AOPA Jet

I'm glad AOPA has aircraft. I'd be happier if they flew a Baron or something.

But with all the $$ in the bank, and them jetting around while laying people off. That looks BAD.

"Let the peons eat cake..."
 
Kind of the MO for a lot of the not for profit lobbyist groups. Does anyone use them for insurance? Had an rfq and never got a response.
 
Guess the swag and the $20-off renewal deals don't pay for the staff...
 
After being a member for 10 years, I felt cheated, so I cancelled. It's amazing to me what they get away with. Not just them, but many other non-profits.
 
Is it possible that the airplane is also on a Part 135 certificate and is making charter flights, or being leased out when they're not using it for AOPA business? That's true for many jet owners I know of.
 
That old CJ1 costs less capital to buy and has less
Total cost including cost of depreciation than most new cross country piston aircraft. FIKI optioned aircraft like DA50, DA62, Baron, SR22, M350, all at or above a mil to acquire now. All will lose 150K in depreciation alone the first year. A CJ1 is a Great value, so kudos to them. If it were a new Hondajet.... well that might make me wonder a little. While I wouldn’t want one, personally, those old jets are cheaper, all in, than my prop job.
 
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Not to hard to figure out, Baker has a house at the air park on summerland key. The runway there will not support a cj1. I’m betting he flys in to mth and flys his 185 down to the air park.
 
Rockymountain said:
That old CJ1 costs less capital to buy and has less
Total cost including cost of depreciation than most new cross country piston aircraft. FIKI optioned aircraft like DA50, DA62, Baron, SR22, M350, all at or above a mil to acquire now. All will lose 150K in depreciation alone the first year. A CJ1 is a Great value, so kudos to them. If it were a new Hondajet.... well that might make me wonder a little. While I wouldn’t want one, personally, those old jets are cheaper, all in, than my prop job.
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Why is the comparison to new aircraft? If they were flying an MU-2 or Aerostar I don't think anyone would be balking so much. The corporate jet seems a bit excessive for what is purported to be a grass roots aviation lobbying group. I'd rather them book airlines to save a million+ per year in operating expenses and maintenance if the flight is outside the practical range of a cabin class piston twin.
 
Rockymountain said:
That old CJ1 costs less capital to buy and has less
Total cost including cost of depreciation than most new cross country piston aircraft. FIKI optioned aircraft like DA50, DA62, Baron, SR22, M350, all at or above a mil to acquire now. All will lose 150K in depreciation alone the first year. A CJ1 is a Great value, so kudos to them. If it were a new Hondajet.... well that might make me wonder a little. While I wouldn’t want one, personally, those old jets are cheaper, all in, than my prop job.
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According to the FAA, it's a 2013. I wouldn't consider it to be that old, certainly still a 7-figure purchase price.

I've tended to be bipolar about AOPA. All the people I've met who work there, I like. I've not been a fan of the higher ups.
 
kyleb said:
I'm glad AOPA has aircraft. I'd be happier if they flew a Baron or something.

But with all the $$ in the bank, and them jetting around while laying people off. That looks BAD.

"Let the peons eat cake..."
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Don't worry they do that too.
 
Is it time for an "AOPA Has Too Much Money" thread already? Time certainly does fly.

I fly BasicMed. I file IFR for free. I get ATC for free. None of that would've been possible after 9/11 and into the next century without AOPA. Dues amount to about a day or two's ownership expenses on my Cessna single. I doubt anyone is doing anything better for GA with $79 a year (or whatever it is) than sending it to AOPA.
 
I think of it more as a 79 dollar a year magazine subscription.
 
OneCharlieTango said:
I fly BasicMed. I file IFR for free. I get ATC for free. None of that would've been possible
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Dude, you drank their kool aide hard. It's okay to critique an organization even if you generally support their cause..

Cruising around on a private jet from what should be a grass roots non for profit organization helping Joe Bonanza keep flying is very poor optics

PS - EAA does a fair bit of lobby and support for GA as well.. just without all the "LOOK AT ME!!!!!" grandeur
 
Tantalum said:
Cruising around on a private jet from what should be a grass roots non for profit organization helping Joe Bonanza keep flying is very poor optics
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LOTS of money in non-profits... They are allowed to make money. They are just not allowed to pay bonuses. So a trip in the jet instead of a monetary bonus works fer me.

OneCharlieTango said:
Is it time for an "AOPA Has Too Much Money" thread already?
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It seems to me that there has always been a dislike towards companies and people that make a lot of money. And that is all over the US and not limited just to folks on this forum. I have never understood that mindset.
 
Zeldman said:
LOTS of money in non-profits... They are allowed to make money. They are just not allowed to pay bonuses. So a trip in the jet instead of a monetary bonus works fer me.



It seems to me that there has always been a dislike towards companies and people that make a lot of money. And that is all over the US and not limited just to folks on this forum. I have never understood that mindset.
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It's not about having a dislike for companies/people who make a lot of money. It's about a non-profit organization that is primarily made up of members who are "the little guy" and you have management flying around in a corporate business jet burning hundreds of thousands in members dues while simultaneously asking for "donations to help fight the good fight". The optics look really crappy. Its very similar to when all of the CEOs from the auto execs took their corporate jets to show up at a Congressional hearing to ask for a bailout.

If this were Warren Buffet, I'd say have at it.
 
Like racerX, I put in a rfq for CFI owned rental insurance on my Cherokee. No reply. I did get a quote for personal business and pleasure use that was nearly double what it was the year before. I got a quote from Avemco for the rental insurance that was only double the pb&p of AOPA. Three years ago I was only paying $396 a year... The Avemco policy was actually less than the last time I carried such a policy, so don’t tell me it’s “the market”...

I’ve got three basic and four instrument students “paying” for my insurance now...
 
Zeldman said:
It seems to me that there has always been a dislike towards companies and people that make a lot of money
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SoonerAviator said it right. Not about "rich man bad" (I don't get that mindset either) it's about someone asking for donations with a puppy dog look then pouring thousands of dues into jet expenses..

SoonerAviator said:
Its very similar to when all of the CEOs from the auto execs took their corporate jets to show up at a Congressional hearing to ask for a bailout.
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Yes! I thought of the same thing
 
Zeldman said:
LOTS of money in non-profits... They are allowed to make money. They are just not allowed to pay bonuses. So a trip in the jet instead of a monetary bonus works fer me.
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I think the idea is that money should go to the cause they're fighting for..
 
Some one has a home in the Keys, that is why all the flights to Marathon, you would think AOPA would block the tail # so members would not see the free ride someone is getting on the members dime, today they are in Idaho , skiing or another home, they picked someone up in MN first then to Idaho.
 
strangebird said:
Some one has a home in the Keys, that is why all the flights to Marathon, you would think AOPA would block the tail # so members would not see the free ride someone is getting on the members dime, today they are in Idaho , skiing or another home, they picked someone up in MN first then to Idaho.
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It's okay, the 6% of pilots flying under basic med is worth it

Seriously though, John and Martha King and EAA have done so much more for general aviation.. King has a jet but at least they provide a tangible objective service that people pay for and receive
 
It must be nice to live life under such a delusional state
 
Tantalum said:
It's okay, the 6% of pilots flying under basic med is worth it

Seriously though, John and Martha King and EAA have done so much more for general aviation.. King has a jet but at least they provide a tangible objective service that people pay for and receive
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John and Martha, as a private enterprise can fly whatever they want.
 
General aviation is more than just Joe Bonanza. And as far as keeping FBO's open jets and turboprops buying hundreds of gallons of jet A at a pop keep the lights on for the LSA that comes in and buys 3 gallons of AV gas a side. AOPA does more for GA than any other organization. Times are going to get worse for GA in the coming years, probably better things for us pilots to do than tear down a company for flying a modest jet.
 
Rockymountain said:
General aviation is more than just Joe Bonanza. And as far as keeping FBO's open jets and turboprops buying hundreds of gallons of jet A at a pop keep the lights on for the LSA that comes in and buys 3 gallons of AV gas a side. AOPA does more for GA than any other organization. Times are going to get worse for GA in the coming years, probably better things for us pilots to do than tear down a company for flying a modest jet.
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AOPA is not a company though. They're a not for profit, tax exempt organization.
 
They may be on their second jet. Back around 2007, Phil Boyer flew into my local airport to give away a Cherokee Six. He came in on a jet. I think it was a CJ, but not 100% on that. While I still belong to AOPA, after that, I throw out all their epistles bleating for donations -- unopened.
 
Tantalum said:
I think the idea is that money should go to the cause they're fighting for..
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So they should just outright bribe congressmen?

All the complaints about AOPA by those who profess to not be members are comical.
 
Kristin said:
I throw out all their epistles bleating for donations -- unopened.
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One can just ask AOPA to stop soliciting you for donations, and they will. Making that contact is easy, quick, and it works.

I did that years ago. Until I realized that was possible, I was going to end my membership, just to avoid the money-begging barrage. Much happier now.
 
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