Secret Service, U.S. Capitol Police, and our allies on Capitol Hill who have lent their tremendous support to such a milestone. And, of course, a big thanks to the AOPA team for putting together such a monumental event.

It’s also no small coincidence that the National Celebration of GA DC Flyover is taking place this year—it’s the eighty-fifth anniversary of National Aviation Day and it’s also our eighty-fifth birthday at AOPA. Hard to believe that we have been around for 85 years, protecting your freedom to fly every day.

Looking ahead to such an incredible event and what it represents, I can’t help but think of the line from singer Darius Rucker: “When was the last time you did something for the first time?”

Blue skies—today and for the next 85 years.

[email protected]