As this holiday season rolls around, I am reminded of scenes from my youth. Every Christmas, our extended family would gather for a huge feast and friendly conversation. We had a large dining table but it could only seat all the adults and not the children. As a sullen teen, I remember how humiliating it was to have to sit at the card table with the younger kids and how, as an older teen, I was allowed to sit 'at the big table. Sitting at the big table was all about maturity and acceptance and knowing your thoughts would be heard by the larger family audience.

As I reflect on 2009 and the Air Care Alliance, I am recalling feelings from my youth and that feeling of acceptance. Because of the hard work of many dedicated volunteers over the last 20 years in promoting Public Benefit Flying and fostering cooperation among the various groups, I am learning that the general aviation community sees the Air Care Alliance as a valuable member with much to offer. We have been asked to "sit at the big table" many times during over the years and have had our thoughts, issues, and concerns heard and understood by many leaders in general aviation.

Many of the events of 2009 solidified this for me. The hugely successful Fly4Life theme at EAA's AirVenture 2009 and the central role that the Air Care Alliance had in the planning and execution of Public Benefit Aviation participation in that event showed how the EAA views our organization. During the planning the leadership of EAA noted that the Alliance was doing a superb job of representing all of Public Benefit Flying and how they valued our input to the process. We were commended for our non-partisan representation of all types of Public Benefit Flying.

AOPA has also encouraged ACA over the years, having hosted our first Air Care conference in 1990 at its national headquarters. Since1994 AOPA has provided a booth at its annual convention and often presented our seminars there. In 2009 AOPA supported Public Benefit Flying in many new ways. In a tremendous spirit of cooperation AOPA supported the Fly4Life theme at EAA's AirVenture 2009, providing the audiovisal equipment needed for our presentations. AOPA also asked ACA to provide input and to help develop Public Benefit Flying as a component of the GA Serves America campaign. As part of that campaign, AOPA invited us once again to display a booth at the AOPA Summit and to present a forum there on Public Benefit Flying. Several other joint initiatives are in development and I hope to be able to announce some of those in the near future.

We have continued to work very closely with the Alliance for Aviation Across America during this past year, including maintaining a seat on the Board of Directors for that organization. We have been asked to participate in a number of their outreach efforts to educate and inform policy makers about the value of general aviation. In many of these forums the participants have cited the significant contributions provided by Public Benefit Flying in numerous communities across the nation.

I say all that, not to boast about what the Air Care Alliance is doing, but to emphasize the fact that the tremendous work that each of you and your organizations are doing in serving your communities is being fully recognized by the greater general aviation family. Your voice is being heard by the "big boys" and they are very appreciative of the good reputation each of you has garnered for general aviation.