For this award process, AOPA moved to an application-based review under which instructors and flight schools were invited to apply for regional and national recognition. Applicants could request reviews from students, instructors, designated pilot examiners, and other clients who had worked with them during the previous 12 months. A panel of industry experts then screened the applications without knowledge of the applicants’ identities.
The awards are part of AOPA’s You Can Fly program, which seeks to attract more people to flying and keep them engaged.
The You Can Fly program and the AOPA Air Safety Institute are funded by charitable donations to the AOPA Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization. To be a part of the solution, visit aopafoundation.org/donate.