PHILANTHROPY REPORT - Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association

JusT as HiGHWays need off-ramps and
railways need stations, general aviation
needs airports. But GA airports have been
closing at a disturbing rate for decades.
The AOPA Foundation works to keep
airports open by supporting AOPA efforts
to educate decision makers and the public
about an airport’s true value to the national
transportation system, local communities,
and the u.S. economy.
When an airport is under siege, whether
by developers, cash-strapped local
governments, or neighbors who don’t
understand how they benefit from GA,
supporters often find themselves in need
of powerful data to make their case for the
value of the airport, data that isn’t always
easy to find.
AIRPORT
GUARDIANS
AOPA FOUNDATION
12 2011-2012 Philanthropy Report
PLACES TO LAND
In 2011, the AOPA Foundation granted approximately
$166,000 to help tell the economic story of 3 airports—
Mercer County in Bluefield, West Virginia; university Park
in Centre County, Pennsylvania; and embattled Santa
Monica Municipal in Santa Monica, California.
The AOPA Foundation is committed to keeping airports
open and research and education are important parts of
those preservation efforts. As with everything the AOPA
Foundation does, these projects rely on financial support
from contributors who recognize the importance of having
somewhere to land.
With additional funding, the AOPA Foundation will
provide support to the Airport Support Network, whose
2,500 volunteers keep watch over their airports, building
positive relationships with decision makers and the
community, and defusing potential conflicts before they
lead to airport closures.
AOPA FOUNDATION
2011-2012 Philanthropy Report 13