MPA President's Message

Never miss an opportunity.

Oshkosh is like a giant magnet, drawing those from near and far who have any interest in aviation. It is not only a great opportunity to see the latest and greatest in gadgets and widgets that relate to flight, but it is a wonderful opportunity to meet pilots from the world over and make new friends. I spoke with two pilots from England who told of the sad state of GA in their country, and how difficult and expensive it is to fly there. It made me feel good to be an American and to know that as yet we are still free of that destructive blight to general aviation - USER FEES! In order to stay free of the problems pilots face overseas we must remain vigilant and active in protecting ourselves from this cancer that has all but destroyed GA in Europe. That's why you need to keep your membership in the MPA alive and active. By all means join EAA, AOPA, NAA, USPA and many of the other organizations that work tirelessly to keep GA alive and well in the USA. We encourage membership in these organizations as they give you a voice nationwide. It is only the MPA that looks out for the interests of pilots in our great State and give you the power of a collective voice right here in Missouri. So be active. While on the way and at Oshkosh I took the opportunity to invite at least four pilots to join us. It was an easy sell. You can do the same.

While the enthusiasm for flight was not lacking at Oshkosh, I do have a concern regarding the Light Sport category and that is the cost. Most light sport aircraft vary in price from $85,000 to $130,000. While many of these are wonderful machines the prices are not too inviting to the younger pilot, those who would be the future mainstay of organizations such as the MPA. That thought brings me to another subject. During my visit to the show I spoke with two senior marketing people from Microsoft and discussed an exciting and challenging opportunity for the MPA. I proposed that we run a statewide Microsoft Flight Simulator skills contest with the objective of increasing awareness of the MPA, recruiting new members and encouraging young men and women to get into aviation. The Microsoft people expressed great interest in helping us with this project and the prospects of this program becoming a reality are very strong. I have written to them at their request with a basic proposal to get the ball rolling. It will take effort at chapter level. But it will be fun and well worth it. Please be prepared for further announcements and take the opportunity to get involved.

In closing I must take the opportunity to thank everyone in our group who went up to Oshkosh for the great time we had and for the new friendships made. You know something? Pilots are friendly people, full of stories and camaraderie not often found in the world today. It makes it all worth it.

Jonathan Rimington