Aviation Organizations

     There are numerous aviation organizations around the globe. All of these, help further involve pilots in the aviation field. Whether it be establishing connections or keeping up to date on new topics, joining an organization is always a good idea. There are only a few organizations I could see being beneficial throughout the course of my career. Two of the organizations that would be on the top of my list would be the Aircraft and Owners Pilot's Association (AOPA), and the Air Line Pilot's Association (ALPA).

   

  According to the AOPA website, their mission statement 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.)

     To my understanding, it almost seems that the AOPA is a representative of the general aviation community. It allows recreational pilots to be able to feel that they have a say  with change being made in the industry. The AOPA also provides many services that range from insurance, to legal and medical services.

     "ALPA's mission is to promote and champion all aspects of aviation safety throughout all segments of the aviation community; to represent the collective interests of all pilots in commercial aviation; to assist in collective bargaining activities on behalf of all pilots represented by the Association; to promote the health and welfare before all governmental agencies; to be a strong, forceful advocate of the airline piloting profession; and to be the ultimate guardian and defender of the rights and privileges of the professional pilots." (ALPA, 2015) The ALPA is regarded as the largest air line pilot organization in the world. Some services ALPA offers are: aviation safety, security, pilot assistance, representation, and advocacy. The ALPA works under the same principles as the AOPA. The purpose of this organization is to give air line pilots a voice to offices that make changes in the aviation industry. It also allows air line pilots to be able to become more involved in the industry by keeping them up to date.

     Both the AOPA and the ALPA are organizations, I believe, are important to be a part of during my career. With a rapidly changing industry like aviation comes many new rules being implemented. To make sure these rules are practical to the everyday pilot is extremely important to me. If changes are going to be made, giving the people who deal with these rules a say is critical to the growth and prosperity of this industry.

SOURCES:

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 fromhttps://www.nbaa.org/about/