Mark Baker to step down at AOPA

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SoonerAviator said:
No doubt that's where the money is. Guys flying Falcons and Gulfstreams are burning a lot more fuel than what bugsmashers are. I imagine from a pure AOPA membership standpoint, there are more 100LL burners as members than kerosene.
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But the guys flying gulfstreams and falcons are not the owners, they’re the paid help like everyone else.
 
Checkout_my_Six said:
EAA is more representative of the rank and file flyer.....AOPA always aimed for the rich dudes.....in the wine club....sporting new Cirrus.
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I’m an aopa member. Middle class dude…drinks beer but not in a beer club…sports a 1954 Cessna 170. My insurance has a nice discount for aopa members, well worth the fee. Hopefully will win that tricked out aopa 170. My hat never came in the mail though…
 
murphey said:
But the guys flying gulfstreams and falcons are not the owners, they’re the paid help like everyone else.
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So those owners aren't members of AOPA? They have flight departments and staff who are paid to represent their interests. Those paid pilots are also worried about things that affect their daily jobs flying jets, not the bug-smasher they flew during training. I'm sure when it comes to money, Baker and the rest of the upper management would rather spend their time listening to the guys who control the purse strings rather than Joe Pilot and his worries about Podunk Airport.
 
Half Fast said:
Too little bang for the buck. AOPA is heavily funded by the grassroots bugsmasher people, but largely fights battles for the kerosene burners. MOSAIC is very late in coming and is not getting an aggressive push by the AOPA. GAMA seems to be trying to cut its legs off and I don't see AOPA fighting them.
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Just curious how you come to this opinion.

Tim
 
"middle class"? Around here? heh, just as specious an utterance as AOPA calling themselves grass roots potato. Astroturfing abounds in these discussions.
 
Where's the evidence that AOPA fights harder for the kerosene burners? What would be their motivation?

According to the FAA, at the end of 2022 there were 476,000 licensed pilots in the United State, including 105,000 with Commercial ratings and 166,000 ATPs, but not including an additional 280,000 student pilots. Since the same $89 gets you a membership regardless of what you fly, what would AOPA gain by giving preferential attention to jets and turboprops?

I'm going to say that, not only is there no evidence of that kind of preference, but it doesn't even make sense.
 
To me it's mostly not about Baker per se, but about AOPA's "go-along-get-along" attitude. Of course, as the leader, much of that stink lands a bit on him. We don't need a leader who fights every single battle, but we do need one with a spine who will fight the big ones.

For example: MOSAIC is a big benefit for owners and pilots. Not many arguments hard against it, but much chatter about how far to go with it. Among the advocacy organizations, EAA is pushing hard (of course) and GAMA seems somewhere between pushing back and hostile (don't understand their motivations). But AOPA is mostly MIA. I saw EAA calls to action, multiple notices to comment etc. But AOPA was acting more like a news reporter. Some talk about it but definitely not anything like a full call to action in support. Ultimately, their comments were solid, but I don't see the fight I think we need. As usual they seem to be looking for a soft middle road more worried about hurting anyone's feelings than acting as firm advocates.
 
Those who ***** the loudest do the least. Hypocrites all. Pretty sad.
 
jbarrass said:
For example: MOSAIC is a big benefit for owners and pilots. Not many arguments hard against it, but much chatter about how far to go with it. Among the advocacy organizations, EAA is pushing hard (of course) and GAMA seems somewhere between pushing back and hostile (don't understand their motivations). But AOPA is mostly MIA. I saw EAA calls to action, multiple notices to comment etc. But AOPA was acting more like a news reporter. Some talk about it but definitely not anything like a full call to action in support. Ultimately, their comments were solid, but I don't see the fight I think we need. As usual they seem to be looking for a soft middle road more worried about hurting anyone's feelings than acting as firm advocates.
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How long has MOSAIC been considered? I recall an earlier version when I was working on my getting my license back in 2009. At the time, I recall AOPA leaning into it fairly hard. And got nowhere. Since then, from the outside, AOPA seems to focus much more on leaning in on issues that take away the freedom to fly, or on things which advocacy can actually get somewhere. AOPA no longer seems interested in trying to change the culture at the FAA. I look at MOSAIC, and I think of the FAA culture where you never get in trouble for saying no, but can have your career destroyed for saying yes, and do not see a way for the FAA to get out of its own way.


Tim
 
schmookeeg said:
Whatcha doin about it? :)
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Start up BOPA. Bugsmasher Owner and Pilots Association. Ill take one for the team and take a 1m salary. First line of business will be fending off the assault from vegans trying to take our privileges away due to all the innocent bugs lives we've cut short
 
Racerx said:
Start up BOPA. Bugsmasher Owner and Pilots Association. Ill take one for the team and take a 1m salary. First line of business will be fending off the assault from vegans trying to take our privileges away due to all the innocent bugs lives we've cut short
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If I join for $1, will I get a hat?
 
Absolutely. But I don't think your headsets will fit over it. Gotta go big with brand recognition.

NOGGIN Boss

NOGGIN Boss: The Original over-sized hats with the hottest designs bringing fashion to your head. Get your NOGGIN Boss Hats Customized right here!!
nogginboss.com
 
OneCharlieTango said:
People resenting how much Baker gets paid, the use of the 170, the Citation, the Extra. . . . .you sound just like those who resent “those rich guys in their little airplanes,” who build houses under approach paths and then lobby to have the airport closed.

Envy is ugly. In this case, you might even call it maladaptive. It’s certainly ironic.
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Yeah. I agree. When I decided I was not happy with aopa management I stopped giving them money. Now I don’t care what they do.
 
tspear said:
Just curious how you come to this opinion.

Tim
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Long story that began back in 2018.

I'll keep this short and won't go into details, but back then I was contemplating donating a little money to the AOPA and I was quite interested in revision to the LSA rules. I contacted the legal affairs office and had a discussion with a certain gentleman about the AOPA's efforts along those lines, and upon his assurances I wrote a check, designating how it was to be used.

A few days later, the AOPA announced that all contributions would be directed toward preventing ATC privitization. I tried to inquire about the situation, and none of my calls were returned, my emails were (except one) ignored, and a letter to Mark Baker received no reply. Finally I did get one email response, telling me they didn't know anything about revising the LSA regs, and what was I talking about anyway?

AOPA directly and deliberately lied to solicit a donation when they were doing nothing, and did not intend to do anything, about an LSA update. You can imagine the chances of me ever making another donation. They don't do what they say they will, and they'll say anything to get your money.

In the subsequent years, I saw the AOPA pay some empty homage but never really campaign. (IF they did, they certainly weren't very visisble about it.) And today I don't see them pushing for MOSAIC the way the EAA has, and I don't see the AOPA going toe-to-toe with GAMA.
 
172andyou said:
Yeah, that was ugly. Dude was doing a good job and the membership enjoyed the podcast. The only thing that changed was her appearance, same content, same reporting and they fired her. That's everything that's wrong with AOPA and, to your point, the snowflakes in the aviation community that can't stand the reality of different people being different.
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There’s different and then there’s, beyond different.
 
@Half Fast

yeha, that sounds ugly. I have donated some to AOPA beyond being a member. I have never had the issues you mention.

Tim
 
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I'll pass. I don't need to listen to some extremist trying to explain to me why certain groups of people should be viewed as less than human. I'll save my discussion time for forum members who are actually worthy of respect.
 
TCABM said:
they changed the format to multiple regional weekend flyi ns. That hasn’t seemed to have survived COVID though.
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It seems you have lost touch! Next one is next week:

AOPA Fly-in @ the Buckeye Air Fair

The AOPA Fly-in @ the Buckeye Air Fair will offer attendees the ultimate experience of quality aviation content that you are used to seeing at an AOPA fly-in with the fun and entertainment of an Air Fair.
aopa.org

Paul
 
Katamarino said:
I'll pass. I don't need to listen to some extremist trying to explain to me why certain groups of people should be viewed as less than human. I'll save my discussion time for forum members who are actually worthy of respect.
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Ouch! Never said they weren’t human. Putting words in my mouth again. But OK, runaway little boy.
 
Katamarino said:
I'll pass. I don't need to listen to some extremist trying to explain to me why certain groups of people should be viewed as less than human. I'll save my discussion time for forum members who are actually worthy of respect.
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Be advised that your extremism tends to degrade your psychic abilities.
 
Morgan3820 said:
Ouch! Never said they weren’t human. Putting words in my mouth again. But OK, runaway little boy.
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Then grow a pair and say what you mean instead of hiding behind hyperbole and insinuation.

Let me help you with a recap of your comments regarding the transgender AOPA staffer in question:

There’s different and then there’s, beyond different.
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It’s hard to recognize evil when your standards are internally derived and ad hoc.
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Now, do you limit yourself to a little drive-by bigotry where you can backtrack and pretend you meant something different when someone calls you on it, or do you have the courage to be clear on what you're trying to say?
 
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