In the world of aviation, there are numerous
organizations that were formed for the purpose of assisting and improving
members in every branch of the industry. Members have the ability to feel more connected,
up to date, and more safe in the industry they have chosen to follow their
passion, and/or their career path. Two of these organizations are The Aircraft
Owners and Pilot Association (AOPA) and the National Business Aviation Association
(NBAA). It is important to belong to organizations such as these because they
offer numerous advantages to the pilots, and professionals who belong to the
organizations. The organization can serve as a medium of expressing the opinion
of the members involved, and allows the members’ voices to be heard more
clearly by the industry leaders.
AOPA is an aviation organization which is, “Hundreds
of thousands strong and spanning 75 countries’ representing, ‘the largest
aviation community in the world.” (APOA, n.d) The mission of AOPA is:
We protect your freedom to fly by…
- advocating
on behalf of our members,
- educating
pilots, nonpilots, and policy makers alike,
- supporting
activities that ensure the long-term health of General Aviation,
- fighting
to keep General Aviation accessible to all, and
- securing sufficient resources to ensure our success. (AOPA, n.d.)
AOPA offers a
variety of services to members including insurance and financing options, as
well as both legal and medical services. The AOPA is one of the most
influential organizations. It serves as the voice of general aviation and
allows for pilots to have the most freedom in the industry.
The NBAA is an organization that allows business
aviation to thrive. The mission statement of the NBAA’s purpose is, “To foster
an environment that allows business aviation to thrive in the United States and
around the world.” (“About NBAA”, n.d.) The NBAA was formed, “To help make
their businesses more efficient, productive and successful.” (“About NBAA”,
n.d.) Both the NBAA and the AOPA are in place to foster the development of
general aviation. In the past they have worked in tandem to promote certain
things in aviation, or to convey a need for change.
It is, as seen above, very important to belong to
organizations such as the AOPA and NBAA. These organizations provide a voice,
and consultation to the members. The aviation industry is a quickly changing
industry, where it is necessary for the voices of the people in it to be heard.
With these organizations, the industry is more productive and cooperative.
References
Aircraft
Owners and Pilot Association. (n.d.) About aopa. Retrieved from https://www.aopa.org/about
National
Business Aviation Association (n.d.) About nbaa. Retrieved from https://www.nbaa.org/about/
Nice post. I am familiar with the goals and mission of the AOPA, but I am not so familiar with the mission of the NBAA. I suppose that I always knew they worked within the corporate aviation industry to help business aviation companies, however I wasn’t really sure what kind of services that they offer their members. It is nice to see that there are other organizations out there, other than the AOPA and EAA, that are willing to help the general aviation industry grow, especially when it comes to using GA aircraft for business purposes.
ReplyDeleteI never really thought about looking into the NBAA before. At my level of flying, the business part pretty much goes over my head. I'm still into the GA side of things. The NBAA does have a big voice when new regs are proposed so I should get involved and pay more attention to whats going on.
ReplyDeleteThe NBAA provides scholarships for not only students, but also for people already in the industry. I recently saw a scholarship that targets aviation managers who are qualified to become a CAM (Certified Aviation Manager) and will cover the costs of taking the CAM exam, which includes the application and exam fees as well as the study guide. There are also scholarships for maintenance personnel, flight attendants, and etc.
ReplyDeleteDan,
ReplyDeleteI knew of the existence of the NBAA, but I never really got too deep into what they do. I agree, in an industry where GA has their representation, airlines have theirs, I think that it is important to have an association that unites and represents corporate aviation. Especially since most corporate aviation is fractured in the sense that each entity might only operate an aircraft or two. The NBAA serves to bring all of these separate aviation departments together.
Dan it was a pleasure to read your weekly blog post this week, I am a member of AOPA so I know the great benefits it has to offer, but I did not know much about NBAA and what they could offer and their mission. After reading your blog I looked more into it and like that they help with scholarships for those interested in becoming pilots.
ReplyDelete