AOPA

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Mike Boehler

Pre-takeoff checklist
Joined
Sep 14, 2010
Messages
141
Location
Sharon Springs, NY K31
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Display name:
Mike Boehler
I'm sure the AOPA discussion has been done to death, but I just re-joined because they have a really neat section online about getting back into flying.

If I remember correctly, these folks called my house WAY too often back when I was a member last time. I wonder if its still the same.

Turns out I joined almost exactly 21 years ago! :hairraise: Are we all getting that old?
 
I'm due the end of November. I started getting emails late in July. Today I got a mail notice offering a hat; yesterday it was an email offering something called an AOPA "flight bag". It looks a lot like a purse. You're going to have to do better than that, boys.
 
Mike Boehler said:
I'm sure the AOPA discussion has been done to death, but I just re-joined because they have a really neat section online about getting back into flying.

If I remember correctly, these folks called my house WAY too often back when I was a member last time. I wonder if its still the same.

Turns out I joined almost exactly 21 years ago! :hairraise: Are we all getting that old?
Click to expand...


They don't call anymore...they just spend a ridiculous amount of money mailing you constant renewal notices for several months in advance of the actual expiration date.
 
Haven't had the pleasure yet, but I'd be SURPRISED if they were manning renewals by phones still. I think your phone is safe for now.
 
I've never received a phone call from them, but then I don't recall ever giving them my number. Did get an email yesterday. No hat or flight bag offer though. I guess they don't want me badly enough to offer incentives any more: (
 
Um, it's thirty nine bucks and at least some one is coordinating efforts to stop the knee-jerk, miserably uninformed and currently class war-leaning public from ripping the rug out from under GA, which I feel to be a serious threat.
I'm annoyed by the constant stream of mailings, but... I just throw them out unopened. It's that easy.
And the new hat style is nice. I wore it all the time before my girlfriend accidentally dropped it into a lake. I keep my portable GPS in the "flight bag."
AOPA is not perfect, but they are far better than nothing. I say we should all give them forty dollars.
 
I am on autorenew for AOPA. No calls. No emails. One mailing a year sending me the confirmation. Now, the legal services plan, on the other hand, is a bit more aggressive. Still no Belvoir, though.
 
All it takes to stop the paper mailings and offers is to visit this page and ask them to "please code my account to opt out of any paper mailings or offers from AOPA or its affiliates."

I sent such a message after getting tired of 'recycling' their junk mail every day, and it was handled quickly. "Code my account" is the term THEY used in their reply to me ("we've coded your account so that it won't receive paper mailings").
 
They never called me, though I have received quite a few mailings and E-mails. Easily filed under "T" and not worth worrying about.
 
troy you are my (and my mailmans) hero
 
tonycondon said:
troy you are my (and my mailmans) hero
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You're welcome. If I was smart, I'd save all that paper and recycle it myself once/year. Probably could get an hour of free flight time courtesy of AOPA!

P.S. I just know some engineer on the board is going to go find the current recycling rate for paper and tell me how many tons of paper I'd have to recycle to get $125. ;-)
 
As another poster typed, just tell AOPA that you don't want further emails/snail mail/calls and they will stop. I had to get a bit rude to make'em stop but they eventually took me off all their solicitation lists.
 
TangoWhiskey said:
You're welcome. If I was smart, I'd save all that paper and recycle it myself once/year. Probably could get an hour of free flight time courtesy of AOPA!

P.S. I just know some engineer on the board is going to go find the current recycling rate for paper and tell me how many tons of paper I'd have to recycle to get $125. ;-)
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Probably about 2.5 tons or so. Better get collecting.
 
I paid $31 with "Flight Training", pretty cheap. (with auto renewal)

I've joined other organizations that are lobby based and got constant phone calls looking for more money. Doesn't sound like the case here.

Their website is worth the money for someone in my situation.
 
ScottM said:
FYI it is $45 now. They raised their dues recently.
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I guess I just made the cutoff.
The extra six dollars will doubtless be put to good use in the making of yet another interactive video telling me to not get stuck VFR on top. And, of course, postage.
 
Telemakhos said:
Um, it's thirty nine bucks and at least some one is coordinating efforts to stop the knee-jerk, miserably uninformed and currently class war-leaning public from ripping the rug out from under GA, which I feel to be a serious threat.
I'm annoyed by the constant stream of mailings, but... I just throw them out unopened. It's that easy.
And the new hat style is nice. I wore it all the time before my girlfriend accidentally dropped it into a lake. I keep my portable GPS in the "flight bag."
AOPA is not perfect, but they are far better than nothing. I say we should all give them forty dollars.
Click to expand...

Well said. It never ceases to amaze me how cheap pilots can be, considering we've chosen such an expensive hobby. Maybe that's why we're so cheap; money wasted elsewhere is money that can't be burned up in the gas tank :goofy: But the AOPA is certainly a worthy cause. We need someone fighting for GA in Washington. Could they do a better job? Maybe. But considering the uphill battle they're fighting, they do pretty good.
 
No phone calls at my house.

But 5 minutes ago I got a call from S.A.E. telling me that my membership had just run out.
oops... I didn't mean for that to happen.
I was glad for the reminder.
 
The question is of course how effective AOPA is at its primary function: representing us in D.C. I can tell that for all its sclerosis and a tendency to cut deals with nasty Washington scum NRA was effective. If AOPA is effective, then $45 is nothing to talk about. But I honestly have no clue if AOPA ever accomplished anything (EAA at least made LSA into something useful). Looking forward to seeing recent historic evidence.

-- Pete
 
GA is on the hit list from many quarters, and we need ALL the help we can get to keep flying. AOPA's airport advocates group alone is worth the paltry membership fee to support. Add in a fair magazine and a few minor discounts (when you remember to ask vendors for them), and it's a bargain. Then consider how they've fought hard on international, national, state and local issues, and it's enough to make you consider buying a membership for someone less fortunate just to support aviation. I also joined EAA, and am happy about all they're doing for GA (and I'm glad these two orgs are working together).

Seems to me we either trade a few minutes' of our personal fly-bucks (maybe 20 minutes?) a year for their help, or get ready to join the rest of the world paying user fees and gradually being forced from the skies completely. On my recent foray into Canada after AirVenture, I was surprised at how poorly GA is treated there - and I'm still getting bills for stuff I didn't sign up for like hidden airport fees. Hope my spew here might encourage at least a few people to go ahead and pay up so we can all keep flying, because I can't do it alone.
 
I'm not a huge fan of any organization that purports to be doing things for me, in order to relieve me of my hard earned money. I grouse about government because they take my money in the form of taxes, fees, and sometimes fines. They tell me how screwed I would be without their benevolence and help.

I get pretty much the same from AOPA, the difference being I get a magazine every month, a cool card to carry in my wallet, and it's a whole lot cheaper than government..

But no matter how much I ***** and complain, we do need government, and we do need advocates for GA representing us to that government. Sending in a check for a few bucks once a year makes sense. Unless of course, my medical gets canceled, then I probably won't care...... maybe.......perhaps.

John
 
zaitcev said:
The question is of course how effective AOPA is at its primary function: representing us in D.C. I can tell that for all its sclerosis and a tendency to cut deals with nasty Washington scum NRA was effective. If AOPA is effective, then $45 is nothing to talk about. But I honestly have no clue if AOPA ever accomplished anything (EAA at least made LSA into something useful). Looking forward to seeing recent historic evidence.

-- Pete
Click to expand...

Uh, they succesfully beat back user fees. Every flight we took was about to cost us 10-20 bucks more. That may be there only big win lately, but it was a good one, considering the Bush and the FAA both insisted that was the only way to fund the FAA for the future.
 
NotSure said:
Uh, they succesfully beat back user fees. Every flight we took was about to cost us 10-20 bucks more. That may be there only big win lately, but it was a good one, considering the Bush and the FAA both insisted that was the only way to fund the FAA for the future.
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Hey, let's get this straight, the Clinton administration was pushing
for user fees big time.
 
Bob Noel said:
Hey, let's get this straight, the Clinton administration was pushing
for user fees big time.
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Every administration back to Nixon (which was when I started keeping track) has made some push for user fees.
 
shenanigans said:
I've never received a phone call from them, but then I don't recall ever giving them my number. Did get an email yesterday. No hat or flight bag offer though. I guess they don't want me badly enough to offer incentives any more: (
Click to expand...

It seems I spoke too soon. The same day I posted that, I received a call from some unknown number(801 484 1107). I wasn't around to pick up, but I got calls from the same number everyday - no messages left. Finally on the 6th call i was able to pick up and sure enough, it was someone calling on behalf of AOPA wanting money. I told them to take me off their call list and I haven't received any more calls. I wish I had tried to negotiate a lower membership rate, but I just wasn't in the mood at the time.

I also got a renewal mailing the next day offering a hat and a few days later got another mailing with yet another membership card.
 
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