AOPA Passport

Yes... I actually like the "gamification" of flying they're proposing. It adds an extra piece of fun to my weekend flights. I was already keeping track on google maps of all the airports I've landed at, so now I can do that and even earn badges! :)
 
The need for public acknowledgement, "likes," "points," "badges," whatever, for one's activities has always escaped me; the rewards are in the doing, and in the help and joy you've given others. The fostering, promotion, and validation of the "look at what I've done" view of life is at the heart of the very strong negative influences social media has had on our society. There are positives to it, too, of course, but for me they are outweighed by the negatives.
While you are gathering those points and badges, your activities and locations are also being tracked and used for marketing and profit at the very least, and depending upon your privacy/paranoia levels, potentially even less benevolent purposes. Not to say flying around to interesting and fun places is in the least bit nefarious, but really, whose business IS it, other than yours? If someone wants to profit from or use my activities for marketing, product improvement, whatever, then I expect to be paid for the privilege of using my data.
The only remotely similar app I use is "Untappd," which helps locate pubs and craft brews, rates both the venues and the brews, etc. You CAN collect "points," "rewards," etc., by reviewing beers, logging which ones you've had and where, etc., but I keep my location turned off, never review or log anything... just use it for research.
I AM interested in the AOPA app if it can be used similarly.. it would be great to have a way to easily find fun flying destinations in whatever part of the country I currently am visiting, but I have no interest in broadcasting anything nor do I need an "attaboy" for my activities from anyone.

Yeah, I'm not as old nor as grumpy as I sound... I just can't stand social media.
 
NC and VA both had a similar program, but it was paper based. You landed at an airport, you got your passport stamped. After landing at a certain number of airports, you got some sort of gift. VA was giving away leather jackets as the top prize for visiting every public field in the state (minus DCA) and a couple museums.
 
The need for public acknowledgement, "likes," "points," "badges," whatever, for one's activities has always escaped me; the rewards are in the doing, and in the help and joy you've given others. The fostering, promotion, and validation of the "look at what I've done" view of life is at the heart of the very strong negative influences social media has had on our society. There are positives to it, too, of course, but for me they are outweighed by the negatives.
While you are gathering those points and badges, your activities and locations are also being tracked and used for marketing and profit at the very least, and depending upon your privacy/paranoia levels, potentially even less benevolent purposes. Not to say flying around to interesting and fun places is in the least bit nefarious, but really, whose business IS it, other than yours? If someone wants to profit from or use my activities for marketing, product improvement, whatever, then I expect to be paid for the privilege of using my data.
The only remotely similar app I use is "Untappd," which helps locate pubs and craft brews, rates both the venues and the brews, etc. You CAN collect "points," "rewards," etc., by reviewing beers, logging which ones you've had and where, etc., but I keep my location turned off, never review or log anything... just use it for research.
I AM interested in the AOPA app if it can be used similarly.. it would be great to have a way to easily find fun flying destinations in whatever part of the country I currently am visiting, but I have no interest in broadcasting anything nor do I need an "attaboy" for my activities from anyone.

Yeah, I'm not as old nor as grumpy as I sound... I just can't stand social media.
Hey, at least those doing this are not flying a VR sim
 
NC and VA both had a similar program, but it was paper based. You landed at an airport, you got your passport stamped. After landing at a certain number of airports, you got some sort of gift. VA was giving away leather jackets as the top prize for visiting every public field in the state (minus DCA) and a couple museums.
This I like... you hold the paper with the physical stamps, it's nice incentive to get out and visit places for something other than public recognition, and there's no hidden usage of your data and activities by others. I've done similar things with restaurants and pubs in various parts of the country.. lot of fun.
 
Well gee, just let me fly back to the 800 airports I've landed at in order to add them to AOPA's app.

Nah.
 
NC and VA both had a similar program, but it was paper based. You landed at an airport, you got your passport stamped. After landing at a certain number of airports, you got some sort of gift. VA was giving away leather jackets as the top prize for visiting every public field in the state (minus DCA) and a couple museums.

Maryland has one (https://www.marylandairportmanagers.org/explore-maryland-by-air/). I got the hat, the whiskey glasses, then finally the coat. The coat is very nice. It was a great fun to do.
 
Looks like a play to make AOPA (more?) relevant and boost membership.
 
Well gee, just let me fly back to the 800 airports I've landed at in order to add them to AOPA's app.

Nah.

This isn't for you. As a student pilot, it is easy to see why GA is dying once you start hanging out with GA pilots. If you talk to the 25% of student pilots who are from the US and not just here for training (that may be an exaggeration, but that is how it feels if you go to a flight school) you will find that many of them have no experience with GA outside of training. I am one of them.

Before I started training, I had flown in a piston engine plane once in my entire life (I am 31 years old). I will be taking my check ride soon. and while I am excited about flying for fun, I am also intimidated. I have some friends going to Destin this summer, and I would love to fly down to Destin Executive to meet them for the weekend, but just figuring out the logistics of storing the plane 2 days when I get there is intimidating, not to mention the difficulty trying to estimate the cost. I just spent thousands on a PPL, I can't afford to spend $500 storing a plane for 2 days and $500 is probably an overstatement, but I haven't found a place to look up published FBO fees. I know some of you will ask "What's so difficult?", because it seems if you have done it, navigating FBOs and managing costs is second nature. The trouble is it's so easy that no one talks about it enough for that student pilot to not feel like an idiot asking how it works.

That is the value of an app like this. I will be downloading it because I like the idea of some vetted, fun trips that can help me get comfortable with flying as a hobby. The most stressful part of my first solo cross country was figuring out where to park at an airport I stopped to use the restroom. It's minor, but my CFI didn't think to talk to me about it, and I didn't think to ask. For a generation whose parents started prepping them for college in elementary school, and who was taught that a C is a disaster, it is better to not do it than to risk doing it wrong, even if "it" is visiting a cool little airfield, or trying to find a good $100 hamburger.
 
Do you guys remember Go Fly America website? You were supposed to land at an airport, take a picture, then attach it to some Google Map or whatever.
 
This isn't for you. As a student pilot, it is easy to see why GA is dying once you start hanging out with GA pilots. If you talk to the 25% of student pilots who are from the US and not just here for training (that may be an exaggeration, but that is how it feels if you go to a flight school) you will find that many of them have no experience with GA outside of training. I am one of them.

Before I started training, I had flown in a piston engine plane once in my entire life (I am 31 years old). I will be taking my check ride soon. and while I am excited about flying for fun, I am also intimidated. I have some friends going to Destin this summer, and I would love to fly down to Destin Executive to meet them for the weekend, but just figuring out the logistics of storing the plane 2 days when I get there is intimidating, not to mention the difficulty trying to estimate the cost. I just spent thousands on a PPL, I can't afford to spend $500 storing a plane for 2 days and $500 is probably an overstatement, but I haven't found a place to look up published FBO fees. I know some of you will ask "What's so difficult?", because it seems if you have done it, navigating FBOs and managing costs is second nature. The trouble is it's so easy that no one talks about it enough for that student pilot to not feel like an idiot asking how it works.

That is the value of an app like this. I will be downloading it because I like the idea of some vetted, fun trips that can help me get comfortable with flying as a hobby. The most stressful part of my first solo cross country was figuring out where to park at an airport I stopped to use the restroom. It's minor, but my CFI didn't think to talk to me about it, and I didn't think to ask. For a generation whose parents started prepping them for college in elementary school, and who was taught that a C is a disaster, it is better to not do it than to risk doing it wrong, even if "it" is visiting a cool little airfield, or trying to find a good $100 hamburger.

^this. As a fairly recent student that got his PPL ticket, I don't have much experience in coming up with fun trips to make, as most of them have been for training purposes. I think the passport app thingy adds another level of fun and for us, inexperienced pilots, it helps.
One of the questions I ask myself every week is: where I'm going to fly to next? That airport that is 50.1 miles from me so I can log xcountry time? What about that one 100 miles out? Will it be a fun place to go?
 
“.....earn points and badges for meeting certain criterial”

Can you trade those points in for discounts on their Wine Club :)
 
“.....earn points and badges for meeting certain criterial”

Can you trade those points in for discounts on their Wine Club :)

can they convert earning 'points and badges' for 'pints and b1tches'?
 
Do you have to pay dues? Otherwise where do they get the money for the awards? I wish Arizona had something like that, I would be over halfway there.

Nope, it's the fine folks at Maryland Airport Managers Association that provide the awards to the pilots free of cost. Given how much flying I did, probably paid for it with fuel taxes. I tell people it's my "free" coat. :D
 
The need for public acknowledgement, "likes," "points," "badges," whatever, for one's activities has always escaped me; the rewards are in the doing, and in the help and joy you've given others. The fostering, promotion, and validation of the "look at what I've done" view of life is at the heart of the very strong negative influences social media has had on our society. There are positives to it, too, of course, but for me they are outweighed by the negatives.
While you are gathering those points and badges, your activities and locations are also being tracked and used for marketing and profit at the very least, and depending upon your privacy/paranoia levels, potentially even less benevolent purposes. Not to say flying around to interesting and fun places is in the least bit nefarious, but really, whose business IS it, other than yours? If someone wants to profit from or use my activities for marketing, product improvement, whatever, then I expect to be paid for the privilege of using my data.
The only remotely similar app I use is "Untappd," which helps locate pubs and craft brews, rates both the venues and the brews, etc. You CAN collect "points," "rewards," etc., by reviewing beers, logging which ones you've had and where, etc., but I keep my location turned off, never review or log anything... just use it for research.
I AM interested in the AOPA app if it can be used similarly.. it would be great to have a way to easily find fun flying destinations in whatever part of the country I currently am visiting, but I have no interest in broadcasting anything nor do I need an "attaboy" for my activities from anyone.

Yeah, I'm not as old nor as grumpy as I sound... I just can't stand social media.


Its strange you say that, because I was thinking pilots would be the ideal population who follow "points" and "badges". After all, we count ratings, PIC hours, number of landings etc.. more than the average population. No one else counts the number of hours they have spent behind the wheel of a car, or the number of parallel parkings they have done. When a pilot is introduced, we always begin with how many hours he has and his certificate and ratings.
 
Washington now has a passport program beginning April 1. Sounds like a fun way to get to know some rural airports.
 
Its strange you say that, because I was thinking pilots would be the ideal population who follow "points" and "badges". After all, we count ratings, PIC hours, number of landings etc.. more than the average population. No one else counts the number of hours they have spent behind the wheel of a car, or the number of parallel parkings they have done. When a pilot is introduced, we always begin with how many hours he has and his certificate and ratings.

Hmmmm.. that hasn't been my experience, but my circle and involvement with large groups of pilots is admittedly limited. I, and the pilots I know personally, keep track of that stuff because we're supposed to keep log books, and the more time and ratings we build up, the cheaper our insurance costs are and the more opportunities and capabilities we have. It has zero to do with bragging rights or public recognition. I can't imagine introducing myself as, "Hi, I'm Biff.. tons of ratings, bajillion landings in every state, and generally awesome.... and you are?" Seriously? I'm supposed to start with my hours, certificates and ratings when I meet another pilot? Man, I wish I had known that earlier...I've been doing it wrong for a very long time! ;)
 
Wisconsin has a passport program too. https://wisconsindot.gov/Pages/travel/air/pilot-info/flywi-howto.aspx (There are also links there to the MN, ND, and SD programs.)

I think it's a great idea, both the state ones and AOPA. Anything to get more people flying into more airports!

Do you guys remember Go Fly America website? You were supposed to land at an airport, take a picture, then attach it to some Google Map or whatever.

I do. I claimed a bunch of airports, nearly coast to coast. It did get me to fly to places I would have flown over otherwise, and some of them were pretty cool.

I sure wish the site was still up. @SkyHog, do you still have the data? Any chance we can bring it back?
 
Once I read "get the app" I was done, after ogling the cutie in the pic.

I'm all for having fun flying, but I don't download apps for anything.
 
I’m 1/3 of the way there with ND (realistically somewhere between 1/3 and 2/3, but I can’t remember how many I’ve done. I thought about doing MN as well, but the problem is the little podunk airport named MSP. That would be an expensive stamp to add.
 
I’m 1/3 of the way there with ND (realistically somewhere between 1/3 and 2/3, but I can’t remember how many I’ve done. I thought about doing MN as well, but the problem is the little podunk airport named MSP. That would be an expensive stamp to add.

Think the MN one is for MN residents only. You can collect all stamps you want, you ain’t getting a jacket. I still collect though
 
Think the MN one is for MN residents only. You can collect all stamps you want, you ain’t getting a jacket. I still collect though
Guess I'll stick to my ND passport then.
 
Seems like it could be a fun thing to do. Many on POA have the little map of the USA showing all of the states they’ve landed at. Many of us post when we’ve flown someplace new. This just seems like an extension of those.
 
Wisconsin has a passport program too. https://wisconsindot.gov/Pages/travel/air/pilot-info/flywi-howto.aspx (There are also links there to the MN, ND, and SD programs.)

I think it's a great idea, both the state ones and AOPA. Anything to get more people flying into more airports!



I do. I claimed a bunch of airports, nearly coast to coast. It did get me to fly to places I would have flown over otherwise, and some of them were pretty cool.

I sure wish the site was still up. @SkyHog, do you still have the data? Any chance we can bring it back?
Unfortunately I don't. I got out of the game and handed everything to someone else. He kept it running for a few years and then shut it down due to a lack of participation.

Both the original ConUS challenge and Go Fly America were my most favorite contributions I've ever made to GA. Chip wrote the site for the first challenge and I wrote everything for the second.

I think it shut down around December 2014.
 
I should point out - much as I dislike AOPA, this is a really cool idea. I plan on downloading the app and using it
 
Love it or hate it. This is what younger kids are probably into. On the surface it sounds pretty cool. Gets ppl flying and talking about flying. Can that be bad???
 
Unfortunately I don't. I got out of the game and handed everything to someone else. He kept it running for a few years and then shut it down due to a lack of participation.

Both the original ConUS challenge and Go Fly America were my most favorite contributions I've ever made to GA. Chip wrote the site for the first challenge and I wrote everything for the second.

I think it shut down around December 2014.

I bet Chip still has the data somewhere...

I miss Chip. He hasn't been here in forever. I last saw him in person about 6 years ago.
 
Before I started training, I had flown in a piston engine plane once in my entire life (I am 31 years old). I will be taking my check ride soon. and while I am excited about flying for fun, I am also intimidated. I have some friends going to Destin this summer, and I would love to fly down to Destin Executive to meet them for the weekend, but just figuring out the logistics of storing the plane 2 days when I get there is intimidating, not to mention the difficulty trying to estimate the cost. I just spent thousands on a PPL, I can't afford to spend $500 storing a plane for 2 days and $500 is probably an overstatement, but I haven't found a place to look up published FBO fees. I know some of you will ask "What's so difficult?", because it seems if you have done it, navigating FBOs and managing costs is second nature. The trouble is it's so easy that no one talks about it enough for that student pilot to not feel like an idiot asking how it works.

I feel in training this is where instructors fail..at least mine. Every flight even the cross countries was just about going to and from. We never even stopped to get out during my training. Which would have been way more fun to fly to a place, get out eat, discuss the flight and carry on. Lots to learn stopping and getting out.

But to your Destin delima, there really is no guessing with any of it. If I'm flying to a new airport I always call ahead ask those questions you are concerned about. 99% of the time they are super friendly and can't wait to meet you. And in case you don't know, typically if you buy fuel the first night is waived. But call them today and ask, just so you get a feel.

As to the app I think it's cool. There are plenty of airports around me I typically wouldn't go to just because they are sleepy. Well sure it's corney for a badge but now instead flying circles on a short solo flight just to fly, I'll stop by and get the passport stamp. Why not, it's something to do.
 
….Well sure it's corney for a badge but now instead flying circles on a short solo flight just to fly, I'll stop by and get the passport stamp. Why not, it's something to do.

now that I know you're a beekeeper, I think it'd be cool if you went around to these places, got your passport stamped, and in return, gave them some bees. like, "thank you for stamping my passport, here's some bees" and pull like 10 bees out of your pocket and hand them to the girl behind the desk. oh and get it on video of course! that sounds like fun!
 
now that I know you're a beekeeper, I think it'd be cool if you went around to these places, got your passport stamped, and in return, gave them some bees. like, "thank you for stamping my passport, here's some bees" and pull like 10 bees out of your pocket and hand them to the girl behind the desk. oh and get it on video of course! that sounds like fun!
Hahahaha that would be funny. I'd carry a pocket full of drone bees since they don't sting..would actually be pretty funny. I'd get to fly around and help the declining bee population by spreading around drones who like to mate..I mean all drone bees do is mate queens and eat honey. That's a pretty good life for an insect..no?
 
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