That's it, I'm dropping my AOPA membership.

I let mine lapse. They may do this or that for GA, but essentially I was paying $39 for magazines that saw the trash without ever being opened. I'm not a pro-pilot, but seriously, how many times can you get away with printing variations of the same "how to land" or "how to start training" articles? Simply monotonous.
 
Holocene said:
I let mine lapse. They may do this or that for GA, but essentially I was paying $39 for magazines that saw the trash without ever being opened. I'm not a pro-pilot, but seriously, how many times can you get away with printing variations of the same "how to land" or "how to start training" articles? Simply monotonous.
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my favorite is "how to nail x-wind landings"

39$ a year saved since 2003.
 
trafficinsight said:
The airlines are anti-AOPA and pro user-fees... I think that's pretty telling right there.

Also, the next time you enter class B airspace in a Cessna, thank AOPA.

Without AOPA, Customs would be authorized to shoot you down.

Without AOPA, my airport and a lot of other airports in the US would be parks, or strip malls by now.

Without AOPA, if flight service gave you bad info and you flew through a TFR, you would be violated.

Without AOPA, we would have been paying user fees since the 1970's.

AOPA gives out flight training scholarships, and you don't even have to be a rich fat cat with a CJ to get one!

Cessna is building new airplanes today along with many other manufacturers, in part thanks to AOPA's advocacy of liability reform.


But hey, I guess if all that stuff isn't worth 39$ a year, I guess you could like, use one of the rental car discounts, or something.
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This is exactly why they get $39 from me each year.

Yes, I cant stand all the mailers, they are by no means perfect, but what other option do we have to stand up for GA.

If you are a GA pilot and do not support GA in any way, I put it in the same boat as going to the strip club and watching all the girls, but not giving them any tips. You are reaping the benefits but not supporting the cause.
 
wjmiller3 said:
If you are a GA pilot and do not support GA in any way, I put it in the same boat as going to the strip club and watching all the girls, but not giving them any tips. You are reaping the benefits but not supporting the cause.
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The user fees crowd is attempting to use the same logic. :D
 
I really don't get that many mailers... One for the life insurance thing once in a while, the ones that have the ASF free courses in them, and the christmas cards I buy once in a while...
 
MikeD said:
The user fees crowd is attempting to use the same logic. :D
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I am not up to speed on user fees by any means, but look at the taxes that GA pays on a gallon of 100LL vs. what the airlines pay on a gallon of jet A. Isn't that what is supposed to pay for infrastructure? By the gallon GA is paying substatially more.
 
wjmiller3 said:
I am not up to speed on user fees by any means, but look at the taxes that GA pays on a gallon of 100LL vs. what the airlines pay on a gallon of jet A. Isn't that what is supposed to pay for infrastructure? By the gallon GA is paying substatially more.
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LOL, I don't know the in's and out's of it enough vis-a-vis what kind of taxes support infrastructure specifically. Just interesting that both sides use the same argument.
 
wjmiller3 said:
I am not up to speed on user fees by any means, but look at the taxes that GA pays on a gallon of 100LL vs. what the airlines pay on a gallon of jet A. Isn't that what is supposed to pay for infrastructure? By the gallon GA is paying substatially more.
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Unfortunately GA doesn't buy in the bulk that the Airlines do. Contract fuel is almost always cheaper than retail. I would wager to guess more Jet A is sold than Jet A. I know we were getting contract Jet A at 2.12 a gallon when the retail was nearing 5/gal.

I have also been a member of AOPA for over 10 years and I don't get any junk mail at all from them. There should be a box to opt out of them sharing your info.
 
ATN_Pilot said:
If you plan to become an air line pilot, then they're using your 39 bucks against your best interests. AOPA looks out for the rich guys with their VLJs and King Airs at the expense of airlines.

Proud non-member of AOPA since 2002.
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Examples?

Everyone waits behind the airlines including 121 Cargo...
 
ATN_Pilot said:
Opposing user fees, opposing restrictions on small aircraft in high-traffic areas, proposing diversion of infrastructure funding to tiny airports that are of no use to 99.9% of the population, opposing slot restrictions based on aircraft size, etc...
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Sounds like a bunch of good reasons to support AOPA.
 
I've been a member since 2002 and I rarely get the junk mail save for the Christmas cards and the legal services plan mailings (maybe two per year).

I feel so left out now! :laff:
 
Disclaimer: I have no interest in AOPA other than being a member.

Consumerism dictates everyone's choice. Drop the membership if you want to but weigh the cost/benefit aspect. $39/year is pretty cheap for what is offered by AOPA (magazine, legal, information - telephone and internet, in addition to lobbying) in support of GA. I agree, junk mail is an annoyance. My solution is to ID any mail that has 'Presorted Standard' and transfer it to the trash. Try the Membership Services route to be excluded from the mailing list, as suggested.

On the bigger scale I think it is very unfortunate that the pilot community fractures along GA and 121 lines. I'd wager a pretty large bet that almost all 121 fortunate souls were at one time GA pilots. Add to that thought, a large number of those 121 folks will return to GA at the end of their careers. Anybody who loves to fly needs to support everyone else that loves to fly. Unless there is an alternative to AOPA I think we should all support it. Membership can iron out the bugs.

Every pilot faces the same headwinds and all aircraft are subject to the same rules of physics. Politics shouldn't divide the community.
 
I know a lot of 121/135 guys and gals that are still active in GA and support AOPA or the EAA.
Is anyone reading this thread really surprised by one or two who are vehemently opposd to GA? I mean, you know, if you buy your job, get a leg up on the pile why would you want any "competition"? Make it so expensive (after you've gone through of course) that people can't afford to train, you create a "shortage" (has never/will never happen bytheway) and voila, you'll make more money and work less! I mean you know, it's GA's fault that the airlines decided to do business with 30-50 seaters and clog the airspace (no, its King Aires and LJ's!) I suppose though that once you drink it, you're hooked for life. Especially if your goal in life is to be a Union bigwig and make money by browbeating instead of flying.
I think it's been proven over and over that GA pays their fair share in taxes for system use. After all, GA carries a lot more passengers than the airlines put together. Think of the business if people couldn't fly GA. Then again only the airlines have themselves and their employees to blame for being so .
 
I'm a card carrying member of both ALPA and AOPA and I'm glad we have 'em both around.

My home airfield would have been a cow pasture years before I learned to fly otherwise.
 
Doug Taylor said:
I'm a card carrying member of both ALPA and AOPA and I'm glad we have 'em both around.

My home airfield would have been a cow pasture years before I learned to fly otherwise.
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I'm in the same boat, er was, until ALPA got voted out....

Oh well, glad I have AOPA and their legal now....
 
That's all? I thought Polar was Teamsters?

But if you fly planes, man, gots to get yo professional GEICO on! :)
 
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