Is AOPA Forgetting about the little guy?

I can't afford a turbine, but I like reading about them.

A Waco isn't a bad choice for the 100th anniversary.

Lots of Twins are owned by partnerships of experienced spam can pilots,
especially pilots that enjoy working in the hangar on weekends (the twin has
twice as much to fix, oh boy!). One local partnership has a car mechanic
that easily works on the plan 5 times as much as he flies it.

If you want to win a 172, buy something from Sporty's. People who can't
afford the taxes on the Waco are not much better off with a 172 costing
3/4ths the amount. Since it will be sold by these types of winners, the
more valuable the better.

I really like that they give away renovated planes, because most members fly
older planes. Most of us dream about spending a planes value in mods, but
aren't rich enough to through that kind of money around.

A completely renovated Twin will not likely be valued nearly as much as it
is worth to the winner (twin prices are depressed due to the cost of
operations). I hope the winner sells half to a partner, and uses the money
to pay the taxes, and get the training to fly it!

AOPA is doing a great job in trying times, I am surprised they have time to
put out such a great mag.








"James Blakely" wrote in
message ...
Is it just me, or is it that AOPA is starting to ignore the Spam-can
pilot?
I've been a member for about 5 years now and each year, the airplane they
give away becomes more impractical. They claim the Waco is worth $200k
but
it is a day VFR only aircraft. How useful is that? Now, next year, they
are giving away a twin. What percentage of pilots have a ME ticket? How
many could get insurance?

It is not just the airplanes either. I used to think that the AOPApilot
magazine was one of the best. Now, almost half of it is dedicated to
turbine operations. I do not see a turbine in my future at all.

It really seems to me like AOPA is moving away from the weekend pilot and
moving toward the semi-professional pilot. It seems to me that they are
just supporting part 91 operations just because that is where most
professional pilots get their start.

So, what do you think?

Dude wrote:



If you want to win a 172, buy something from Sporty's. People who can't
afford the taxes on the Waco are not much better off with a 172 costing
3/4ths the amount. Since it will be sold by these types of winners, the
more valuable the better.

Every plane AOPA and Sporty's has given away has been sold by the winner
within a few months of winning it. That 206 SUV that AOPA gave away a
few years ago was here in Montana, flown in by the guy who bought it
from the winner. Nice looking plane.

On Thu, 22 Jan 2004 01:30:24 GMT, Newps wrote:

If you want to win a 172, buy something from Sporty's. People who can't
afford the taxes on the Waco are not much better off with a 172 costing
3/4ths the amount. Since it will be sold by these types of winners, the
more valuable the better.

Every plane AOPA and Sporty's has given away has been sold by the winner
within a few months of winning it.

Not necessarily that quickly. Margaret Puckette, a rec.aviation denizen
who won the first AOPA giveaway (an Archer) kept hers for several years,
getting her IFR, Commercial, and CFI on the way (she won the plane a week
after getting her Private). She eventually sold it to buy a 152 to
instruct in, but it was after a number years and a divorce.

She took out a loan to pay the taxes, using the airplane itself as
collateral.

Ron Wanttaja

"Ron Wanttaja" wrote in message ...


Not necessarily that quickly. Margaret Puckette, a rec.aviation denizen
who won the first AOPA giveaway (an Archer) kept hers for several years,
getting her IFR, Commercial, and CFI on the way (she won the plane a week
after getting her Private).

I found this in GOOGLE

THE SONG OF THE ARCHER!

My feet are round lil' tires
My arms are great big wings
My nose has got a whirlygig
And I do amazing things.

Oooohhh...
I'm a gold and blue, Archer Two
With low time on my tach
I live in a hangar that's a big door banger
With big dents in the back :-)

My owner treats me fine
She spend$ a lot on me
And we go flyin' very high
To see what we can see.

I'm a gold and blue, Archer Two
My panel has lots of stuff
I feel royal and I don't burn oil
And that's about enough!

My inside smells like vinyl
My outside smells like wax
My owner flies me everywhere
(and worries a lot about tax).

I'm a gold and blue, Archer Two
I prefer a sunny day
We're still waiting for an instrument rating
When skies are dark and gray.

Remember this, pilot friends
When that checkbook is sighing
And families cry for more of your time
YOU'D STILL RATHER BE FLYING!

I'm a gold and blue, Archer Two
I fly high and far
And advertize for various guys,
A-Oh-Pah and Northstar!

************************************************** ********************
Margaret "Pilot-Laureate" Puckette
AOPA Archer N1939G