Since 2014, More Than 27,000 People Have Attended The AOPA Regional Fly-Ins

“We’ve been overwhelmed by the success of the AOPA Fly-Ins, so we’re excited to bring them to brand new locations, with new seminars, social events, and activities for 2016,” said AOPA President Mark Baker.

AOPA has announced that they will host four regional fly-ins, all in new locations, in 2016. The events will be held May 21 at Michael J. Smith Field (MRH) in Beaufort, NC; Aug. 20 at Bremerton National Airport (PWT) in Bremerton, WA; Sept. 17 at WK Kellogg Airport (BTL) in Battle Creek, MI; and Oct. 1 at Earnest A. Love Field (PRC) in Prescott, Arizona. AOPA also will participate in other aviation events, including EAA AirVenture and Sun 'n Fun.

AOPA says the 2016 locations were carefully selected from among numerous detailed proposals submitted by airports nationwide. AOPA has hosted a fly-in at its Frederick, Maryland, headquarters for the past two years, but has decided to visit a different mid-Atlantic location in 2016.

"We wanted to be able to visit another fun airport within reach of the greater Washington, D.C., area and meet folks who might not be able to make it to Frederick,” said Baker. “So for 2016, we’ll spend a weekend in North Carolina instead. But we also know our members enjoy coming home to headquarters, so we’ll definitely return to Maryland in the future."

For 2016, AOPA is asking attendees to join AOPA beginning the Friday night before each fly-in for an evening Barnstormers social event featuring food and entertainment. Free on-field camping will be available at all four 2016 fly-in locations, making it easy to come for the weekend.

On Saturday morning, each fly-in will begin with a traditional pancake breakfast cooked and served by local pilots and volunteers. During the day there’ll be a wide range of display aircraft ranging from classic airplanes to the newest models currently in production. AOPA says you will also be able to shop for everything from aircraft and avionics to pilot gear and attend seminars on a wide range of fun and educational aviation topics.

Lunch also will be available at each event with a variety of offerings available from local restaurants.

At each fly-in, Baker and other members of AOPA’s leadership team will provide an update on the association’s latest initiatives and advocacy efforts and answer audience questions about the issues that matter most to pilots.

For those who hold a pilot certificate but aren’t actively flying, each AOPA Fly-In will feature a free Rusty Pilots seminar. Pilots who complete the seminar can receive a logbook endorsement for the ground portion of the flight review, making this an easy way to get up to speed on current regulations.

All 2016 AOPA Fly-Ins also will feature a “You Can Fly” area where visitors can learn more about getting started in flying, joining or launching a flying club, growing the aviation community, and making flying more affordable.

There’s no charge to attend AOPA Fly-Ins, which are funded by donations to the AOPA Foundation and through contributions from AOPA’s sponsors and partners.

FMI: www.aopa.org