Van's Air Force
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EAA and AOPA membership worth it?
- Thread starter LuisR
- Start date
Bill Dicus
Well Known Member
EAA, AOPA
Agree with others that both organizations further our cause. I belong to and support both, gladly.
Agree with others that both organizations further our cause. I belong to and support both, gladly.
KatieB
Well Known Member
Advocacy. Advocacy. Advocacy. We are the minority, and we need all the voices we can get in Washington. I am a member of both.
AOPA offers life insurance that is not subject to exclusions for dying in experimental aircraft, which is pretty rare. I find that very important, and is another reason I belong to AOPA.
I think EAA is back on the right track now, so I rejoined it last year after being gone since the dark days of Hightower.
AOPA offers life insurance that is not subject to exclusions for dying in experimental aircraft, which is pretty rare. I find that very important, and is another reason I belong to AOPA.
I think EAA is back on the right track now, so I rejoined it last year after being gone since the dark days of Hightower.
Your fair share
Of course you can't be compelled to join but maybe your conscious will lead to membership. You benefit from the, as Katie says, advocacy that is paid for by the rest of us. In essence you are getting a free ride at our expense. GA is not dead but it doesn't have the luster in the publics eye as it once did. We need a strong, well connected, financially healthy voice to present our case to the public and political forces that control our fate. The more members the more financial strength and votes which resonates with the politicians.
Of course you can't be compelled to join but maybe your conscious will lead to membership. You benefit from the, as Katie says, advocacy that is paid for by the rest of us. In essence you are getting a free ride at our expense. GA is not dead but it doesn't have the luster in the publics eye as it once did. We need a strong, well connected, financially healthy voice to present our case to the public and political forces that control our fate. The more members the more financial strength and votes which resonates with the politicians.
Both.
AOPA - Extra life insurance that doesn't have an exclusion on GA flying. Legal plan too. Like the info I get and always print out the kneeboard format of the airport I'm going to which gives me something to write on and and have the info about the airport. Also is easy way to print out the plates I need. I'm more informed because of them.
EAA - OSH discount offsets the cost.
I get more out of AOPA but without EAA, would we have OSH or see GA survive without experimentals? Last I checked, a certified new bird was beyond most folks reach and the the current fleet is graying like the rest of us (ouch). Experimentals have helped fill this niche.
Plus the fact that both have magazines with aircraft that makes somebody drool out there. I suspect there would be a lot less RV's out there without either if there wasn't an inspiration to want one.
AOPA - Extra life insurance that doesn't have an exclusion on GA flying. Legal plan too. Like the info I get and always print out the kneeboard format of the airport I'm going to which gives me something to write on and and have the info about the airport. Also is easy way to print out the plates I need. I'm more informed because of them.
EAA - OSH discount offsets the cost.
I get more out of AOPA but without EAA, would we have OSH or see GA survive without experimentals? Last I checked, a certified new bird was beyond most folks reach and the the current fleet is graying like the rest of us (ouch). Experimentals have helped fill this niche.
Plus the fact that both have magazines with aircraft that makes somebody drool out there. I suspect there would be a lot less RV's out there without either if there wasn't an inspiration to want one.
It started long before that...
I long ago concluded that if AOPA really wanted to do some good with my money, they would quite wasting it on glossy mailers. I called them up on three different occasions and gave that feedback, with no change. Since they saw fit to continue wasting my money on trash mail that nobody reads, I didn't see any reason to continue wasting my money on them.
EAA, now there is an organization where I can actually see some benefit, and I am a member there.
I get almost nothing from AOPA.
In you OnLine profile, there is an OptInOutPreference section that you can turn on or off what they send you.
I belong to both, and on occasion, I have been quite displeased with both. However, walking away has never been a realistic option.
The sensational side of the free press, the fearful public, our need for airports, the battle for airspace, and the huge overreach of the security establishment all threaten our ability to fly. Failure to remain organized and present our case is simply capitulation.
So please, don't walk away, at least at the national level. When you're unhappy, don't complain...organize! Both EAA and AOPA are membership organizations, and if enough members feel strongly about something, they can change it.
The sensational side of the free press, the fearful public, our need for airports, the battle for airspace, and the huge overreach of the security establishment all threaten our ability to fly. Failure to remain organized and present our case is simply capitulation.
So please, don't walk away, at least at the national level. When you're unhappy, don't complain...organize! Both EAA and AOPA are membership organizations, and if enough members feel strongly about something, they can change it.
AOPA is the only one - by a long shot - with effective government advocacy. As a GA pilot in the US, you need to be a member of AOPA. Without AOPA, GA in the United States would be much, much less free and prolific than it is today. And if you don't understand the very critical role of government advocacy in continued flying, owning and maintaining "rich people's toys," you need to do some studying on the subject.
I only pay up for EAA when I go to Oshkosh. It's an entertainment thing. For the size and budget, not overly impressed.
I only pay up for EAA when I go to Oshkosh. It's an entertainment thing. For the size and budget, not overly impressed.
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Plummit
Well Known Member
Seriously?
AOPA focus can be changed by the membership? How? They don't have local reps (that I know of anyway). At least with the EAA we have local chapters so POSSIBLY change could be effected starting on the local level.
Interestingly the AOPA just sent me another contact to get me to rejoin the org. Seems they are down in membership quite a bit from there high of over four thousand members.....
-Marc
AOPA focus can be changed by the membership? How? They don't have local reps (that I know of anyway). At least with the EAA we have local chapters so POSSIBLY change could be effected starting on the local level.
Interestingly the AOPA just sent me another contact to get me to rejoin the org. Seems they are down in membership quite a bit from there high of over four thousand members.....
-Marc
AOPA does have regional representatives. To see what AOPA is doing in and around your state, check out:
https://www.aopa.org/advocacy/state-advocacy
AOPA's focus is simply to serve its members. I had a problem with a municipal airport regarding an "exclusive rights" GA business issue. FAA tried to be helpful, but didn't have enough background knowledge at the local FAA level nor the inclination to take it higher up their chain. I called AOPA. Working with a government services rep and one of their attorneys I received precise information and advice that helped things get resolved quickly.
$59 per year worth it for AOPA? Definitely. It's no longer Craig Fuller's AOPA. If membership is down, there's either a free-rider problem, or, it's a sign of very bad things to come.
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