New "Membership Benefits" from AOPA

murphey

murphey

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murphey
At a cost. What else? Here's what you get for an additional $54


  • Dedicated phone line and email address to the AOPA Pilot Information Center
  • Weekend access to the Pilot Information Center, 10:00 - 4:00 p.m. ET Saturday and Sunday
  • AOPA Navigator - your personal AOPA member service representative
  • Complimentary enhanced digital edition of AOPA Pilot or Flight Training ($10 value)
  • Preview of Air Safety Institute courses
  • Invitations to education webinars and special events
  • 10% off AOPA Pilot Protection Services coverage
  • Personalized AOPA Plus Membership Card and Certificate suitable for framing
Let's see now. There's a Plus version of Medical, of Legal and now Membership.

I propose that AOPA reliquish it's 501(c)3 status because it's certainly not benefiting society as a whole and acting like an airline that's charging for everything.
 
Tell you what, I am just glad they don't make those things standard and jack up the dues $54.

Cheers
 
Benefits are not something you pay for. You pay for service, not benefits.
 
I am pretty much opposed to paying for a second class membership in an organization. I've been a member of AOPA since 1973 and I find the two tier pricing/benefits packaging to be in conflict with my values of what a voluntary membership organization should be. I've already experienced an instance where I wasn't qualified by my membership status to read an article on "our" website and my reaction was to ask "member services" if I would get a pro-rata refund if I quit before the end of my current membership year. They cheerfully responded that I would, but didn't care to ask for the reason behind my query.

I understand the need for revenues, but I have also looked at their financial statements and I am not persuaded that the "revenue enhancing strategies" are anything more than something promoted in professional association management circles.

I haven't decided what I will do, but I'm leaning towards non-renewal or early termination.

Scott
 
Bob Noel said:
Benefits are not something you pay for. You pay for service, not benefits.
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Call it what you want, but AOPA's "service" is the reason why I'm no longer a member. I used to think that I could call them for help or advice, but I discovered that the help wasn't there, and the advice (medical and otherwise) was usually wrong. Then, they skinnied down the magazine and filled it with ads, stopped printing the airport directory, started courting the turbine crowd, wasted considerable time and effort defending their unpopular decision to stick with lousy BoA for the co-branded credit card, and appeared to be increasingly ineffective at working for the interests of small GA operators. So, I started to wonder exactly what I was paying for.

I'd gladly pay more for an annual membership if I was convinced that my money was well spent. I'm not. I probably get more junk mail from them than from DirecTV (okay, may not THAT much), but it sure seems that the wheels on the AOPA bus are wobbly these days. I wish them no ill will, but I do wonder if they've lost focus on their core constituency and their purpose in serving them.


JKG
 
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I let my membership lapse last month. The ONLY thing I'll miss is the "kneeboard format" for airports. Those were handy...but I think I'll live.
 
Cancelled a couple months ago. Not my kind of organization any more. For that matter neither is EAA. Will miss the magazines, not much else......
 
Both major organizations have major, major problems. AOPAs major problem is a CEO who favors appearance over progress, and is milking for money. The organization to my way of thinking has too may $250,000 vice presidents.

EAA has the problem off having developed an "elite" within and the membership sees it. So too, the volunteers see it.

But we sure do still need a political lobby....so I tolerate all this.....
 
denverpilot said:
They are sooooooo broke.
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Nate I think you are right, a few years ago I attended the annual meeting of the AOPA board when it was held at Wings Field where AOPA was founded ( the new prez has since moved it to Frederick) The treasurer commented that a major portion of their funding came from the credit card and that the revenues from the card were way down. I told them if they dumped BOA and got a card with better service they would make more.I think that plea fell on deaf ears.

bbchien said:
Both major organizations have major, major problems. AOPAs major problem is a CEO who favors appearance over progress, and is milking for money. The organization to my way of thinking has too may $250,000 vice presidents.

EAA has the problem off having developed an "elite" within and the membership sees it. So too, the volunteers see it.

But we sure do still need a political lobby....so I tolerate all this.....
Click to expand...

BINGO, Bruce! I think you hit the nail on the head.
 
bbchien said:
But we sure do still need a political lobby....so I tolerate all this.....
Click to expand...

And we have seen they are not too successful at that.

and for a service org, you are a better service than they are.
 
bbchien said:
Both major organizations have major, major problems. AOPAs major problem is a CEO who favors appearance over progress, and is milking for money. The organization to my way of thinking has too may $250,000 vice presidents.

EAA has the problem off having developed an "elite" within and the membership sees it. So too, the volunteers see it.

But we sure do still need a political lobby....so I tolerate all this.....
Click to expand...
:yeahthat:
Bruce, I think you still donate your services to the red board on the medical forum, and I still donate my services as ASN volunteer to my "home" airport, but I certainly don't think they're lily white and perfect! It's just that their warts are overshadowed by the good that they do (or at least could do).

We need a voice in Washington, and I really don't see any other contenders for that post. It's worth trying to reform the soldier we have, rather than start training a new one from scratch!
 
JGoodish said:
Call it what you want, but AOPA's "service" is the reason why I'm no longer a member. ...
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Don't get me wrong, I dumped AOPA a few years ago. It finally dawned on me that the AOPA mag wasn't worth reading. And as a political lobby, they are useless. The various credit card and insurance scams are just icing on the cake.
 
I would dearly love a re-affirmation of what is most important in their advocacy- but no way, no how I'd drop my AOPA membership now. I have worked on airport issues, will continue to do so in close cooperation with my field's ASN, and regard AOPA's existence and potential to be critical to our flying future.

My $0.02.
 
bbchien said:
The organization to my way of thinking has too may $250,000 vice presidents.
EAA has the problem of having developed an "elite" within and the membership sees it. So too, the volunteers see it.
But we sure do still need a political lobby....so I tolerate all this.....
Click to expand...

This, and one 500k president too many as well. For now I'll stay in, but I suspect not much will change until membership numbers start shrinking.
 
I'm just in it for the magazines and their insurance. I really wish they'd stop wasting paper and money spent on paper to send me junk mail that I just immediately toss in the trash.
 
I let my membership expire last year. I have been amazed to discover that my day to day existence does not seem to be affected. However, I must admit, that since my retirement and my inability to afford to keep and fly my airplane, my interest in flying itself is also waning.

There are several people showing sincere interest in purchasing my airplane, so who knows? If I don't own an airplane, I will be able to afford to rent one from time to time, perhaps my interest might become rekindled.

Sadly though, I have to admit that in either case, I will not be renewing my membership in AOPA.

AOPA has, over the years, grown into a very large organization.... much like our government, where representing itself rather than its membership has become its chief priority. Kind of like a big fat man needing more food than a skinny man in order to survive.

Have you ever noticed that skinny men seem to accomplish more in a day than big fat men? Big fat men talk, skinny men get the work done.

-John
 
As many here know my membership lapsed several years ago, due to AOPA's complicity in the deal to close KISZ.

I still get the magazine, two changes of address later.
 
I allowed my membership to lapse about 2 years ago and never looked back. I had their legal service plan and the 2x I called about a question purchasing a plane the information was basically read to me from Wiki or some other Google search. Thanks, but no thanks. Don't even get me started on the medical lack of assistance.
 
I actually enjoy the magazine:yikes: and I figure for a couple bucks a month, we have some say in DC, maybe not as effective as the corn/ethanol industry, but when they do speak, they are speaking for XXX,000 number of members. In the grand scheme of life my AOPA dues are a pretty small expenditure, especially compared to kids in private school, $900.00 hangar fees, $6.00 for avgas, etc. ;)
 
They are like many unions.

Their focus is on increasing membership, without providing for the existing membership.

When i was a member, i felt like i was paying for a club that didn't include me. So i no longer pay for a few to make lots of money while doing very little.
 
Sounds like the only members AOPA has are those on autorenew that aren't paying attention.:lol:
 
I dropped AOPA within the last year. Waaay too much self-dealing at the expense of the members.
 
murphey said:
I propose that AOPA reliquish it's 501(c)3 status because it's certainly not benefiting society as a whole and acting like an airline that's charging for everything.
Click to expand...

As far as I know, AOPA itself is not a 501 c 3. The AOPA Foundation is but that's not where your membership dues directly go.

If I'm wrong, someone please correct me.
 
jesse said:
As far as I know, AOPA itself is not a 501 c 3. The AOPA Foundation is but that's not where your membership dues directly go.

If I'm wrong, someone please correct me.
Click to expand...

I believe you are correct sir. The AOPA Air Safety Foundation is a charitable organization, but AOPA itself is not. :D
 
John Baker said:
However, I must admit, that since my retirement and my inability to afford to keep and fly my airplane, my interest in flying itself is also waning.

There are several people showing sincere interest in purchasing my airplane, so who knows?
Click to expand...


ARGH, I am really sorry to hear that, after all the work and time and trouble and money you invested. Have you considered selling shares in the airplane and keeping an interest in it? With the right partners, your costs could go way down and you would still have "your" plane, which is better in so many ways than renting.....just a thought.

When I was in a partnership, one guy was a CFII and one was a mechanic and we all saved each other a lot of money.
 
Dropped AOPA about a year ago. Still get a lot of mail from them. True, they are a political lobby -- but for whom?

Still keeping EAA and active in local chapter.
 
bbchien said:
Both major organizations have major, major problems. AOPAs major problem is a CEO who favors appearance over progress, and is milking for money. The organization to my way of thinking has too may $250,000 vice presidents.

EAA has the problem off having developed an "elite" within and the membership sees it. So too, the volunteers see it.

But we sure do still need a political lobby....so I tolerate all this.....
Click to expand...

I don't since I don't agree with the lobbying efforts of AOPA, I think they are highly misguided, so I no longer renew.
 
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