I haven't been on this forum in a long time. I don't have time to keep up with more than a couple. But perhaps I can add something to this thread.
I have known the folks at AOPA for a long time. I worked with them many years ago when I was on the Microsoft Flight Simulator team, and I've stayed in contact, occasionally writing for their publications, speaking at AOPA events, etc. The annual membership dues are a small investment (especially in terms of AMUs) for the organization's advocacy, safety programs, publications, and other outreach.
When I decided late last year that it was time to do something with the Extra 300L, which I had owned for some 20 years, but for many reasons wasn't flying as much as I wanted to, I quickly settled on donating the aircraft to what I considered a worthy cause. I knew that AOPA would take care of the aircraft and continue to use it for one of my aviation passions--teaching pilots about upset recovery, spins, and other loss-of-control events. I taught those courses for as long as I owned the Extra, and I had a lot of fun doing it, as you can see in videos on my YouTube channel (see this playlist:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1XhvWfCmWcxikYUyJg18u1o2N83z49UJ). The airplane is a delight to fly. Almost everyone returns from a flight with a huge smile. That AOPA staff would also enjoy the airplane was a bonus.
AOPA is putting in some new avionics--GI-275 instruments and a new GPS/COM--to replace the old Garmin 250XL that, while still working, doesn't have enough memory to store modern databases. The 1998-vintage mechanical gyros that could be installed in the rear cockpit weren't especially useful, especially when flying acro. The GI-275 will help AOPA make effective videos that highlight what unusual attitudes look like in a modern panel, and they're similar to the equipment that's standard in new Extras. I had considered similar updates, but I hadn't made the leap as COVID and other factors limited my opportunities to fly the airplane.
By the way, the Extra 300L and the subsequent 2-seat models have standard airworthiness certificates and are certificated in the normal and acrobatic categories. That's one reason I chose that model for giving instruction. The 300L is
not an experimental, as the single-seat and earlier Extra 300 are. And the Extra 300 series are day-VFR-only airplanes by type certificate, not approved for night or IFR operations, regardless what you put in the panel.
I plan to continue scratching the aerobatic itch, perhaps in something like an RV, certainly with friends in the aerobatic community. I also plan to visit N105MM at AOPA headquarters when I can to consult with the folks there.
In the meantime, feel free to check in at my blog (
https://bruceair.wordpress.com/), where I continue to write about my other aviation passion--flying and teaching IFR, especially with advanced avionics. I'm also staying active as an instructor for the American Bonanza Society, speaking at aviation events, and serving as check instructor at Galvin Flying, based at Boeing Field (KBFI) in Seattle. I also post aviation videos at my YouTube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/user/BruceAirFlying.