GASS 2026

Moving Forward

Goal for 2026

Challenges:

• Getting the word out better and realigning some tactics.
  • Evangelizing AQPGA (like Apple did with the Mac back in the 1980s)
  • What exactly is "the word" we want to get out better?
    • DMMS
    • Don't do the "Impossible Turn"
    • How to mitigate all the other common ways GA pilots are killing themselves.
    • How to join our Grassroots Movement
  • Realigning Tactics
    • Strategies - Before we talk about tactics, let's talk about some year-long 2026 strategies. Here are some ideas for strategies to get the word out more in 2026.
      • RECRUIT CFIs - Create an "AQPGA Certified" program where CFIs can become qualified to train (ground and air) local pilots and student pilots in the AQPGA concepts. Benefits to the CFIs are: 1) being a better CFI producing better/safer pilots;  2) being on our map of AQPGA Certified CFIs which will help them get more quality pilots looking for more than just a $200 hamburger checkride who are also willing to spend the money to get the AQPGA training and conditioning.
      • RECRUIT INFLUENCERS - Once we have a clear message about what the word is that we're trying to get out, we could recruit influencers (online and offline) to put their names behind the movement. Anyone interested in helping improve the safety of General Aviation should be interested in joining and helping our grassroots movement. We can incorporate the tactics of "cross-promotion" where we all help each others' influence grow.
      • BUILD A PUBLIC AQPGA RESOURCE LIBRARY - Build a free and publicly available library of videos, courses, pdf documents, etc. that anyone can use to do home-study or even hanger presentations.
      • MERCH - Use physical items such as hats, t-shirts, mugs, patches, posters, etc. to help get the word out with the free advertising that AQPGA pilots (and their friends and family) will provide. 
        • “Earn it” merch: free patch/shirt after completing AQPGA 101.
        • QR-coded merch tags that drive to a “Start Here” page.
    • Tactics - Here are some possible short-term tactics we could use.
      • Build and nourish an email list of pilots/CFIs/influencers/industry people 
      • Conduct some "Mini-G.A.S.S." events around the country.
      • I could start producing a new show about AQPGA topics that can piggyback before or after Dan's Sunday night show. (Kind of like television does by having another show that people might watch right after the main show they are interested in so they don't change the channel.)
• Creating an actual Advance Qualification Program for General Aviation - If I understand it correctly, the airlines all created their own AQP scenario-based training programs. The key word being: PROGRAM. We want to stop GA pilots from killing themselves. And we are invoking the example of the airlines by using the acronym AQP. And there is some beginnings of programs and check rides out there already, but it might be worth considering the idea of setting up an actual PROGRAM for AQPGA to promote. The program would need to be created using input from the flying public. Some things an official AQPGA PROGRAM could include might be:
  • The Killing Scenarios every pilot could encounter
  • Geographic/Airport-specific scenarios
  • Ground Training Program
    • Education
    • Rehearsal
  • In-flight Training Program
    • Conditioning
    • Flight Reviews
  • AQPGA Certifications? For CFIs and for GA pilots. 
• Money - Money is a part of life and money is a large part of why and how AQP for the airlines came into being. They had huge financial motivation to stop killing their customers and they had a lot of money available to accomplish that goal. (They also had financial leverage over pilots - they had to go along with the program or lose their income.) As a "grassroots movement" we don't have a lot of money to help get the word out (and we have no authority or leverage to force anyone to undergo AQP training). But maybe we could get some money. Donations to The DTSB Super Fund will help. We need to get more of that coming in. How? 
  • We need to show people who have money "what's in it for them" to donate. 
    • A prime candidate is insurance companies. The less they have to pay out in settlements, the better it is for them. They have financial motivation to help our cause.
    • Another candidate is light aircraft manufacturers. They want to sell more airplanes. As the safety record of General Aviation improves, General Aviation itself will likely grow. And that means more airplane sales. They have financial motivation to help our cause because it makes them look good to the current airplane market and it helps grow their potential future market for their airplanes.
    • Another prospect is the airlines. They are going to want their new pilots to go through their AQP training. It might help them if new hires were already familiar with AQP concepts because they learned and trained with 
  • "Merch"
    • This website is my project and I am funding it out of my pocket. AQPGA.ORG will always be free and do the maximum effort to help get the word out without a "paywall". 
    • Anything related to AQP that involves money will be hosted on my commercial website AQPGA.COM.
    • That said, "Merch" can actually help get the word out better two ways.
      • 1) People like to buy and wear t-shirts and hats with messages. Having t-shirt, hats, mugs, etc. available gives us lots of free advertising when people wear them.
      • 2) The money brought in from merchandise sales will fund my websites and allow me to contribute to The DTSB Super Fund.
• Government
• Bigger event for GASS 2027

Ideas:

• Get the airlines on board
  • Sponsorships
  • Reward flight schools that incorporate AQPGA into their curriculums
• Get aviation-based companies on board
  • Sponsorships
  • Insurance companies
  • Foreflight
  • Garmin
  • Airplane manufacturers
  • Flying clubs
• Create an AQPGA app
  • Education
  • Guided Rehearsing
  • Find an AQPGA flight instructor
• Create a unified message and recruit more influencers/YouTubers