AOPA will never get another dime from me

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Hearing that <...> morons remarks made my blood boil... He doesn't have a clue and then blames the pilots....:banghead::banghead::banghead:
 
For those in General Aviation out there or those who are starting up, join EAA instead.

I was a member of both when I was instructing and EAA was SOOOOOO much better. They really are there to protect the passion of flying and have some great programs.

http://www.eaa.org/
 
Shouldn't the Regional Airline Association be more deserving of your wrath?

He doesn't even work for AOPA any more.

I think he sounds like a slick-talking, under-informed jackass who says whatever is needed to put a good spin on a bad topic. But how does a past relationship related through the media deserve such a malignant response to a positive organization like AOPA? I think it's pretty safe to say that every company in the world has had some idiot they wish would just keep their mouth shut. But how does that reflect on the next company that hires them?

For all we know AOPA is glad the d-bag left.
 
< personal opinion to follow, not a moderator comment! >

Just because someone you strongly dislike worked for AOPA for two years (2004-2006), you recommend people stay away from the organization?

Come on Mark, if you don't like AOPA then at least have the cojones to say why. Using Cohen to black ball AOPA without any corroborating evidence is bush league at best. Bring an A-game reason or go home.

You're starting to sound like some other pro-ALPA / anti-AOPA people that I know, and I can't say that is complimentary.
 
Just because someone you strongly dislike worked for AOPA for two years (2004-2006), you recommend people stay away from the organization?

Yep! Shouldn't AOPA do the best it can to hire people who are going to stand up for the profession? I do understand some people slip through the cracks, but to have a former member of the organization act like this speaks volumes of their 'vetting' process as far as I am concerned.



Come on Mark, if you don't like AOPA then at least have the cojones to say why. Using Cohen to black ball AOPA without any corroborating evidence is bush league at best. Bring an A-game reason or go home.

Sure! AOPA niche is those with Barons or bigger. EAA is a much more general aviation friendly type of organization for nurturing young pilots with their programs. I think I am going to renew my EAA membership this week and support them.


You're starting to sound like some other pro-ALPA / anti-AOPA people that I know, and I can't say that is complimentary.

Like you have your interests as a professional, I have my interests. I don't agree with everything 'other pro-ALPA/anti-AOPA people' say, but take a look at it from my point of view. I respect your view and what the NBAA is doing, even though I might not agree with all of it. So you might not like what I say, but I ask you respect my stance on the issues, like I will with you.
 
I think its amusing how im still workign on my PPL and how i got fired up with this Cohen fellow saying what he said and how he implied it was the pilots' fault. These airline need to take a step back and look at their ops because sooner or later people will stop flying. Yes i know people will always fly but still, there wont be nearly as much. At least for a short period of time. and with that beign said, how about the airlines start jacking up ticket prices so they can pay pilots more? No one will put an embargo on flying. People WILL fly because its a way of life its what makes this country work, so people need to stop bitching about ticket prices or whatevre and suck it up. :mad:

Sorry bout the rant but im getting tired of all this bitching and moaning about pilots. Last time I checked, I dont see any passengers takign the controls and doing it any better. But im glad im getting a no BS look at what im getting myself into. Its a big eye opener.:buck:
 
Sorry to echo SteveC, but what you're saying Seggy is pretty similar to saying that because Mike Brown had no business being put in charge of a major disaster like Hurricane Katrina, then everyone should stay as far away from the Arabian Horse Association as possible because he headed up that Association too. Change comes to every association, agency, and organization eventually. Some for the good, some for the bad. I've been an AOPA member for several years now, and I've gotten plenty of use and benefit out of my membership. Membership dues pay for more than just AOPA's political agenda.

But, boy, Cohen's comments made me mad too. He sure did give me the impression that he's never had to deal with bills on a $20K salary before. Though I also found it interesting that the question almost seemed to catch him off-guard. He back-pedalled a little bit, didn't he...
 
Yeah he's pretty unreasonable. Its kind of like hating on a great organization like AOPA for an employee they had for 2 years... 3 years ago.
 
Yeah, I'm gonna ditto Steve here, and Hacker's comment about throwing the baby out with the bathwater... even if the guy's a jerk, he worked there for a couple years, a while ago. Big deal.

Bigger things to throw your energy at right now, aren't there?
 
< personal opinion to follow, not a moderator comment! >


You're starting to sound like some other pro-ALPA / anti-AOPA people that I know, and I can't say that is complimentary.

It's pretty obvious he is an ALPA talking head/puppet. This is a petty, asinine attack that really has no merit whatsoever. I am sure ALPA has never hired a dbag....

Sure! AOPA niche is those with Barons or bigger.

LOL. Is that why they have a magazine dedicated to flight training? Have you ever seen the ASF?

http://www.aopa.org/asf/

That resource alone is worth the $40 for myself and my students. They also offer this as a FREE service. When I factor in the group life insurance that is 3x less expensive than other places I have had quotes for, it is a bargain. Sure, it may have its politics, just like any group, but my $40 a year is well spent.
 
I am confused, what does Cohen do right now? he doesn't work for AOPA anymore? is he still in charge of the Regional Assn.? In one of those articles it said that he worked for ATA, but not as a pilot... is/was he a pilot?
I'm a member of AOPA, and it may not be my favorite organisation, but if they have no current connection to this guy I dont see how I can hold them responsibe for what he says now. I can have a problem with the organisation that he is leading now, especially if his high-horse descisions are affecting the market and QOL for pilots.
 
..........
Like you have your interests as a professional, I have my interests. I don't agree with everything 'other pro-ALPA/anti-AOPA people' say, but take a look at it from my point of view. I respect your view and what the NBAA is doing, even though I might not agree with all of it. So you might not like what I say, but I ask you respect my stance on the issues, like I will with you.

I don't think he is disrespecting your stance as much as he he is questioning the reason for your stance. Big difference between the two

A person works for a great organization two years ago and then goes to work for the RAA, and now you state you'll never give another dime to the first.

Now playing devils advocate let's flip it around. Suppose someone in the past worked for a non-union carrier. Since that time they have done a tremendous amount of work in brining a union in and done one hell of a job that the pilot group should be proud of. When the time comes for that person to leave said airline, should the next place not hire them because they once went to work for a non-union carrier?
 
I'm am getting what Seggy is saying to a certain degree. Unlike Velocipede, he is not calling anyone a FLAP, nor is he saying that as a little airplane pilot you shouldn't join an organization that will protect your rights...he is simply saying that he thinks AOPA blows, he finds Cohen distasteful, and that he recommends EAA as a worthy organization that will work for non-pro pilots as an alternative to ALPA. That is all I read into this post, and his post certainly didn't rise to the level of those who want all FLAP's grounded.
 
I'm am getting what Seggy is saying to a certain degree. Unlike Velocipede, he is not calling anyone a FLAP, nor is he saying that as a little airplane pilot you shouldn't join an organization that will protect your rights...he is simply saying that he thinks AOPA blows, he finds Cohen distasteful, and that he recommends EAA as a worthy organization that will work for non-pro pilots as an alternative to ALPA. That is all I read into this post, and his post certainly didn't rise to the level of those who want all FLAP's grounded.

The problem is that he doesn't have a legitimate complaint. This thread is about a guy that worked for the AOPA for 2 years, 3 years ago, so his argument seems pretty juvenile.
 
Hearing that <..> morons remarks made my blood boil... He doesn't have a clue and then blames the pilots....:banghead::banghead::banghead:

You have to help me here. I can't see why you're saying anything that Cohen is "untrue." I see a catch-22 in the fact systemically, the complexities of the scheduling compromises the pilot especially with weather/ATC and other factors go severely off-nominal, but in the end, it is the PIC's responsibility to determine if you're a go/no go. Not an easy decision to make, but it's the PIC's decision nonetheless.

Additionally, they say fatigue was a primary factor in many of the crashes. For me, I can only conclude that systemically speaking, the schedule is the first thing I'd look at then see how the pilot involved fit into that schedule to cause them to be fatigued. If it's systemic, for me I'd blame the scheduling.

Have I missed something here?

Also, and I'm not trying to digress or start any sidebar comments, but pay wasn't to blame for any of this crashes. Fatigue and pilot experience seem to be the major focus.

Taking nothing away from Seggy, but perhaps offering a perspective. . .posts came in rather late. Maybe he had an extremely long day before he logged on and posted? Just a thought.
 
For those in General Aviation out there or those who are starting up, join EAA instead.

I was a member of both when I was instructing and EAA was SOOOOOO much better. They really are there to protect the passion of flying and have some great programs.

http://www.eaa.org/

Yes, but the AOPA is (IMO) far more safety oriented. I was actually offered the opportunity to interview in Fredrick for a position as an Air Safety Research Manager with AOPA. I think they're safety programs are worth the price of admission.

Sorry, just not a big fan of EAA's attitude of "if you have a garage, that qualifies you to be an aircraft engineer". I cringe every time I see guys taking Young Eagles participants up in their home builts.
 
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