Is AOPA Forgetting about the little guy?

"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?

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?



I disagree. AOPA Pilot is like any enthusiast's magazine, it has a mix
of articles on things ranging from practical to dreamworld.

I also get Flying Magazine, and it's even MORE weighted toward turbine
and expensive planes. I like to see articles for SpamCan pilots like me
but I also like the variety too so I can see how the other half lives.

The magazine that is closer to the SpamCan journal you want is Private
Pilot, which while kind of cool has the lowest quality editing and
writing that I have ever seen.

There just aren't that many models of spam cans out there, you couldn't
sustain a magazine for long writing about nothing but flying Cessna
172s and Piper Warriors!

I also get Car and Driver, they run articles on normal cars all the way
up to supercars. They also get letters to the editor from people
griping that they should not review Ferarris since most readers can't
afford them.

Whatever.

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

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...."