Retiring AOPA President Surprised By Special Honor

Flying into San Jose International Airport for the 2008 AOPA Expo last Saturday, outgoing President Phil Boyer was honored with a water cannon salute.

Traditionally performed for retiring airline captains and military officers, the salute was a way of showing appreciation for a job well done by Boyer during his 18 year tenure heading AOPA.

"This was a special honor we wanted to give to Phil in recognition of his many years of service to AOPA and its members," said Curt Eikerman, operations manager for the airport. "To the best of our knowledge, this is the very first time a water cannon salute has been approved for a general aviation flight. Certainly that is in recognition of Phil's contribution to aviation as a whole."

Taken by surprise with the gesture, Boyer said, "I knew something was up when ground control directed me to a different ramp area and an unexpected frequency change. It was really an honor to have this done, and I cannot thank enough all the folks who put this together," AOPA reported.

Coordinated by AOPA Vice President of Aviation Services Woody Cahall, the salute was made possible with help from the Mineta San Jose International Airport management and emergency services, Air Traffic Control, airport security officials, and Atlantic Aviation.

FMI: www.aopa.org