The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) has announced that it will be making some changes to its event lineup for 2021, starting with taking the year off from holding its annual regional fly-ins. Instead, the organization will be hosting two Aviator Showcase events and a Pilot Gathering Air Tour. As previously reported by AVweb, AOPA canceled or postponed its three 2020 fly-in events due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
“With the uncertainties surrounding what 2021 will look like, we wanted to develop a special event model for this coming year that will build in tremendous flexibility and scalability,” said AOPA Senior Director of Outreach and Events Chris Eads. “We are really excited with the plan our team has created—two different types of events that focus on bringing AOPA pilots together in smaller settings with more intimate gatherings with AOPA leaders and our friends in the aviation industry.”
AOPA’s Aviator Showcase events will feature 40-50 exhibits and 25-30 exhibit aircraft, along with offering aircraft ownership seminars, technology demonstrations and exhibitor product presentations. The AOPA Pilot Gathering Air Tour will include two multi-day, multi-stop tours with a pilot town hall, roundtable discussions with AOPA leadership and Air Safety Institute safety session held at each stop. Further event details—including times and locations—are expected later this year.
