Help Dad Take Off This Father's Day with an Introductory Flying Lesson from ProjectPilot.org

FREDERICK, Md., May 29 /PRNewswire/ -- Over the years, Dad has given you wings, lifted you up and encouraged you every step of the way. This Father's Day, do the same for him -- literally -- by giving him something extra special, a ProjectPilot.org introductory flying lesson.

ProjectPilot.org is a learn-to-fly program sponsored by the nonprofit Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA). Just go to the ProjectPilot.org website where you'll find a database of more than 3,500 flight schools, and enter Dad's zip code to find the one closest to him. Since many schools offer introductory flights for around $99, this gift won't break your budget.

Dad will actually fly the plane under the direction of an FAA-licensed flight instructor. He'll taxi out to the runway, take off and soar into the wild blue yonder. He might even love it enough to continue his training toward a private pilot's certificate and a life of liberated travel and recreation. The gift of flight is the experience of a lifetime and one he's not likely to forget.

"There are many things you can give Dad that he'll love, but only a flying lesson can open up a new world of travel, learning, excitement and accomplishment," says AOPA President Phil Boyer. "And if you think of Dad as someone who's just comfortable cooking on the backyard grill, he might surprise you when he goes to take his second and third lessons."

With more than 415,000 members, the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association represents or nearly three quarters of all U.S. pilots. Since 1939, AOPA has represented the interests of general aviation, which covers all flying except the scheduled airlines and the military. Its headquarters are in Frederick, Md.