Aviation Features
THE AIRCRAFT OWNERS AND PILOTS ASSOCIATION
REGIONAL REPRESENTATIVE PROGRAM
Bob Dickens
AOPA Midwest Regional Representative
Founded in 1939, the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, or AOPA as it is usually referred to, has long been the world’s largest and most effective advocate for general aviation. The organization has a membership in excess of 370,000 and is generally viewed by many to be the voice of general aviation.
In 1986 AOPA initiated the regional representative program to better serve our membership at the state and local level. The program, part of the Association’s Regional Affairs Department, now consists of thirteen regions each served by an individual dedicated to “making a difference” for general aviation and AOPA members. Alaska, California, and Florida because of the number of airports and pilots are each represented by a single representative assigned to that state. The remainder of the representatives have between 4 and 7 states within their region. It is my privilege to represent AOPA members in the states of Kansas, Missouri, Iowa, and Minnesota. That area has been designated as the Midwest Region and is comprised of approximately 22,000 AOPA members. Of that number, approximately 5,154 reside in the state of Kansas.
The regional representatives are independent contractors serving as advocates for GA. In addition, the “reps” are called upon to make recommendations and assist AOPA’s Regional Affairs team on state legislative issues as well as providing information of a local nature on a variety of other issues that may affect our members or the general aviation community as a whole. We are involved with a number of precedent setting issues as well. In some instances regional reps may work in concert with local AOPA Airport Support Network (ASN) volunteers in support of their efforts to preserve existing airport facilities or to establish or enhance existing airport facilities. Regional Rep activity and issues are coordinated directly from the office of Regional Affairs at AOPA’s headquarters building in Frederick, Maryland. And, of course you will always see us at the AOPA Pilot Town Meeting (PTM). If you have not attended a PTM I strongly recommend that you make it a point to get to one in the very near future. While entertaining and extremely informative, AOPA town meetings are your opportunity to hear from AOPA President Phil Boyer and learn what’s happening nationally that will impact your flying.
Town meetings schedules appear on the AOPA website so be sure not to miss your chance to meet and hear Phil.
Perhaps a word about the credentials of some of our regional reps would be in order at this point. The current corps of regional reps have such diverse backgrounds that one would almost have to describe each rep individually to do justice to the diversity of experience. For example, four of the current reps are former state aviation directors. Two are practicing attorneys. All have one thing in common, a genuine love of aviation. Being a Regional Rep is not a job for us, it’s a labor of love for all of us. In one respect, the AOPA regional representative could be characterized as AOPA’s ambassadors in the field.
The bottom line for the regional representative is the same as it has always been for AOPA,
to make general aviation safer and less expensive.
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