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Frequently Asked Questions or FAQ's

What is USPA?
An association of affiliated State Pilot Associations, local Chapters and Individual Members.

Who are USPA's members?
There are three types of members.

1. Affiliated State Pilot Associations, such as New Mexico Pilots Association, Missouri Pilots Association, etc.
   a. Each affiliated state association is entitled to appoint five (5) directors, who are voting members at USPA's quarterly Board of Directors meetings.
   b. The number of affiliated state associations varies from year to year. At present, there are eight (8) with several more considering affiliation.
2. Local Chapters of USPA are organized at the local level. Local chapters must have a minimum of five USPA individual members. Each local chapter is entitled to appoint one (1) director who is a voting member at USPA's quarterly Board of Directors meetings.
3. Individual Members. These are generally pilots who wish to have voting privileges, hold office in USPA, and enjoy the many benefits of individual membership. Some are pilots in states which do not have an affiliated state pilot organization or local chapter. Most are members of the affiliated state associations or local chapters and many of the directors from the affiliated states are also individual members. The benefits of individual membership are set forth in the accompanying brochure.
    

Who runs USPA?
The Board of Directors, which consists of directors from our affiliated state organizations and local chapters, and officers elected by them and by the individual members. Jan Hoynacki, an unpaid volunteer Executive Director, assists the board and officers in promoting the goals of USPA and its quarterly meetings.

When does USPA meet?
Meetings are held quarterly, with the fall meeting at the time of the AOPA annual expo. Each quarterly meeting includes an Aviation Safety Seminar (usually on Thursday evening), a meeting of all members in attendance (usually on Friday morning), and a meeting of the Board of Directors, which all members are invited to (usually on Saturday morning.) The annual meeting is the spring quarterly meeting.
 

Where is USPA located?
USPA's registered office is in St. Louis, MO, and its records are maintained in Branson, MO, but its meetings are conducted at the site of quarterly meetings, in various locations in the United States, usually within affiliated states.
 

What are USPA's goals?
The primary goal is to provide a forum for the members to make pilots in all states aware of their interests and concerns, and to empower the members to communicate those concerns with the support of a national organization (USPA).
 

There are many subsidiary goals, including providing a nationally circulated magazine for publishing news and views of the affiliated state organizations, chapters and of USPA itself, as well as promoting each state organization, general aviation, and safety and aviation education in general.
 

How do USPA and AOPA compare?
Aside from the obvious difference in size (AOPA has over 400,000 members, which is more than 50% of all certificated pilots in the United States), the two organizations are complementary:

1. USPA supports AOPA, and AOPA supports USPA. By participation in both organizations, members can multiply the opportunities to get their message out to those who regulate and control general aviation.
    
2. USPA is a Internal Revenue Code Section 501(c)3 corporation composed of unpaid volunteers. AOPA has a large paid staff of aviation professionals. Each organization is quite effective in promoting general aviation, but at different levels. AOPA is most effective at the national level, whereas USPA's members are most effective at the state level and with local governments. USPA’s course is set at the grass roots level by its member input. Yet, each organization recognizes the need for what the other provides most effectively.

How do USPA and State Pilot Associations Compare?
USPA supports general aviation and membership in our affiliated State Pilot Associations and local Chapters. It has no interest in taking "national positions" which are contrary to the interests or positions of its state and local affiliates. On the other hand, USPA is eager to express its support for positions taken by our affiliated State Pilot Associations and local chapters.
 

Most state affiliates promote individual membership in USPA, which adds to the votes of its state's pilots in the national organization. USPA also encourages membership in the affiliated state associations and local chapters. USPA also helps underwrite part of each affiliated state association's and local chapter’s cost by paying to each a portion of the dues paid by individual USPA members from that state or chapter - whether the USPA member belongs to the affiliated state association or not. The present "rebate" given to each state or local chapter is $5.00 per year for each USPA individual member from that state or local chapter.

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