Aopa Foundation

AFI WORKS TO IMPROVE AVIATION SAFETY, PRESERVE COMMUNITY AIRPORTS, AND ENCOURAGE LEARNING TO FLY FOR CAREER AND PERSONAL BENEFIT.

THE AOPA FOUNDATION (THE FOUNDATION) IS A TAX-EXEMPT CHARITABLE, EDUCATIONAL, AND SCIENTIFIC ORGANIZATION THAT EDUCATES THE PUBLIC ABOUT THE VALUE OF GENERAL AVIATION. OUR MISSION IS TO ENSURE THE FUTURE OF GENERAL AVIATION BY IMPROVING SAFETY THROUGH THE AIRCRAFT OWNERS AND PILOTS ASSOCIATION'S (AOPA) AIR SAFETY INSTITUTE, PRESERVING COMMUNITY AIRPORTS, AND ENCOURAGING LEARNING TO FLY FOR CAREER AND PERSONAL BENEFIT. FOUNDATION GRANTS DURING 2019, THE AOPA FOUNDATION GRANTED $8,500,000 TO VARIOUS PROJECTS IN SUPPORT OF ITS MISSION. AMOUNTS ARE ROUNDED THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE NARRATIVE. THE FOUNDATION PROVIDED $7,240,000 TO AOPA TO SUPPORT COORDINATED PROGRAMS DESIGNED TO STRENGTHEN THE PILOT COMMUNITY. THIS INCLUDED AOPA'S YOU CAN FLY PROGRAM WHICH IS A SET OF INITIATIVES DESIGNED TO GET PEOPLE FLYING AND KEEP THEM FLYING. WITH INITIATIVES TO INTRODUCE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS TO CAREER OPPORTUNITIES IN AVIATION AND AEROSPACE, PROVIDE SUPPORT FOR FLIGHT SCHOOLS AND STUDENTS, DELIVER TOOLS AND RESOURCES TO HELP PILOTS CREATE AND GROW FLYING CLUBS, AND HELP LAPSED PILOTS GET BACK IN THE AIR, YOU CAN FLY IS SUPPORTING AVIATORS AT EVERY STAGE OF THEIR JOURNEY. THE GRANT PROVIDED TO AOPA ENABLED IT TO DEVELOP AND DELIVER A FREE FOUR-YEAR AVIATION STEM CURRICULUM TO THOUSANDS OF HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS NATIONWIDE AND AWARD $1 MILLION IN SCHOLARSHIPS ANNUALLY TO HIGH SCHOOL TEACHERS AND STUDENTS TO HELP THEM EARN A PILOT CERTIFICATE. IN ADDITION, THE GRANT SUPPORTED AOPA IN DELIVERING TRAINING AND TOOLS DESIGNED TO HELP REDUCE THE FLIGHT SCHOOL DROPOUT RATE BY MAKING TRAINING MORE EFFICIENT, TRANSPARENT, AND CUSTOMER FOCUSED; IN BUILDING A STRONGER COMMUNITY OF AVIATORS THROUGH LAUNCHING AND GROWING FLYING CLUBS; AND IN DELIVERING IN-PERSON SEMINARS THAT GIVE PILOTS THREE HOURS OF GROUND TRAINING THAT FULFILLS THE FAA'S FLIGHT REVIEW REQUIREMENTS FOR GROUND INSTRUCTION FOR LAPSED PILOTS WHO WANT TO RETURN TO FLYING. IN ADDITION TO THE YOU CAN FLY PROGRAMS, THE GRANT ALSO PROVIDED SUPPORT TO AOPA TO CONDUCT EVENTS THAT REACHED OVER 30,000 ATTENDEES IN 2019. THESE EVENTS PROVIDE EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMING OVER A TWO-DAY PERIOD AND INTRODUCE ATTENDEES TO THE MANY ASPECTS OF GENERAL AVIATION. THE FOUNDATION PROVIDED A $320,000 GRANT TO SUPPORT THE AOPA AIRPORT SUPPORT NETWORK. THE AIRPORT SUPPORT NETWORK IS A GROUP OF NEARLY 1,650 VOLUNTEERS TASKED WITH PROMOTING, PROTECTING, AND DEFENDING AMERICA'S COMMUNITY AIRPORTS FROM PRESSURES MOUNTING AGAINST SUCH AIRPORTS. THE FOUNDATION PROVIDED A $940,000 GRANT TO SUPPORT AOPA'S AIR SAFETY INSTITUTE (ASI). ASI SERVES ALL PILOTS BY PROVIDING FREE OR LOW-COST EDUCATION PROGRAMS TO PILOTS AND FLIGHT INSTRUCTORS NATIONWIDE, ANALYZING SAFETY DATA, AND CONDUCTING SAFETY RESEARCH. AS A RESULT OF THE GRANT, ASI'S MATERIAL WAS ACCESSED MORE THAN 7.7 MILLION TIMES, REACHING A NEW RECORD. THIS WAS MADE POSSIBLE IN PART BY THE RELEASE OF 93 NEW PRODUCTS INCLUDING VIDEOS, PODCASTS, PUBLICATIONS, AND THE DELIVERY OF 180 NATIONWIDE SEMINARS TO MORE THAN 18,000 PILOTS AND AVIATION ENTHUSIASTS. ASI ALSO DEVELOPED A NEW SCALABLE SAFETY FRAMEWORK TO HELP FLYING CLUBS AND GROUPS DEVELOP A STRONG SAFETY CULTURE.