Also Invites Prospective Pilots To "Let's Go Flying!"

At the last general session meeting of AOPA Expo 2008 on Saturday, there was far more news to report than the passing of the torch -- er, Jepp bag -- from outgoing President Phil Boyer to Craig Fuller. The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association also announced the substantially upgraded AOPA Internet Flight Planner, as well as a new program intended to attract new pilots into the cockpit.

The flight planner -- dubbed AIFP -- adds new functionality to the existing Real Time Flight Planner introduced five years ago at AOPA Expo. The RTFP was a crowd-pleaser -- fully functional internet-based flight-planning software that cost AOPA members nothing -- but by 2008, it was far from state-of-the art.

"By any measure, AOPA’s Real Time Flight Planner (RTFP) has been a huge success," said AOPA President Phil Boyer. "But it did have a couple of drawbacks. It required users to download a small application, and it would only run on Windows-based computers. AIFP addresses those issues while maintaining comparable capabilities and leaving room for future upgrades.

"And the cost to members remains the same," Boyer added. "Nothing."

The AOPA Internet Flight Planner is the result of a collaboration between AOPA and the software engineers at Jeppesen. The new AOPA Internet Flight Planner still uses Jeppesen’s industry-leading database and flight-planning algorithms, but the application itself was created at AOPA headquarters by the Association's staff of Web developers.

Enhancements already added include: full integration with the AOPA Online Airport Directory, including airport and fuel price information; pre-loaded performance data for many of general aviation’s most popular aircraft; weather downloaded automatically as soon as the "Plan This Route" button is clicked; and a Route tool that allows a pilot to more easily alter the flight plan, including optimizing altitude for winds.

The new flight planner is a completely browser-based Rich Internet Application. The new flight planner can be used from any computer that has an Internet connection and browser software installed. That includes Apple MacIntosh and Linux computers, which were unable to run the old program.

"The new AOPA Internet Flight Planner is just one more example of AOPA listening to our members and giving them the best value for their $39 dues," said Boyer.

Let's Go Flying!

AOPA also hopes there will be even more pilots utilizing the AIFP software, once prospective students are lured to the glories of flying by the new "Let's Go Flying!" initiative... which aims to address the declining pilot population and turn that trend around.

If that sounds like the goal of AOPA's last effort in this regard -- Project Pilot -- well, it is. But AOPA hopes "Let's Go Flying!" will speak to prospective pilots in a much clearer voice than its predecessor accomplished, in part by appealing from the start on the sheer joys of aviation, over the technology.

"If there is one thing pilots love to do, it's share the joy of flight," said Boyer. "A lot of would-be pilots 'caught the bug' simply because someone – a friend, relative or business colleague – took them for a flight in a light aircraft. Let's Go Flying has been developed to capture the interest of anyone who has ever thought about learning to fly, engage them by providing information and resources, and get them to an airport and into an airplane for a first flight.

"In response to my personal appeal for ideas to address the declining pilot population, thousands of AOPA members told us that the key was to sell the fun and practical benefits of learning to flying, and get a prospect into an airplane," Boyer continued. "Those of us who've discovered general aviation know that it's a really useful mode of transportation, and it's fun, so we want to share it. That's what Let's Go Flying is all about."

With Let's Go Flying, AOPA has developed a three-phase communications strategy utilizing online and traditional marketing to engage, motivate, and support interested potential pilots to continue on the path to becoming a pilot, and joining the general aviation pilot population. Once someone starts on the path to becoming a pilot, Let's Go Flying will help guide new pilots through the training process.

AOPA says that as those students work through their training and earn their certificate, Let's Go Flying will be there for them with additional resources and advice. The Let's Go Flying web site also features an online database of more than 3,500 flight schools nationwide, most of which offer discounts on introductory flights.

Visitors can use the flight school database to search by ZIP code and can also find answers to questions about the time and cost of becoming a pilot and the types of pilot certificates and airplanes that are available.

As it heads toward 2009, AOPA is working with trusted flight school partners to offer opportunities for pilot prospects to get to the airport in a friendly, picnic-like environment, and have an opportunity to take an introductory flight.

"We want each person to experience what it feels like in the air," said Boyer. "Flying is fun, and just about anyone can learn to do it. These first flights are on the critical path for someone looking to learn to fly."

FMI: www.aopa.org/aifp/, www.letsgoflying.com