Air Care 2018

     Our annual Air Care conference will return to the  headquarters of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association this year!  AOPA is hosting us and we are once again planning many great sessions, speakers, and activities at AOPA’s beautiful new AOPA You Can Fly Academy on the airport in Frederick, Maryland (FDK).

     Big news!  Because of the incredible GA relief response by so many volunteer pilots and their groups during 2017’s disastrous hurricane and fire season we are adding a full day of panels and sessions on Friday to hold the first ever General Aviation Emergency and Disaster Preparedness Summit.

     We are inviting our Friday presenters and panelists to join our Members and other attendees in reviewing what all the groups have learned over past years’ relief flights, and to report on this year’s relief work and discuss how we can improve communication and inter group coordination and cooperation.  We are inviting representatives of federal and state agencies, associations, and NGO groups that we all work with to seek better mutual understanding of our roles and how we can work together better.

Representatives of Public Benefit Flying Groups Receiving 2017 Awards
including Teamwork Award Recipients for 2017 Hurricane and Fire Relief Operations
National Aeronautic Association Fall Awards, November 29, 2017

     Each year the Air Care Alliance holds its AIR CARE national conference to bring together those most involved in volunteer based public benefit flying.  Attendees enjoy learning from, sharing knowledge with, and building relationships among their peers from across the country.

     Session and speaker topics vary widely! We cover current and upcoming regulatory issues affecting public benefit flying, safety recommendations and other best practices, liability and other legal subjects of concern, marketing, communications and media relations, mission coordination including online systems, organizational development and fundraising, emergency and disaster relief operations, hosting special events, membership growth and management systems, and much, much more.

     Why attend?  You and your board and staff members will join other leaders and staff from many public benefit flying groups who believe that we all benefit from the goodwill and mutual support gained from working together and learning from one another.

     BE THERE!  You and your public benefit flying group will gain so much by working together with all the rest of us!

     And – we have a LOT of fun doing it!

Conference Schedule: (Subject to modifications)

Informal Reception at the hotel:  those arriving Thursday may choose to join us for an informal reception featuring heavy hors d’oueveres and light meal options.  AOPA President Mark Baker will be our speaker.

     Recommended reading prior to arriving: Teamwork Award Program Supplement containing 2017 hurricane and fire relief information provided by more than twenty volunteer pilot and other GA groups.

 7:45 – 8:00 AM – Travel to the AOPA You Can Fly Academy:  Attendees with cars will carpool others from the hotel lobby to AOPA HQ. Shuttles may be available.

GUIDED TOURS OF AOPA!  On Friday AOPA staff will provide guided tours of the offices and facilities at scheduled times.  We will have sign up sheets available during registration.

10:00 – Panel Discussion – types of organizations with emergency preparedness programs:
Representatives of several distinct categories of organizations will introduce their programs and answer questions.

11:00 – The 2017 Hurricanes and Fires – the GA Response:
Group representatives will describe how their groups got involved in relief flights and what they were able to accomplish helping those in need.

12:45 – What Worked and What Didn’t:
Attendees will describe their most important successes and the most significant problems they faced in providing relief flights.  How did relations with other groups, aviation associations, agencies at all levels of government, and others help or hinder their operations?  We will develop a punchlist of factors for success and of problems which need addressing.

 1:30 – Panel Discussion – Those We Need to Work With:
Representatives of State and Federal Agencies, Relief Organizations, and Major Aviation Groups will describe what they perceive as what they need most from GA relief flight support and what they found to be their biggest problems in interacting with the pilots and their groups. Q & A.  We will add items to the punchlist.

  2:40 – ADS-B Out and ICAO Flight Plans – The Future is Here:  
New requirements, equipment, procedures, and paperwork mean we and our pilots will have to learn new procedures, and aircraft owners may well need to alter their plans for the equipment they will need to install in their aircraft.  We will also discuss call signs and transponder settings.

  3 :00 – Communications, Command, Control – or just let us get the job done?
Emergency alert systems; mission coordination systems used by groups; media relations including use of social media.  Amateur radio resources; cell phones and landlines; aircraft radio protocols and communications with ATC.

 3:45 – Safety, Regulations, and Liability:  a short primer relating specifically to emergency and disaster response.  These subjects will be covered in more detail in the Saturday session.

 4:15 – Where do we go from here?  Suggested program for taking what we learned today and developing the resources and personpower to work with our partner aviation associations, governmental agencies, and NGOs to make our operations run better, solve the problems we identify, and vastly increase public and agency understanding of what the General Aviation community can do to provide important resources to aid in disaster and emergency relief and recovery efforts.

 5:00 – Adjourn until morning and get ready for dinner!

 5:10 – Return to hotel(s):  Carpool drivers take attendees from the front of AOPA HQ back to their hotel(s).

Saturday, April 21: 
AIR CARE 2018 National Public Benefit Flying Conference and Annual Meeting.

 9:00 – Welcome by Tom Haines, AOPA’s Senior Vice President, Media and Outreach, and Air Care Alliance leadership, Today’s Overview, and additional Introductions.

    VPOIDS (Volunteer Pilot Organization Information Database System)

     a short review of what it is, how it works, and who is using it.

    How ACA’s referral system will be redesigned to provide referral information directly into VPOIDS and other groups’ flight coordination systems.
Opportunities for VPO collaboration, information sharing, and enhancements.

    Systems used by other groups – why they prefer to “roll their own!”

    Group discussion and Q &A.

10:00 – Telling Your Story – How to Work with the Aviation Media:
AOPA and other major aviation group leaders will describe
1) the importance of letting the world, and especially the aviation world, know about your group, its volunteers and supporters, and the good work you do, and
2) how to work in partnership with major aviation organizations and prepare materials that will be most useful to them in telling your story.  Know who they are, their objectives, and how they work.

        Topics may include any or all of these – and more:
Class III medical reform and how it might affect VPOs

        Fuel Reimbusement and Legality of Groups’ Operation of Aircraft

           including exemptions provided in the FARs (Fundraising and S & R flights, etc.)
Volunteer pilot liability relief progress
Pilots Bill of Rights updates

        NTSB recommendations, AOPA Online Safety Course

12:45 – Breakouts – Our Annual Inspection:   Mission Coordination, Board Management

    Breakout Session 1:  Strategic Guidance for Officers, Directors, and Leaders
Management Tools to help in setting your group’s direction
Life goes on: transition and succession.  Choosing new leaders who buy into your group’s values and culture.
A few big considerations regarding state and IRS requirements.

    Breakout Session 2:  Mission Coordination Practices, Issues, Solutions
Best practices
Review of processes, requirements, etc… by each organization
Opportunities for flight sharing, collaboration, and increased efficiency

Risks and rewards of involving general aviation pilots.  Recommendations to keep you and your organization from unnecessary risks.  Recommended or required: AOPA-ACA online course for volunteer pilots (and all operational staff) following ACA’s negotiation with the NTSB on safety recommendations.

 3:15 – REPORT OUT – From each of the session leaders: The bottom line of what we learned and decided in the GA Emergency and Disaster Preparedness Summit and each of the Breakout Sessions.

 3:30 – Your Wish List:  Open discussion – member concerns, questions, and wish lists. Setting priorities for action by ACA and the Membership.

 4:00 – Air Care Alliance annual membership business meeting: reports, board news, and election of Directors.

 4:20 – Important upcoming events and announcements:  Opportunities to showcase your group.  Information regarding restaurant and carpool arrangements for informal dinners at one or more area restaurants.

Here are a few examples of sights and events attendees may wish to enjoy together or on their own, with links to great sources of information regarding large number of additional worthwhile destinations in the area and travel options into DC.  Washington DC is only a short distance away – easy access using the Metro from the Shady Grove station nearby.

Don’t forget DC!   DC has so many fabulous museums you could spend a half a year there!  Consider visiting the beautiful new one, the Newseum, which clebrates the rich history of the media in America and the importance of the First Amendment.  Our country was founded because of access to newspapers!

Register in three steps:  reserve your hotel room and then go to our form below for full instructions to register for AIR CARE 2018, including the registration form and instructions for payments.

Our hotel is the Hampton Inn Frederick, a Hilton hotel.  The special room rate is a highly discounted rate of $99.  The hotel rate includes a complementary full breakfast.

Our block includes a mixture of rooms with King beds or two Queens.  If you will need rooms with two Queens you will have better luck booking ASAP.  If you don’t need two beds please request the rooms with King beds.

The online booking link is case sensitive – click here:

http://group.hamptoninn.com/Air-Care-Alliance

You may also book by phone by calling the hotel and indicating you wish to book a room in the Air Care Alliance block.  Its location and phone info is:

5311 Buckeystown Pike, Frederick, Maryland, 21704, USA
1-301-698-2500

Note:  As a courtesy to others, if you make a reservation and then find later that you cannot attend, please contact us to coordinate the cancellation so we can return the room to the block or find someone to take over the reservation.

Air Carrier Airport Transportation: view these options for traveling to Frederick, Maryland:

Baltimore (BWI):   About 50 miles.  Inexpensive car rentals.  May be able to share a car with others arriving at the same time.  Several shuttle services.
BayRunner Shuttle Toll Free: 1-855-BAY-RUNR (1-855-229-7867)
Frederick Airport Connection (240) 422-4449
Airport Xpress 301-668-4000

Washington (DCA):    About 52 miles, 1 to 2 hours.  Car rentals available. May be able to share a car with others arriving at the same time.  Shuttle services – check airport for details.
Light rail Metro to Red line to Shady Grove and Uber, Lyft, or taxi to hotel, about 3 hours.

Dulles (IAD):    About 50 miles, 1 to 2 hours.  Car rentals available. May be able to share a car with others arriving at the same time.  Shuttle services – check airport for details.