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Passport Programs Marry Pilot Purpose, Fun, and Prizes

Gathering stamps in programs like the "Fly Washington" program can earn pilots and aviation enthusiasts patches and prizes. Ian Johnston
Gemini Sparkle

Key Takeaways:

  • Aviation passport programs encourage both pilots and non-pilots to visit participating airports and aviation sites, collecting stamps to earn prizes and foster engagement with the aviation community.
  • States like Maryland ("Explore Maryland by Air") and Washington ("Flying Washington") have successfully implemented such programs, often involving diverse teams and non-profit organizations for development and funding.
  • These programs aim to increase airport visitation, promote aviation interest among various demographics, and can even serve as platforms for community engagement and charitable initiatives, like competitive food drives.
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A handful of states across the U.S. offer such programs. Some are designed specifically for pilots. Others are designed for aviation enthusiasts of all levels. These so-called “passport programs” encourage the public to visit participating airports and obtain stamps in a special passport booklet. For pilots of a certain age, it calls to mind the days when student pilots were required to get a stamp from the FBOs they visited on their solo cross-country flights.

Meg Godlewski

Meg Godlewski has been an aviation journalist for more than 24 years and a CFI for more than 20 years. If she is not flying or teaching aviation, she is writing about it. Meg is a founding member of the Pilot Proficiency Center at EAA AirVenture and excels at the application of simulation technology to flatten the learning curve. Follow Meg on Twitter @2Lewski.

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