Is AOPA Forgetting about the little guy?

It's not completely off the deep end by any means. It was the IRS that
brought down Capone and I'd bet that lesson wasn't soon forgotten.

(The NY/NJ area was run by five la cosa nostra families from at least
the 40s (possibly earlier) on through modern times, though since the
early 90s they are but a small shadow of what they were in their glory
days. Gotti's conviction was the beginning of the end.)

C J Campbell wrote:
I don't remember his name, but he was supposed to have been the head of the
Mafia in New Jersey during the 1960s. More likely he was head of some
family, rather than head of the Mafia in all New Jersey. The story was told
me in 1973 by my income tax professor at the University of Washington, so it
could well be the CPA equivalent of an urban legend. But I like it anyway.

"G.R. Patterson III" wrote:
The "good as new 172", the "better than new 172", the new 172, the
"flying SUV"
(206), the Tripacer (plus some cash to pay the tax bill), the Bonanza,
and now
the WACO.

There was a Mooney in there, somewhere.

Dan Luke wrote:

There was a Mooney in there, somewhere.

I don't remember that one. Was there a 182 after the 172s?

George Patterson
Great discoveries are not announced with "Eureka!". What's usually said is
"Hummmmm... That's interesting...."

"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

"G.R. Patterson III" wrote:
There was a Mooney in there, somewhere.

I don't remember that one.

Yeah, remember? They called it the "Millenium Mooney."

Was there a 182 after the 172s?

I don't remember that one.
--
Dan
C172RG at BFM
(remove pants to reply by email)

On Wed, 21 Jan 2004 00:47:13 GMT "James Blakely" wrote:

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?


The past few give-a-ways seem to have been more fun for the writers and
pilots then for the winners. AOPA actually had an article about the past
winners and the planes. They followed some of the planes' paper trail.
Very few planes are still in the hands of the winners.


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.

Half sounds like an exageration is it really that high?


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.


I disagree.



So, what do you think?



Send them your comments and suggestions for what you'd like to see in
their mag.

I like that magazine, but like all flying rags it's obviously a stretch for
them to write interesting stuff month in and month out. In general I like
the AOPA mag.


R. Hubbell

"R.Hubbell" wrote:

Half sounds like an exageration is it really that high?

Well, I happen to have the latest one handy. Lessee here.....

The pres' column is on glass cockpits. Might as well be jets to me.
Answers for Pilots is about transitioning from pistons to turbines.
Letters don't count.
Waypoints is about the Udvar-Hazy museum.
Proficient Pilot is a thinly-veiled bitch about Signature FBOs.
Pilotage is about some bug-smasher trips.
License to Learn is about being addicted to aviation.
Safety Pilot deals with VFR - IMC problems.
Pilot Briefing is basic news. Doesn't count IMO.
Then we feature the Diamond DA-40-180, though most of the talk is about the Garmin
panel.
Then a recap of AOPA Expo.
Then we look at the new Husky Pup.
Boatman writes about portable devices for the cockpit.
Turbine Pilot is about (you guessed it) turbines.
Then an article on AOPA's Flight Planner.
WXWatch is on weather.
Pilot Counsel discusses "stale complaints" in FAA prosecutions.
Test Pilot has no questions about turbines this month.
The guy in Never Again is flying a spamcan.
Pilot Products are all for the little guys.
The Pilots trailer is a typical high-time guy.

Doesn't look like anywhere near half to me.


George Patterson
Great discoveries are not announced with "Eureka!". What's usually said is
"Hummmmm... That's interesting...."

Ah! So it isn't just me.
"sam" wrote in message
...
sad, but true.

*** Sent via http://www.automationtools.com ***
Add a newsgroup interface to your website today.

True, AOPA is working hard for us now, but if they keep sliding to the
professional crowd, then they may forsake us.

I didn't know you could op out of the magazine.


"Stu Gotts" wrote in message
...
I've often thought as you do and although I'm a member but have
elected to not receive their magazine for a few years now. What you
have to look at is how hard the current leadership of AOPA is working
for you now. As far as the giveaways go, don't worry you'll never win
one.


On Wed, 21 Jan 2004 00:47:13 GMT, "James Blakely"
wrote:

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?

"Mike Rapoport" wrote in message
link.net...
If memory serves, their was a Tripacer followed by a Bonanza followed by
aWaco followed by a Twin Commanche. If they are going to do a different
plane every year what would you have them give away? They don't give away
airplanes to provide members with airplanes, they do it to provide a
subject
for a series of articles. It would be tough to make ten articles from a
Cub.

Granted, they do the give-away as a publicity stunt. And you're also right
about the articles. If you recall, during the year of the Bonanza, every
month had an article. For the Waco, it was every other month. I would like
them to alternate, one year, do a 182, next year, a Bonanza, etc.

The problem is, the Waco is not a useful airplane, except for doing
acrobatics. I wouldn't pay anyone $200k for a Waco, no matter how well
appointed. The Bonanza was upgraded to the point that it was a great
crosscountry machine, but not a good, knock around machine. How about a
little restraint? Do a Bonanza, but don't go overboard.

Really, a twin? What is it, like 8% of the private pilots have ME ratings?
I shutter to think of the insurance for someone like me who has no twin
time. (I know it wouldn't be a problem for you, but we're in different
fincincial areanas.)

They used to have two versions of Pillot, one of which was called Turbine
Pilot which had one or two additional articles. They decided it would be
easier to give everybody the same magazine, so now everybody gets what
used
to be Turbine Pilot. The magazine has everything it always had but, in
addition, it has the one or two turbine focused articles, so you are
complaining about recieving MORE magazine for your money.


Well, not really, they seem to be recycling articles. Every fall, there
will be the same article about flying in ice. Every spring, an article
about knocking the rust off you skills. I guess I'm getting tired of
reading the same stuff over and over.


Personally, I would like to see more articles about long flying
"adventures"
like flying around the world or through Alaska/Patagonia/Siberia or
perhaps
to the tip of South America. I think that AOPAs main purpose is to
provide

I agree. More articles like their postcard articles.


general aviation a voice in government and they do that fairly well.

Agree.



Mike
MU-2



"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?