The 'Crowd Size' Vote Goes To 'GPS Approaches' -- So Far

Usually the most crowded seminar or presentation at any event is, "whichever one Rod Machado is presenting." But when we saw a spillover crowd outside a seminar at the AOPA Expo in Tampa, FL, we knew Machado's presentation was the next day, so it wasn't him.

Turned out the over-subscribed seminar was on "GPS Approaches, Navigation Databases, and Charts," and it was by Jim Terpstra, a retired Senior VP of Jeppesen Sanderson, Inc. Far from one of Machado's entertaining but informative lectures, the crowded lecture was a serious and rather technical presentation.

The seminar promised that attendees would "Discover how to best take advantage of the RNAV (GPS) approaches and the differences from one to another."

Jim Terpstra was taking a very full room-plus of (mostly) instrument pilots through the vagaries of GPS approaches. Beginning with the nuts and bolts of the navigation databases, through the acronym soup (WAAS? TAA?), Terpstra promised to unlock the mysteries behind IFR use of GPS.

That was obviously something that resonated with the flying public. A representative of the convention center told Aero-News that at least 100 more had crammed into a room initially set up for 160. All the chairs from a nearby room were taken into the Terpstra seminar to expand available seating, and still the crowd spilled over into the
hallway.

The seminars at any AOPA Expo definitely provide something for everyone. After all, there are 75 seminars here in Tampa. At the same time as Terpstra's GPS presentation, other groups were learning about "10 Strategies For Controlling Aircraft Insurance Costs," "FAA
Cardiac Recertification Done Right," and three other subjects.

Michael Maya Charles, an airline pilot and aviation writer, held a seminar based on his book "Artful Flying" that was almost as well attended as Terpstra's -- which, again, took place at the same time. There were as many as seven seminars going on at once in separate conference rooms, with three or four sessions in each room every day.

The other seminars over the three days covered everything from "Ditching and Water Survival" to "Living and Flying with Aging Eyes," and a wide range of subject in between.

The seminars were organized into tracks with like themes: technology, proficiency, aeromedical, ownership, safety. The seminars are included in admission to AOPA Expo, and a complete schedule is posted on the AOPA website here.

FMI: www.aopa.org