That's a toughie. I always say "yeah", right up until the renewal bill comes in the mail, which is right about now. If you look at it as just a magazine subscription, then yeah, it's a bit pricey--especially with that $10 subscription card for
FLYING staring me in the face (didn't renew that subscription,
FLYING pales in comparison to
AOPA PILOT). But when you consider the extras that come with it--the aviation safety seminars, the online resources, and especially the new real-time flight planner software--it's not a bad deal, all told.
The magazine is the best out there as far as I'm concerned. It speaks to the kind of flying I'm doing now--and to the kind of flying I hope to be doing in the future, via its "turbine pilot" articles.
I learned the value of the new real-time flight planning software in the midst of all the TFR
craziness that accompanied the SoCal fires; not only did we have active aerial firefighting ops underway, but we had Dubya and his traveling TFR pay us a visit as well. The flight planning software graphically depicts the complete TFR situation with up-to-the-minute currency.
Oh, and don't forget the free hat!