Letter From The Executive Director
By Abby Austin
Greetings Association Members,
We did it again! Another successful Scholarship season, Aircraft Raffle Fundraiser and Great Alaska Aviation Gathering are behind us! A huge thank you to our dedicated staff, Board of Directors, sponsors, volunteers, exhibitors, and everyone who purchased raffle tickets. Your support is the lifeblood of this Association. The funds raised from these events have allowed us to:
- Work with government agencies to advocate for access, safety, and aviation-friendly policies
- Contribute to the 2024 Scholarship fund, which reached an impressive $160,000 this year
- Host social and educational events to build a strong GA community
- Offer subsidized training to build our membership’s skills and career opportunities
- And so much more!
Highlights of our event season can be found throughout this issue. Be sure to share your favorite moments on our social channels and thank you for being a part of our success!
While our major initiatives—the Aircraft Raffle Fundraiser, The Great Alaska Aviation Gathering, and Scholarships—are always a priority, the mantra of the summer at Association headquarters is typically our three main areas of focus: Advocacy, Community, and Workforce Development. This time of year, we get to spend a lot of energy in all three areas and the sunshine has certainly helped!
Advocacy: Don’t miss Adam White’s Advocacy update in this issue. Adam is still very much involved in the crucial conversations related to transitioning to unleaded aircraft fuel. Adam is also working with government agencies to tackle issues with FAA medical waiver backlogs, the health of the weather reporting network in Alaska, and updated mapping of mountainous areas. We’re also looking for members to get involved in our Safety Committee. If you have thoughts on safety initiatives or outreach, please get in touch to learn more!
Community: Summer is packed with events that bring the Alaskan aviation family together. We’ve already enjoyed the Skwentna Fly-In, the Kenai Air Fair, and our annual trip to Fairbanks for a solstice member picnic. Coming up soon we’ve got the Seldovia Fly-In on July 20th and Merrill Field is bringing back its annual open house on July 27th. In August, our Anchorage member picnic is planned for the 10th at our Lake Hood headquarters. We love to see safe, fun events succeed in local communities, and we’ll do our best to support them! Join the camaraderie by attending these events. Thanks to everyone who helps strengthen our community by organizing events or simply showing up!
Workforce Development: The Airmen Association has devoted a lot of resources in recent years to the shortage of qualified workers for future roles in the industry and this summer is no exception. We are really excited about our NextGen Fly-In and campout hosted by Fly8MA at their new pilot lodge coming up on July 13th! NextGen members will get to swap stories and learn from more experienced backcountry pilots, hear some presentations on basic backcountry skills and, of course, have a ton of fun with a flour bombing and a pancake breakfast. In August, our fourth annual Youth Aviation Day is on the 3rd, a free event at the UAA Aviation Technology Center for kids aged 8-12 and the local EAA chapter will also offer Young Eagle Discovery flights. Both our Lake Hood Operations training and our free online ground school course with study sessions were a big success last fall, and we plan to make those events annual offerings going forward. These are just a couple of the events, seminars, and networking opportunities we’re organizing to develop Alaska’s future aviation workforce. Check our Events page on alaskaairmen.org or our social media channels to stay updated. Consider sharing your expertise through volunteering or connecting us with businesses interested in hosting events!
Even with this year’s Gathering, scholarship season, and raffle behind us, our work continues to support GA in Alaska. I hope to see you out enjoying some hard-earned sunshine this summer and please consider getting involved in an Airmen event! Participate, volunteer, collaborate, and keep flying!
Abby Austin
Executive Director