Has AOPA quit paying its bills? Or just given up on its online services?

NoHeat

NoHeat

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AOPA seems to have stopped providing some online services from third parties.

Several weeks ago, its Airports page was plastered with a red warning shown below.

Please note: Third-party fuel prices are temporarily unavailable. We apologize for the inconvenience.

And a few days ago, AOPA's excellent Flight Planner page vanished, without an announcement! That service had been provided by Jeppesen, and it was really good. But now it's gone. The link to the flight planner was hurriedly pointed elsewhere, to a completely broken website that pretends to be an online flight planner called FlyQ.

It sure looks bad for AOPA. The only explanations I can think of are that AOPA:

  • unexpectedly quit paying its third-party providers
  • or it just decided it doesn't give a damn about its users.
 
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Yup. Likely, too much overhead at Frederick, MD. Craig Fuller is emulating Vern Rayburn. Just burns up the cash.
 
NoHeat said:
AOPA seems to have stopped providing some online services from third parties.

Several weeks ago, its Airports page was plastered with a red warning shown below.

Please note: Third-party fuel prices are temporarily unavailable. We apologize for the inconvenience.

And a few days ago, AOPA's excellent Flight Planner page vanished, without an announcement! That service had been provided by Jeppesen, and it was really good. But now it's gone. The link to the flight planner was hurriedly pointed elsewhere, to a completely broken website that pretends to be an online flight planner called FlyQ.

It sure looks bad for AOPA. The only explanations I can think of are that AOPA:

  • unexpectedly quit paying its third-party providers
  • or it just decided it doesn't give a damn about its users.
Click to expand...
It is possible that many of the third parties are pulling their stuff in protest over some of AOPA's business decisions.
 
That's a bummer. I found the flight planner really handy. :(

I wonder if it's accessible via Jeppesen, for a price.
 
I used to use the AOPA flight planner until iPads and Foreflight came along. FlyQ looks like an improvement over the previous AOPA offering but it's still a generation behind FF. The flight plan.com flight planner isn't bad for another free offering.
 
The only reason I keep paying the AOPA dues is for flight planning and because my insurance company nags me if I didn't. No flight planning, no AOPA next year. And BTW, the magazine is almost useless to me.
 
I'm outta there for almost a year. Don't miss it. They don't advocate on my behalf, and now the flight planning stuff is gone. What a sham.
 
Maybe more of us are dropping off.
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February 28 was my last day.

I thought it was an interesting coincidence that it was also the day that they announced that Fuller was out. I am cautiously optimistic. If they abandon his harebrained approach to running the business I may rejoin some day.
 
airdale said:
February 28 was my last day.

I thought it was an interesting coincidence that it was also the day that they announced that Fuller was out. I am cautiously optimistic. If they abandon his harebrained approach to running the business I may rejoin some day.
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I was about to rejoin simply because it's important to have a voice supporting GA, even if I don't agree with all of what they say.

Then he protested the shutting down of towers. No, I am not a whiney pilot. That is vehemently not me.

I might go join EAA. I think they're doing a better job.
 
The money I spend on AOPA is budget dust...they do good things...not all I agree with...but they are a resource.
 
The flight planner was the only valid reason I might have had for keeping them. That's gone now, and so am I.
 
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bbchien said:
Unclear. Rod did a lot of damage while he was there....
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Yes he did but IMO the EAA has at least paid lip service to heading back in the other direction. The magazine has gotten better in the last issues...

I quit AOPA two years ago and till get "this is your last chance" mail every other week so you'll have time to reverse your decision should you desire...

Chris
 
craigvince said:
Looks to me like they took the flight planner down so they could install the new updates. It's working now, better than ever.

http://www.aopa.org/flightplanning/flyqweb/
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The sky is falling, the sky is falling, the sky is falling! oh wait, nvm.. you're just getting an upgrade to your flight planning software included for your 20 bucks a year sub.

I should start my own pilots association EAAOPA!
 
craigvince said:
Looks to me like they took the flight planner down so they could install the new updates. It's working now, better than ever.

http://www.aopa.org/flightplanning/flyqweb/
Click to expand...

Looks to me like they took down the useless FlyQ site that replaced the Jepp FlightPlanner.

Here's what I see when I view the link you mention:

MEMBER ALERT FOR MARCH 8, 2013:
The FlyQ Web flight planning application is temporarily unavailable — please try again later.
We are working to correct the issue and apologize for the inconvenience.
 
They haven't haven't replied to an email I sent them over 2 weeks ago.
And the latest issue of Flight Training magazine was very lame, no useful information at all.
 
DogDaddy said:
They haven't haven't replied to an email I sent them over 2 weeks ago.
And the latest issue of Flight Training magazine was very lame, no useful information at all.
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I dunno....I sent them an email and letter and told them I would rejoin once Craig Fuller quit and they fired his sorry ass....:D
 
I'm pretty sure the money is spent trying to get me to rejoin. My membership isn't up until the end of May and I've already received 4 packets with "drop dead" dates on it. As soon as that date passes, I get another one.

I called AOPA to complain and the lady I talked to sort of blamed it on a different department. It sounds like one hand doesn't know what the other one is doing.
 
ScottK said:
I'm pretty sure the money is spent trying to get me to rejoin.
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...and getting me to join at the address I gave to the FAA, instead of the mailing address I gave to AOPA. :mad2: I was initially very confused to be receiving a membership card with a "your membership has lapsed" letter from AOPA, when I had already paid. I'm hoping at some point they stop spamming me.
 
Hiperbiper said:
Yes he did but IMO the EAA has at least paid lip service to heading back in the other direction. The magazine has gotten better in the last issues...

I quit AOPA two years ago and till get "this is your last chance" mail every other week so you'll have time to reverse your decision should you desire...

Chris
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Yup. Between the 2 magazines, EAA is the clear winner, IMO. I even managed to get published (March 2013 issue), because of something I posted on their forum.
 
Oh yeah, my membership expires January 31. But starting in JULY they keep sending me renewal notices...with postage paid envelopes enclosed. That's what some of the membership funds are spent on...harrassing letters and return postage. Can't they just send an email reminder 30 days before the renewal date? Next thing you know they'll be visiting us in person at our jobs, via helicopter.
 
Dropped my membership some time ago and haven't missed it. Flight planner was the best aspect, and their airport directory was a tad better than Airnav. But there are plenty of on-line flight planners, and I can figure out which frequency to use well before I get there. I did like the little knee board print outs, but I can easily live without.
 
Hi, everybody


This is Katie Pribyl - AOPA senior staff member in the communications department.



The new FlyQ Web was launched late last week - a planned transition from the previous AOPA Internet Flight Planner. While we hoped it would be an easy transition, it has not been smooth for everyone. Frankly, we released this new flight planner before it was ready and we know that the current performance of FlyQ Web does not meet your expectations for flight planning from AOPA, nor does it meet ours.



Thanks to member feedback, we have identified the major issues and are working hard to fix the bugs, enhance usability and restore lost waypoints and stored routes. The team is working around the clock to get these repairs made.



If you would like to submit a problem, make a feature request, or simply ask a question, please email us at FlyQHelp@aopa.org. We are reading, logging and responding to every single email that is sent to this inbox at the fastest rate we can.

In the end, we believe that FlyQ Web will provide a better experience than AIFP. There are many great features available in FlyQ Web including rubber-banding of your routes, wind optimized flight plans and syncing your plans into the cloud to automatically load onto FlyQ EFB and FlyQ Pocket.

We will be releasing updates over the next several weeks that will bring us back to the performance level that you've come to expect from AOPA. In the meantime, please accept my apology for any inconveniences this has caused.


Katie Pribyl
AOPA Communications
 
Well, if Katie is coming on here to respond to this thread, that is certainly a step in the right direction.

Now, let's see who replaces Mr. Fuller...
 
Katie Pribyl
AOPA Communications
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Well nice to know someone is listening. Welcome.

POA would also be a good place to post information that you'd like former members to see. For myself, if I see AOPA abandon its members-are-mushrooms philosophy, eliminate the financial greed, hare-brained product endorsements, and suicidal venture capital adventures I will consider rejoining.
 
Thanks Katie
I often tell my employees that the only thing worse for a customer than receiving bad service is being ignored and made to feel that nobody cares. At least your message lets us know that you do care and are not ignoring us.

Katie Pribyl said:
Hi, everybody


This is Katie Pribyl - AOPA senior staff member in the communications department.



The new FlyQ Web was launched late last week - a planned transition from the previous AOPA Internet Flight Planner. While we hoped it would be an easy transition, it has not been smooth for everyone. Frankly, we released this new flight planner before it was ready and we know that the current performance of FlyQ Web does not meet your expectations for flight planning from AOPA, nor does it meet ours.



Thanks to member feedback, we have identified the major issues and are working hard to fix the bugs, enhance usability and restore lost waypoints and stored routes. The team is working around the clock to get these repairs made.



If you would like to submit a problem, make a feature request, or simply ask a question, please email us at FlyQHelp@aopa.org. We are reading, logging and responding to every single email that is sent to this inbox at the fastest rate we can.

In the end, we believe that FlyQ Web will provide a better experience than AIFP. There are many great features available in FlyQ Web including rubber-banding of your routes, wind optimized flight plans and syncing your plans into the cloud to automatically load onto FlyQ EFB and FlyQ Pocket.

We will be releasing updates over the next several weeks that will bring us back to the performance level that you've come to expect from AOPA. In the meantime, please accept my apology for any inconveniences this has caused.


Katie Pribyl
AOPA Communications
Click to expand...
 
Katie Pribyl said:
Hi, everybody


This is Katie Pribyl - AOPA senior staff member in the communications department.



The new FlyQ Web was launched late last week -
Katie Pribyl
AOPA Communications
Click to expand...

Welcome Katie.

While AOPA dues paying members are waiting for the bugs to be worked out on FlyQ, can they expect the functional AOPA flight planner to be put back in service? Thanks.
 
Ted DuPuis said:
Well, if Katie is coming on here to respond to this thread, that is certainly a step in the right direction.

Now, let's see who replaces Mr. Fuller...
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I hope that it really is reaching out to the members (as opposed to damage control via the PR group), though that should have been done beforehand.

Or maybe I'm just cynical about such matters, seeing how things are in DC these days.

In any case, welcome Katie, I do hope you stay around and open lines of communication with your members & prospective members. And that you can do something about suggestions....
 
wsuffa said:
I hope that it really is reaching out to the members (as opposed to damage control via the PR group), though that should have been done beforehand.
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I'm not sure if it was damage control vs. reaching out, but I think it's positive either way. How long have we just sat here complaining about AOPA?
 
I've complained about them since their service went in the porcelain fixture, and the links to money making schemes became the prevalent activity.

As we speak, AOPA announces a new strategic partnership with (wait for it),,,,,,

Bank of America! A marriage made in heaven.
 
Katie Pribyl said:
Hi, everybody


This is Katie Pribyl - AOPA senior staff member in the communications department.

...

Katie Pribyl
AOPA Communications
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Katie, it's good to see you here!
I have heard on one of the podcasts that Craig is going to do a Town Hall meeting in the Chicago area next week, but haven't heard anything via email or mail, either as a member or an ASN Volunteer.
 
Now, let's see who replaces Mr. Fuller...
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Here's a revolutionary thought:

How about:

1) Nominations from the membership, possibly by petition/minimum number of signatures.

2) Downselection to a qualified slate of 3+ candidates done by the Board, using objective and open criteria and scoring.

3) Election by an actual vote of the members, not by Yodice voting all the bogus proxies that they collect.
 
gprellwitz said:
Katie, it's good to see you here!
I have heard on one of the podcasts that Craig is going to do a Town Hall meeting in the Chicago area next week, but haven't heard anything via email or mail, either as a member or an ASN Volunteer.
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I got a (I think) snail mail on it, Grant. I think it was going to be in Aurora, but could be wrong. I pitched it.
 
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