PHILANTHROPY REPORT - Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association

AOPA FOUNDATION
16 2011-2012 Philanthropy Report
IMPROVING GA’S IMAGE
BoTH Formal researcH and
practical experience prove that people
are more likely to protect what they
value—and less likely to protect what
they don’t understand.
The vast majority of Americans believe
they have little or no direct experience
with general aviation, and no idea that GA
pumps more than $150 billion in to the u.S.
economy each year or that it is responsible
for creating 1 million jobs. They are equally
unaware that general aviation is a vital
means of delivering goods, services, and
people to areas not served by the airlines or
that charitable flying is an important part of
general aviation.
Telling that story is an important part
of the AOPA Foundation’s GA Serves
America campaign to improve GA’s image
and educate the public on its value. In 2011, the AOPA
Foundation supported an extensive public relations campaign
to show people how general aviation serves their communities
and neighbors. These messages, promoted through 71 new
media alliances, reached an initial audience of more than
300,000, with viral website postings of these stories expanding
the audience even further.
The AOPA Foundation also worked to help pilots help
themselves, supporting an online training program, the
“AOPA Guide to Talking to Reporters” to help pilots deal
with the media, whether at an airport open house or following
an accident. And the AOPA Foundation helped develop
presentation materials to educate non-pilots about exactly
what general aviation is and does, as well as who it serves.
With your continued support, the AOPA Foundation will
continue to expand these programs to provide factual
information to educate decision makers and the general
public about general aviation, creating a more balanced
understanding of GA.
AOPA FOUNDATION
2011-2012 Philanthropy Report 17