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

FREDERICK, Md., June 5 /PRNewswire/ -- If you're racking your brain trying to come up with a special Father's Day gift for Dad, stop racking. Just go to ProjectPilot.org to start the process of giving him a unique gift he'll remember forever: an introductory flying lesson. When you visit the website you can search more than 3,500 flight schools to find the one closest to Dad.

You'll be giving dear old Dad the experience of a lifetime and one he's not likely to forget. He'll actually sit in the pilot's seat next to an FAA- licensed Flight Instructor as he taxis out to the runway, takes off, and discovers how easy and affordable it is to learn to fly. He might even love it enough to continue his training toward a private pilot's certificate and a lifetime of liberated travel and recreation.

ProjectPilot.org, launched by the nonprofit Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA), is designed to educate the public on the joys and benefits of learning how to fly. The program's website, www.ProjectPilot.org, offers useful information for anyone who's ever dreamed of learning how to fly, along with contact information for nearly every flight school in the country. Since many schools offer introductory flights for $59-$89, this gift won't break your budget.

"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."

Following a pre-flight aircraft inspection, Dad will climb into the pilot's seat. He'll learn to steer the plane on the ground -- accomplished with his feet -- then assist with the take-off. He'll learn to climb, descend, turn and fly straight-and-level, and possibly even help with the landing. This is a real lesson, and his time can be logged toward earning his license.

To get started, simply go to http://www.ProjectPilot.org and find a flight school nearby. The website has a convenient ZIP code-based search function.

The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association includes more than 411,000 members, or nearly two-thirds of all U.S. pilots and three-quarters of general aviation 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.