When people talk about the "golden age of aviation" they are usually referring to the period between World War Ⅰ and World War Ⅱ-but this is an oversimplification. General aviation, like most other industries, has seen ups and downs in the past century. Fluctuations in the health of GA in the United States can be attributed to many factors, including the pilot community, regulation, and the economy. World War Ⅰ created the pilot community, training new pilots who came home to fly in largely unregulated skies. It was during this so-called Golden Age that a group of people had the foresight to understand what could happen if they didn't preserve access to aviation-so they created AOPA. The mission that launched AOPA during aviation's first golden era still drives the association today, as it lays the groundwork for a bright future.
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