- March 2, 2021, 9:41 AM Michael P. "Mike" Collins, who spent nearly three decades with the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) in various senior editorial and management roles, died on February 25 in Frederick, Maryland, from Covid-19. He was 59. “Mike’s always positive and helpful attitude opened many doors for him and gained him great respect here at AOPA and around the industry,” said AOPA president and CEO Mark Baker. “All of aviation has suffered a loss with his untimely passing.” Born on Dec. 21, 1961, in Cleveland, Ohio, Collins graduated from Western Kentucky University in 1984 with a degree in photojournalism. He embarked on a career as a newspaper photographer and editor, but then helped launch The Southern Aviator, a regional aviation magazine that was at the time based in North Carolina, according to his obituary information.