NBAA’s Owner Pilot Association Coalition Lays Out Its 2023 Agenda

The National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) recently marked the one-year anniversary of its Owner Pilot Association Coalition (NBAA-OPAC), a dedicated initiative to serve owner-operators who use their aircraft for business flying. The anniversary was a working celebration, with the 10 member groups participating in “a productive 2023 planning meeting focused on a number of new ways the expanding group can strategically coordinate to address top concerns for the owner-aviator community in the coming year.”

The meeting included representatives from four new member groups: The American Bonanza Society (ABS), the Cirrus Owners and Pilots Association (COPA), the HondaJet Owners and Pilots Association (HJOPA) and the Twin Cessna Flyer (TCF) group.

The meeting agenda included discussions on strategies to lower insurance for owner-operators, particularly for pilots over 70 years of age; exploring new resources to enhance operator safety; seeking creative ways to lower fuel costs; and how to mitigate or minimize supply chain difficulties “that affect all OEMs and owner-aviators.”

Tom Turner, executive director of the ABS Air Safety Foundation, said, “I’ve felt our community has needed a coalition like this for some time. The ability to discuss important safety and operational issues and identify common best practices will strengthen our entire industry.”