2009 Sweepstakes Aimed at Pilots, Non-pilots Alike
The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association is heading in a
completely different direction with its 2009 Let's Go Flying!
Sweepstakes.
For the past 18 years, the AOPA Sweepstakes has showcased what
you can do to an airplane, as the Association bought and completely
refurbished a used aircraft before awarding the end result to the
sweepstakes grand prize winner. For 2009, AOPA will showcase what
you can do with an airplane.
"Thanks to the generosity of AOPA member Lloyd Huck, who
graciously donated a nearly new Cirrus SR22, AOPA will be able to
take our Let's Go Flying! initiative on the road and actually
demonstrate both the fun and the usefulness of general aviation,"
said Thomas B. Haines, editor-in-chief of AOPA Pilot magazine, who
oversees the annual sweepstakes. "We will take the Sweepstakes
plane out on trips across the United States in 2009, showing the
wide variety of things you can do with a pilot certificate and the
utility provided by a general aviation airplane.
"Then, of course, when it's all said and done, we'll award this
pristine 2005 SR22 (file photo below) to one lucky winner in early
2010."
The technologically advanced, composite, glass-cockpit airplane
can cover more than 1,000 nautical miles at a stretch, reach true
speeds of more than 180 knots, and an altitude of 17,500 feet. Like
every Cirrus, it's got an airframe parachute, and this one also
carries a built-in TKS anti-icing system for an extra level of
safety. Its deluxe leather interior makes riding in the Let's Go
Flying! SR22 feel like a luxury sports car.
The Let's Go Flying! Sweepstakes grand prize will sport a number
of different looks throughout the year courtesy of Air Graphics
LLC, the Madison, Wis., firm that will design and install a series
of eye-catching, exterior schemes during the year.
This year's sweepstakes has been made possible in large part by
the generosity of Lloyd Huck, a philanthropist and long-time member
of AOPA, as well as a member of the AOPA Air Safety Foundation's
Board of Visitors. Mr. Huck served as a flight instructor and Army
Air Corps B-29 bomber pilot during World War II.
The 2009 AOPA Let's Go Flying! Sweepstakes is open to everyone,
not just pilots. Anyone who joins or renews membership in AOPA
during 2009 is automatically entered. Complete rules, eligibility
requirements, and alternate methods of entry are available
online.
"We are really excited about this new direction for the
Sweepstakes," said Haines. "It will allow us for the first time to
reach out beyond the pilot community and get non-pilots excited
about flying as well."