This story is part of AIN's continuing coverage of the impact of the coronavirus on aviation.
After a year of pandemic-related event cancellations, the Aircraft Owner and Pilots Association (AOPA) is reshaping its event lineup for 2021 to ensure it can still reach out to the membership but have built-in ability to adapt to any uncertainties. AOPA is taking a year off from its traditional regional fly-ins and is instead planning two new event models, including AOPA Aviator Showcases that will be held on the East and West Coast and AOPA Pilot Gathering Tours.
The Aviator Showcases will be designed to bring together pilots and aircraft owners with products, services, and manufacturers, the association said. AOPA expects these events to house 40 to 50 exhibits and 25 to 30 aircraft on display, offer seminars, and host product presentations and technology demonstrations.
The AOPA Pilot Gathering Tours, meanwhile, will involve two multi-day, multi-stop tours in a number of cities in the U.S. These tours will provide opportunities for pilots to interact with each other and AOPA leadership and include a series of “intimate gatherings.” Pilot town halls will be held at each stop, along with roundtable discussions with AOPA leadership, and an Air Safety Institute safety lesson.
“With the uncertainties surrounding what 2021 will look like, we wanted to develop a special event model for this coming year that will build in tremendous flexibility and scalability,” said AOPA senior director of outreach and events Chris Eads. “We are really excited with the plan our team has created— two different types of events that focus on bringing AOPA pilots together in smaller settings with more intimate gatherings with AOPA leaders and our friends in the aviation industry.”
Details of these events are anticipated later this year.
“It will take many months to plan these events, with a lot of moving parts, but we believe that this strategy represents the best possible opportunity to interact with our members, exhibitors and sponsors, and the aviation community,” Eads said. “The strategy allows us to abide by any local health guidelines and have the ability to flex in size depending on conditions at the time the events are held.”
