Fuel Discounts Available For Fly-In Traffic

The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) will hold its annual Fly-In and Open House Saturday, June 2 at the association's headquarters on the Frederick Municipal Airport (FDK) in Frederick, MD. 

"We look forward to meeting our members and also telling the general public about our industry," said AOPA President Phil Boyer. "Our building will be open for self-guided tours and staff will be on-site throughout the day to interact with members and answer questions."

Thousands of people annually attend the Fly-In, now in its 17th year. AOPA representatives say on a nice flying day, the event attracts hundreds of aircraft that fly in for the day -- making Frederick Airport one of the busiest airports in the country. A temporary air traffic control tower will be set up to handle the increase in traffic.

This year the FBO at the airport, Frederick Aviation, is partnering with Avfuel to provide pilots with the "Take 25" promotion. All pilots who fly into Frederick on June 1 or 2 will receive a discount of $0.25 per gallon of fuel. Pilots who buy 25 gallons or more will be entered to win one of ten $25 savings bonds.

Additionally, AOPA members are encouraged to bring a student pilot or prospective pilot to the Fly-In and sign up to be their mentor through the AOPA Project Pilot program. Every student/mentor pair that signs up at Fly-In will be entered to win a Bose Aviation Headset X. The winning student and mentor will each receive a headset.

Among the 40-plus aircraft on display will be the AOPA 2007 Catch-A-Cardinal Sweepstakes airplane. The 1977 Cessna 177 is undergoing refurbishments throughout the year and will be awarded to a pilot early in 2008.

At the AOPA Fly-In, the Cardinal will have a new paint job, a factory overhauled Lycoming O-360-A1FB engine, and a completely upgraded panel.  Pilots are encouraged to stop by and check out the airplane that might be theirs in less than a year.

More than 40 aircraft will be on display for the Fly-In. Everything from small single-engine planes to the latest in business jets will be on the ramp for all to enjoy.

Seminars will also be held throughout the day on subjects ranging from communication skills to aviation regulations. Boyer will host a seminar at 12:30 p.m. to discuss general aviation issues of importance to all pilots, including the FAA funding debate.

In addition, the AOPA Air Safety Foundation will debut its latest seminar, Regulations: What Every Pilot Should Know; Project Pilot Spokesman Erik Lindbergh will speak about learning to fly, and sharing your passion for flying with others; and popular aviation humorist and educator Rod Machado will return to Fly-In with his seminar, Aviation Humor With Rod Machado.

One hundred vendors will be exhibiting under the tent behind the AOPA headquarters building. Pilots can browse the aisles for a variety of goods, such as avionics, insurance, and safety information. Prospective pilots will find books, headsets, and valuable information to get their flight training started on the right foot.

FMI: www.aopa.org/fly-in