July - September 2024
2024 Great Alaska Aviation Gathering
By Regan Tunstall The Airmen have just marked another successful gathering in the books! We had quite a few changes this year to improve the event at the Alaska State Fairgrounds. The Aircraft Spruce Pavilion grew exponentially by being in the Craig Taylor building along with our career fair and new local vendors. We are…
Read More
Meet the 2024 Raffle Winner
By Regan Tunstall “This is THE plane to win” says Zachary Newsome, a bush pilot from Martin, Tennessee who won the 2024 Raffle Plane. Last month, Newsome flew up to Alaska to see his brand-new cub while also immersing himself in the Alaska bush flying experience with the help of Junior Daniels, owner of Danchini…
Read More
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…
Read More
Valdez Fly-In 20th Anniversary
By Regan Tunstall Soon after the Great Alaska Aviation Gathering, the Airmen headed to Valdez for the 20th anniversary STOL competition. This year, we were excited to be more involved with helping organize the fly-in as we’re huge supporters of this annual event. Like years in the past, we had our booth set up and…
Read More
President’s Report
By Stephen Ratcliff June 26, 2024 Greetings Airmen’s Members, First off, thank you to all our members, exhibitors, supporters, and aviation enthusiasts that participated in this year’s Great Alaska Aviation Gathering in Palmer. By all accounts, the Gathering was a success and an exciting time for all who attended. It was great to see the…
Read More
BECOMING A LICENSED PILOT LIVING IN RURAL ALASKA
By John M. Dahlen Caelyn and Christina Wise became two of Alaska’s newest licensed pilots this summer! These remarkable twins, who are both NextGen members of the Alaska Airmen’s Association, represent all that’s good about our next generation of pilots and world leaders. They are well-educated via homeschool by their Mom, Lorna; exceptionally thoughtful and…
Read More
Magnets, Electricity You and Me.
By Bernie Willis Some days I wish magnetism was as simple as moving metal filings around on a piece of paper with a magnet underneath. But if it were simple we wouldn’t have radios, lights, LED’s, cars, trucks or airplanes, just sail boats lost at sea out of sight of land. Our understanding of magnetism…
Read More
NextGen Spotlight
By Regan Tunstall Scholarship Winners Congratulations to our 2024 scholarship winners! The Airmen are extremely thankful for all the contributors and applicants that made this possible. We are so grateful that the scholarship program grows significantly every year and that we can help more students achieve their goals in the aviation industry. Are you a…
Read More
This Month in Aviation History
By Regan Tunstall On June 11th, 1971, an English aviator named Sheila Scott, made history by being the first to fly around the world by going over the North Pole. Scott had already broken several records, such as being the first European woman to fly solo around the world in 1966 and setting a new…
Read More
Advocacy at Work
By Adam White, Alaska Airmen’s Association Government Affairs We continue to work with Federal, State, and local officials on behalf of our members, ensuring Alaska Aviation remains accessible and a viable means of transportation and recreation. The following issues are limited examples of how we work towards those goals. FAA Airport Compliance Inspections The FAA…
Read More
OPINION: A safe transition to unleaded aviation fuel must be methodical and cautious
By Will Day, Executive Director, Alaska Air Carriers Association, and Adam White, Government and Legislative Affairs Advocate, Alaska Airmen’s Association Alaska’s reliance on aviation to meet basic human needs is unparalleled in the United States. A staggering 82% of our communities are situated beyond the road system, making air transportation the primary resource for travel,…
Read More
Tools to Navigate the Fire Season in Alaska
Tom George, AOPA Alaska Regional Manager We are now firmly into the wildfire season in parts of Alaska. As the snow goes away, and the landscape dries out, smoke will invariably follow. As aviators, this means it is time to watch out for active fire fighting operations, as well as considering the potential impact of…
Read Moreapril - june 2024
2024 Great Alaska Aviation Gathering
By Regan Tunstall The Airmen have just marked another successful gathering in the books! We had quite a few changes this year to improve the event at the Alaska State Fairgrounds. The Aircraft Spruce Pavilion grew exponentially by being in the Craig Taylor building along with our career fair and new local vendors. We are…
Read More
Meet the 2024 Raffle Winner
By Regan Tunstall “This is THE plane to win” says Zachary Newsome, a bush pilot from Martin, Tennessee who won the 2024 Raffle Plane. Last month, Newsome flew up to Alaska to see his brand-new cub while also immersing himself in the Alaska bush flying experience with the help of Junior Daniels, owner of Danchini…
Read More
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…
Read More
Valdez Fly-In 20th Anniversary
By Regan Tunstall Soon after the Great Alaska Aviation Gathering, the Airmen headed to Valdez for the 20th anniversary STOL competition. This year, we were excited to be more involved with helping organize the fly-in as we’re huge supporters of this annual event. Like years in the past, we had our booth set up and…
Read More
President’s Report
By Stephen Ratcliff June 26, 2024 Greetings Airmen’s Members, First off, thank you to all our members, exhibitors, supporters, and aviation enthusiasts that participated in this year’s Great Alaska Aviation Gathering in Palmer. By all accounts, the Gathering was a success and an exciting time for all who attended. It was great to see the…
Read More
BECOMING A LICENSED PILOT LIVING IN RURAL ALASKA
By John M. Dahlen Caelyn and Christina Wise became two of Alaska’s newest licensed pilots this summer! These remarkable twins, who are both NextGen members of the Alaska Airmen’s Association, represent all that’s good about our next generation of pilots and world leaders. They are well-educated via homeschool by their Mom, Lorna; exceptionally thoughtful and…
Read More
Magnets, Electricity You and Me.
By Bernie Willis Some days I wish magnetism was as simple as moving metal filings around on a piece of paper with a magnet underneath. But if it were simple we wouldn’t have radios, lights, LED’s, cars, trucks or airplanes, just sail boats lost at sea out of sight of land. Our understanding of magnetism…
Read More
NextGen Spotlight
By Regan Tunstall Scholarship Winners Congratulations to our 2024 scholarship winners! The Airmen are extremely thankful for all the contributors and applicants that made this possible. We are so grateful that the scholarship program grows significantly every year and that we can help more students achieve their goals in the aviation industry. Are you a…
Read More
This Month in Aviation History
By Regan Tunstall On June 11th, 1971, an English aviator named Sheila Scott, made history by being the first to fly around the world by going over the North Pole. Scott had already broken several records, such as being the first European woman to fly solo around the world in 1966 and setting a new…
Read More
Advocacy at Work
By Adam White, Alaska Airmen’s Association Government Affairs We continue to work with Federal, State, and local officials on behalf of our members, ensuring Alaska Aviation remains accessible and a viable means of transportation and recreation. The following issues are limited examples of how we work towards those goals. FAA Airport Compliance Inspections The FAA…
Read More
OPINION: A safe transition to unleaded aviation fuel must be methodical and cautious
By Will Day, Executive Director, Alaska Air Carriers Association, and Adam White, Government and Legislative Affairs Advocate, Alaska Airmen’s Association Alaska’s reliance on aviation to meet basic human needs is unparalleled in the United States. A staggering 82% of our communities are situated beyond the road system, making air transportation the primary resource for travel,…
Read More
Tools to Navigate the Fire Season in Alaska
Tom George, AOPA Alaska Regional Manager We are now firmly into the wildfire season in parts of Alaska. As the snow goes away, and the landscape dries out, smoke will invariably follow. As aviators, this means it is time to watch out for active fire fighting operations, as well as considering the potential impact of…
Read More