1/13/2006
Pilot Town Meeting Set for Feb. 23 in Boise
BOISE - Phil Boyer, president of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA), will lead a Pilot Town Meeting on Feb. 23, 7:30 p.m. at the Boise Centre on the Grove, 850 W. Front St. in downtown Boise. The meeting, sponsored by the Idaho Transportation Department's Division of Aeronautics, is free and open to the public.
In more than 330 such meetings over the past decade, pilots, aircraft owners and aviation enthusiasts have participated in lively forums, discussing matters important to them and exploring issues and concerns with Boyer and each other.
"These meetings are a learning vehicle for me, too," says Boyer. "The primary purpose for these meetings is to become more familiar with the concerns of pilots and owners through a direct, personal exchange of views."
Boyer is one of the nation's foremost advocates for general aviation. He is a 7,500-hour, instrument- and multiengine-rated pilot who has been flying general aviation airplanes for more than 35 years, 20 as an aircraft owner.
Multimedia presentations at the meeting will be fast-paced and high-tech, informative and entertaining. Using interactive technology, about 50 randomly selected pilots can participate in a real-time electronic poll on a variety of issues. The audience will see the results instantly.
On his last visit to Idaho, Boyer launched the 2004 Idaho Aviation Festival with a high note as more than 275 pilots from as far away as Montana and Oregon gathered for the Pilot Town Meeting. Boyer provided the near-capacity crowd an up-to-date assessment of issues impacting general aviation.
Nationally, AOPA represents more than two-thirds of all certified pilots in the U.S. with 400,000 members. In Idaho, 1,262 pilots are members.
For more information, call the Idaho Division of Aeronautics at (208) 334-8775 or visit www.aopa.org/prez on the Web.