Aminta Hennessy Announced New President of AOPA
Aminta Hennessy has today been announced president of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association. Ms Hennessy succeeds Mark de Stoop who was president for three years. As a result of a reconfiguration of the AOPA executive team, AOPA presidents are now limited to a three-year term.
Ms Hennessy, a well-known advocate of general aviation, is a director of Clamback and Hennessy Flying School at Bankstown Airport, grade one instructor and flight examiner. With over 19,000 flying hours, Ms Hennessy has been a vocal spokesperson of regulatory reform in general aviation. Her term commences as the Australian General Aviation Alliance (AGAA) prepares for a summit in Wagga Wagga in July, aimed at establishing a consensus for changes to the Civil Aviation Act. The summit is scheduled for July 9 -10.
The AOPA also welcomes five new board members: Ross Harrison, Shaun Kelly, Gerard Kitt, Richard Talbot and Ben Wyndham. “In two years, we’ve reconfigured the board,” AOPA Executive Director Ben Morgan said. “We now have a very powerful group of professional pilots from ATPL holders to RA-Aus specialists. Richard Talbot represents experimental aircraft; Gerard Kitt is a business owner within RA-Aus; Ross Harrison is a helicopter pilot and director of Cirrus Sunshine Coast, and Shaun Kelly is an experienced float plane operator. We are now represented across many sectors of the industry, which allows us to attain our goal of strong advocacy across general aviation.”
Regarding AOPA’s membership numbers, Mr Morgan told Australian Flying, “Our membership has increased from 2,300 to 3,100 in two years. Two and a half thousand young pilots have experienced our flight simulators since we commenced the program and the AOPA bus has generated over $38,000 in income this year. We’ve have had the largest investment in AOPA – over $85,000 this year – in thirty years. We are planning a series of workshops and seminars throughout 2019.”
Asked about AOPA’s investors, Mr Morgan said, “I would like to express my thanks and gratitude to Dick Smith, Peter Clisdell, Bus Charter and Flight Charter. Without their sponsorship, we would not be in the strong position we are right now. General Aviation is ready for change. That is demonstrated by our growing membership, our strong board and our commitment to flight safety.”