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Z601c(at)anemicaardvark.c
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 Posted: Tue Jul 27, 2010 6:19 am Post subject: AOPA membership |
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Some months ago, AOPA Pilot ran an article on the XL that, IMHO, was very
uncomplimentary, and seemed to be generally misinformed. At least one of the
principals at Zenith responded to the article, as did I. We were both treated
very discourteously, and AOPA's initial negative position was reinforced.
This resulted in several emails on these lists suggesting that perhaps we
should consider not renewing our memberships in AOPA. Others suggested that
this would be throwing out the baby with the bath water, and may have felt
AOPA was doing an acceptable job.
While I've heard no further comments from AOPA on the XL, I have noticed that
AOPA appears to be taking a firmer stand with the government on several issues
that will negatively impact pilots, something they, again IMHO, had not been
doing. I wonder if this not may be the result of the new leadership at AOPA.
I was particularly disturbed about the XL article, not just because I'm
building an XL, but because AOPA's charter is to promote general aviation. The
same article could have been written in a more constructive manner, and
possibly helped the situation.
For these reasons, when my membership came up for renewal this month, I wrote
AOPA a letter, telling them that I considered this a probationary renewal. I
presented the things just outlined, stating that I was willing to give the new
leadership a chance, but that if things did not change, it would be my last
year of membership.
If you are unhappy with their performance in recent years, this may be a way
of calling it to their attention, and giving them an opportunity to fix it. I
hate to cancel my membership after many years, but neither will I accept the
level of performance they have demonstrated in recent years.
--
========================================
Jim B. Belcher
BS,MS Physics
A&P/IA
General Radio Telephone Certificate
Instrument Rated Pilot
Retired Aerospace Technical Manager
Semi-proficient Househusband
========================================
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larry(at)macsmachine.com
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| Posted: Tue Jul 27, 2010 11:35 am Post subject: AOPA membership |
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Jim,
You'd not be the only person that took notice of this and at our last
chapter meeting there were
people that felt much the same way. AOPA may write off all the EAA
membership in hope of garnering
big money interests, but it won't work. The AOPA has become something
like the AARP of the
ground bound set and I tore up their magazine long ago when they got
politically against
readers interests. The AOPA will find the light aviation people vote
with their checkbooks too.
Larry McFarland 601HDS at www.macsmachine.com
Jim Belcher wrote:
| Quote: |
Some months ago, AOPA Pilot ran an article on the XL that, IMHO, was very
uncomplimentary, and seemed to be generally misinformed. At least one of the
principals at Zenith responded to the article, as did I. We were both treated
very discourteously, and AOPA's initial negative position was reinforced.
This resulted in several emails on these lists suggesting that perhaps we
should consider not renewing our memberships in AOPA. Others suggested that
this would be throwing out the baby with the bath water, and may have felt
AOPA was doing an acceptable job.
|
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Z601c(at)anemicaardvark.c
Guest
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| Posted: Tue Jul 27, 2010 12:17 pm Post subject: AOPA membership |
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Larry:
Your comparison of AOPA to the AARP amuses me. I'd had the same thought. I was
in AARP many years ago, and dropped out of it, because I felt they were using
my membership to claim their views represented me. Needless to say, they
don't.
Besides, the AARP magazine was depressing. It was full of pictures of old
people.
On Tuesday 27 July 2010 14:34:18 you wrote:
| Quote: |
Jim,
You'd not be the only person that took notice of this and at our last
chapter meeting there were
people that felt much the same way. AOPA may write off all the EAA
membership in hope of garnering
big money interests, but it won't work. The AOPA has become something
like the AARP of the
ground bound set and I tore up their magazine long ago when they got
politically against
readers interests. The AOPA will find the light aviation people vote
with their checkbooks too.
Larry McFarland 601HDS at www.macsmachine.com
--
|
========================================
Jim B. Belcher
BS,MS Physics
A&P/IA
General Radio Telephone Certificate
Instrument Rated Pilot
Retired Aerospace Technical Manager
Semi-proficient Househusband
========================================
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larry(at)macsmachine.com
Guest
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| Posted: Wed Jul 28, 2010 5:01 am Post subject: AOPA membership |
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Jim,
At 70, I also feel age is a rare privelege, but my AOPA is history now
and I feel much younger for it.
Larry McFarland
do not archive
Jim Belcher wrote:
| Quote: |
Larry:
Your comparison of AOPA to the AARP amuses me. I'd had the same thought. I was
in AARP many years ago, and dropped out of it, because I felt they were using
my membership to claim their views represented me. Needless to say, they
don't.
Besides, the AARP magazine was depressing. It was full of pictures of old
people.
On Tuesday 27 July 2010 14:34:18 you wrote:
>
>
> Jim,
> You'd not be the only person that took notice of this and at our last
> chapter meeting there were
> people that felt much the same way. AOPA may write off all the EAA
> membership in hope of garnering
> big money interests, but it won't work. The AOPA has become something
> like the AARP of the
> ground bound set and I tore up their magazine long ago when they got
> politically against
> readers interests. The AOPA will find the light aviation people vote
> with their checkbooks too.
>
> Larry McFarland 601HDS at www.macsmachine.com
>
>
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purplemoon99(at)bellsouth
Guest
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| Posted: Wed Jul 28, 2010 5:59 am Post subject: AOPA membership |
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AOPA has turned into a real joke. Last year we had an opportunity to buy a Chinese canard wing tendum aircraft.
Only one of its kind in this country. Before I bought it I called the AOPA and asked them would there be any problem
registering it and getting an N number. They said no problem at all. It would cost about $250 and they could handle it
all. Well, we bought the plane, got it back to Florida, proceeded to put it together and contacted them to get it registered
and an N number. At that point, we got an N number reserved and things started to go south. So I contacted the AOPA
and they charged me $75 for a title search and that's as far as its gone. Oh, I forgot, before that I contacted the AOPA
and talked to a guy and he said he knew of a couple of guys that could help me. I thought this is great as they had experienced
in this field. A few weeks later the guy got back to me and gave me a couple of phone numbers and said it should help. I
called the number and they were the FAA...back to zero. So, as far as I'm concerned, the AOPA is only interested in corporate
jets, corporate money, and general aviation as a whole.
As far as I'm concerned, the EAA is going the same way with Sun N Fun, Oshkosh, etc. And, I would like to add that the
AARP magazine has long since been replaced with PLAYBOY! I don't like looking at old people, either.
Joe N101HD/ZENITH 601XL-V
From: Larry McFarland <larry(at)macsmachine.com>
To: zenith-list(at)matronics.com
Sent: Wed, July 28, 2010 9:00:25 AM
Subject: Re: AOPA membership
--> Zenith-List message posted by: Larry McFarland <larry(at)macsmachine.com (larry(at)macsmachine.com)>
Jim,
At 70, I also feel age is a rare privelege, but my AOPA is history now and I feel much younger for it.
Larry McFarland
do not archive
Jim Belcher wrote:
| Quote: | --> Zenith-List message posted by: Jim Belcher <Z601c(at)anemicaardvark.com (Z601c(at)anemicaardvark.com)>
Larry:
Your comparison of AOPA to the AARP amuses me. I'd had the same thought. I was in AARP many years ago, and dropped out of it, because I felt they were using my membership to claim their views represented me. Needless to say, they don't.
Besides, the AARP magazine was depressing. It was full of pictures of old people.
On Tuesday 27 July 2010 14:34:18 you wrote:
> --> Zenith-List message posted by: Larry McFarland <larry(at)macsmachine.com (larry(at)macsmachine.com)>
>
> Jim,
> You'd not be the only person that took notice of this and at our last
> chapter meeting there were
> people that felt much the same way. AOPA may write off all the EAA
> membership in hope of garnering
> big money interests, but it won't work. The AOPA has become something
> like the AARP of the
> ground bound set and I tore up their magazine long ago when they got
> politically against
> readers interests. The AOPA will find the light aviation people vote
> with their checkbooks too.
>
> Larry McFarland 601HDS at www.macsmachine.com
>
> bsp; - MATRONICS p; -Matt Dralle, List Admi========
|
[quote][b]
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Z601c(at)anemicaardvark.c
Guest
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| Posted: Wed Jul 28, 2010 6:52 am Post subject: AOPA membership |
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I'll ditto that for Sun 'N Fun. I volunteer each year, but if it weren't for
the friends I only see there each year, and the sheer fun of it, it would
already be toast.
You may not be aware of it (I wasn't, for some time), but Sun 'N Fun is not an
EAA function. True, there are some loose ties, but S&F is a separate,
supposedly non-profit, organization. It was started by EAA members, and a lot
of us still volunteer there, but EAA it isn't.
The founders who had closer EAA ties retired some years ago. Sun 'N Fun (I
think) is now really a central Florida tourism thing, that happens to have
airplanes.
I haven't been to Osh in years. When I started going, Paul was still in
charge, and there was some effort to keep the cost of attendance down, and
aviation up. All that seems to have changed.
We really need a grass roots aviation organization that puts the fun back in
flying, actually represents us in Washington, and doesn't cost us all an arm
and a leg.
The problem I had with looking at pictures of old people was that those were
people my age. I'm thankful for every morning I can still get up in and look
in the mirror, but being reminded of what I see I can live without.
On Wednesday 28 July 2010 08:58:55 you wrote:
<snip>
| Quote: | As far as I'm concerned, the EAA is going the same way with Sun N Fun,
Oshkosh, etc. And, I would like to add that the
AARP magazine has long since been replaced with PLAYBOY! I don't like
looking at old people, either.
Joe N101HD/ZENITH 601XL-V
________________________________
From: Larry McFarland <larry(at)macsmachine.com>
To: zenith-list(at)matronics.com
Sent: Wed, July 28, 2010 9:00:25 AM
Subject: Re: AOPA membership
Jim,
At 70, I also feel age is a rare privelege, but my AOPA is history now and
I feel much younger for it.
Larry McFarland
do not archive
Jim Belcher wrote:
>
>
> Larry:
> Your comparison of AOPA to the AARP amuses me. I'd had the same thought.
> I was
>
>in AARP many years ago, and dropped out of it, because I felt they were
>using my membership to claim their views represented me. Needless to say,
>they don't.
>
> Besides, the AARP magazine was depressing. It was full of pictures of old
>
>people.
>
> On Tuesday 27 July 2010 14:34:18 you wrote:
>
>
>>
>> <larry(at)macsmachine.com>
>>
>> Jim,
>> You'd not be the only person that took notice of this and at our last
>> chapter meeting there were
>> people that felt much the same way. AOPA may write off all the EAA
>> membership in hope of garnering
>> big money interests, but it won't work. The AOPA has become something
>> like the AARP of the
>> ground bound set and I tore up their magazine long ago when they got
>> politically against
>> readers interests. The AOPA will find the light aviation people vote
>> with their checkbooks too.
>>
>> Larry McFarland 601HDS at www.macsmachine=========================
|
--
========================================
Jim B. Belcher
BS,MS Physics
A&P/IA
General Radio Telephone Certificate
Instrument Rated Pilot
Retired Aerospace Technical Manager
Semi-proficient Househusband
========================================
| | - The Matronics Zenith-List Email Forum - | | | Use the List Feature Navigator to browse the many List utilities available such as the Email Subscriptions page, Archive Search & Download, 7-Day Browse, Chat, FAQ, Photoshare, and much more:
http://www.matronics.com/Navigator?Zenith-List |
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