It’s All in the Power of Association

We’re multifaceted individuals with diverse interests that usually make meeting new people a fascinating experience. Case in point, I once met a person who collects banana stickers—that’s right, the Dole, Chiquita, and countless other brand stickers that we all see and ignore. He can’t get enough, and as it turns out, he’s not alone.

Aside from the fun of amassing a collection of thousands of stickers, being part of a group of people with a shared interest also enabled him to build a network of friends, all assisting each other around the globe (which also allows him to travel to far-flung reaches of the planet). I suspect global travel wasn’t his initial plan when he started collecting banana stickers, but it was certainly a nice byproduct of the process.

Being part of a group of like-minded people has many benefits beyond personal connection.

In aviation, aircraft owners, pilots, and aficionados band together in model- and manufacturer-specific groups. Collectively, a powerful block of consumers can help resolve a common issue or move an OEM in a certain direction to improve a product for everyone. 

On the OEM side, I once worked for an early stage aircraft manufacturer who, like all aircraft OEMs, had its share of aircraft squawks that generated customer complaints at a pace commensurate with production increases. 

Rather than attempting to address an array of individual squawks from a growing consumer base, we asked the owners group to form a committee whose job it was to survey members to identify the most common complaints with the biggest pain points. 

Working in partnership with the committee, we agreed to focus on the top 10 issues identified by the members of the owners group. Once we came to an agreement that any one issue was resolved satisfactorily, that item was removed from the list and another squawk was added.

The feedback and process helped improve customer satisfaction, fostered brand affinity, increased trust, improved the production process and ultimately, the finished product. Working together in good faith led by a team of dedicated people helped both parties move the needle farther, faster.

On a much larger scale, our industry associations play a similar role. Associations like AOPA, EAA, NBAA, GAMA, and others, all serve specific constituents, and in some cases, have overlapping purposes that increase their collective power. But what’s most important is that we as individuals find the association(s) whose objectives and purpose align most closely with our own interests and support them through membership, proxy voting, letter writing, fundraising, and more. 

If we don’t have the time, energy, or connections to lobby lawmakers ourselves in order to help preserve rights or advocate for legislation that protects our vested interests, we need to support the groups that do. In this case, our industry associations are the full-time professionals who work diligently to protect something we all hold dear, our freedom to fly in whatever form that takes.  

While associations have an essential function in preserving our freedom to fly, they also play an equally important role in the process of cultivating the next generation of private, commercial, and military aviators and aviation enthusiasts. 

Efforts to introduce youth to careers in aerospace, cyberspace, and outer space through STEM education and education career training need support, volunteers, and funding. My charge to all of us is to find something that interests you like AOPA Airport Support Network, EAA Young Eagles, Civil Air Patrol aerospace education, or any number of other public benefit flying organizations and associations and get even more involved where you can.

Chief among our roles as aviators and enthusiasts is to also be good stewards of general aviation so future generations can build on what has been accomplished thus far and enjoyed for more than 120 years. 

Even if joining one more thing isn’t something you have bandwidth for, invite an acquaintance to fill an empty seat and introduce someone new to the joy of flying.

This column first appeared in the September Issue 950 of the FLYING print edition.