Is AOPA getting to big?

[Mike]

Here is something that's been on my mind for a while. Has any of you ever been able to get a hold of somebody at AOPA?
I pay my dues every year and have one of their little insurances, but every time I write or call them with a question or a story  (I have tried the email on AOPA ePilot mostly) I never receive an answer. We have also contacted them with Chicken Wings (the AOPA magazine) a couple of times to see if they want to publish our strips. Nothing.
If I wouldn't get my annual member fee letter every now and then I'd think they don't exist...
Any thoughts?

[Sleek-Jet]

I'll admit that I have never had to much of a reason to contact AOPA directly, so I can't be to much help. 

Though on the several occasions that there has been a need, I've had better luck going through one of their regional representatives. 

I've written several e-mails to a few authors and such, and never heard much back either.    

[Ted_Stryker]

I've been a member of AOPA since I got my pilot's license back in 1985.  Early on, all I did was receive the AOPA Pilot magazine, and stick the window decal on my car.  I have come to appreciate AOPA more and more though.   I've found that their advocacy for us aviators in Washington, D.C., and their AOPA Air Safety Foundation, along with other member benefits with their medical division and legal services (including aircraft valuation, lein searches, etc.), have helped me tremendously.

Their medical division has been of particular help when I had to get a special issuance.  The personnel there bent over backwards to help me get noticed by the very shorthanded CAMI folks, and even helped the CAMI folks realize a few of their errors they made in their mad rush.  I'd probably STILL be waiting on my medical if it were not for them!

I also love the AOPA Online directory and the ability to store procedures for my favorite airports, and automatically have them updated.  Better than even having a subscription to the charts regularly because you know they are current, and they can be printed out a bit larger if you like which can help when in the soup and getting bounced about.

At any rate, I've never had any problems with AOPA, and, in fact, am quite grateful for them.  I even wrote Phil Boyer, President of AOPA once... and got a PERSONAL email reply from him.  I'm sure there are possible situations where things fall through the cracks.  Any organization can have that happen.  In my case, however, AOPA has been, and continues to be, top-notch.

Just my two cents   

[Firegirl]

I'm sorry but I just have to ask...............I'm a huge fan of the movie "Airplane"..............Ted Stryker, just a coincidence?  That's Great!!!!

[Ted_Stryker]

I'm sorry but I just have to ask...............I'm a huge fan of the movie "Airplane"..............Ted Stryker, just a coincidence? That's Great!!!!

Hi Firegirl 

Actually, I'm a big fan of that movie too... so I picked that for my forum name.  Real name is Robert Greenfield.  I use this to post on Flying Magazine and AOPA forums too... so if you see this name there, it's me too 

I guess I should post an introduction of myself over in that section of the forum.  Will tend to that shortly 

[Mike]

Thanks for the input Ted!

Don't get me wrong. I wasn't trying to bash the AOPA. I just thought it was strange that I couldn't get a hold of them. Maybe you have some numers or email addresses for me. I have forgotten by now why I wrote them, but I think it has to do with something they posted on ePilot.

And I'll take Phil Boyers personal address as well if you have it! Maybe he wants to put Chicken Wings in the AOPA magazine!! 
Asking never hurts, right?

[Ted_Stryker]

I didn't think you were bashing AOPA, don't worry.  I just wanted to let people know that they have been of great help to me personally, and I think that they do a good job.  I'm sure the problems with the lack of replies were more the exception than the rule.  They have grown a lot over the years in membership numbers, but still are not as large in terms of the number of staff they have as one might think, so I'm sure that accounts for some of the troubles experienced.

AOPA does have a forum section that they revamped where a lot of things can be discussed.  Perhaps some of the issues noted could be brought up there so they could work on rectifying things in those trouble spots.  Phone numbers I have called were right off the back of my AOPA membership card.  The new, hard plastic ones, are better than the old ones, and have all the numbers listed there.

I will look for Phil Boyer's email address and send it to you in a private email.  I don't know if he wants it posted openly or not, though I thought it was published in the front of AOPA Magazine at one point... not sure though.

Remember too that there is AOPA Magazine, and AOPA Flight Training Magazine, both put out by AOPA.  The latter being the freebie they give to student pilots along with a free six month membership to get people started out with flying.  I read both, as my daughter is a student pilot now (with 12 hours logged and just 15 years of age), so she gets it under her name, and the articles are great for both new, and experienced pilots alike.

FYI.... if anyone hasn't commented on the ADIZ in Washington becoming permanent, the time to make your voice known is now!  Over 18,000 pilots have sounded off against it, and Norman Minetta, Transportation Secretary, has extended the comment period for another 90 days due to the overwhelming response to the current comment period.  If you go to the AOPA website you will find the links to the FAA Comment Submission site.  Sorry to have brought up this in here, but it's critical that we fight the ADIZ's permanency as it would set precedent for other ADIZ's going up around other major cities, or wherever they wanted, which affects all of us everywhere (including anyone that flies commercially as it would increase costs there too).

www.aopa.org

[Mike]

Thank you for all the info Ted!

I will definetly try to contact them again. We want to have a booth at the next annual big AOPA fly-in event. I think it's called the "AOPA EXPO". It's supposed to be in Palms Springs next year. First of all that's a great place for an event in the fall time and secondly it's almost around the corner for us, so we just HAVE to be there!
I hope I get to see all of you there!!!

Has anyone ever been to the AOPA EXPO?
I would love to hear some stories about how it's like there....
(hmm, this is almost a new topic...)

[Ted_Stryker]

I've not been to an AOPA Expo as yet, but hope to make it someday.  I've been to Oshkosh twice some years back (when I was with Civil Air Patrol), and found it to be excellent.

Also, here in St. Louis, Missouri, we hold a rather large event each year called the St. Louis County Fair and Airshow, which combines both a fair atmosphere with some of the best in aviation displays and performers.  See the link below for more info.  I normally help man the booth for the FBO I take my training with (working on my Instrument, then Commercial and CFI with them).

The crowds are nowhere near as big as they would be for an AOPA Expo or the EAA Airshow at Oshkosh (but then nothing is as big as Oshkosh), but there is a fairly good sized crowd each day of the event, and it's held at a really great airport.  Maybe one day you guys could arrange to come out there too ?

http://www.stlcofair.org/

[Turbomallard]

Here is something that's been on my mind for a while. Has any of you ever been able to get a hold of somebody at AOPA?

Hmmmm. I've had really good luck with them for the most part on a variety of issues (medical questions, instruction questions, etc.). I've had less success with publications (I just wrote them last week about an article of mine they accepted a year ago for Flight Training and got a good response, explanation, and apology), though. One thing I've had good success with is chatting up the publication folks at Airventure... they're in the AOPA tent and have always been happy to chat. Bringing the goods with you (article manuscripts) to give to the person on the spot helps too. Look at the magazines for the names you want to talk to (often they have photos of the staff too, which helps in spotting them). I think that if you walk up to the right person with some strips, perhaps give them a copy of the book, bring a short "fact sheet" talking about the quantites of hits on the web site, any comments you've gotten my notables in the industry, etc. that will work well. Featuring AOPA in some way (favorably that is) would also likely get their attention... somebody's bound to send it to them. I have heard that Boyer personally requested copies of Klyde Morris strips which featured him as "80 Octane Man." Maybe you could do a strip or two, published on your site, that feature Chuck and crew stopping at Frederick and meeting some of the AOPA folks.

Just my $.02.

TM

P.S. Hey, speaking of Klyde... it would be a hoot if you and Wes could somehow do a cross-strip thing, maybe April 1 or something like other comic artists do (e.g., either you draw one another's cartoons for the day or else the characters appear in one another's strips).

[Mike]

Wow Turbo!

Thanks for the input! That was very informative I have to say. And I like the idea of featuring AOPA in one of the strips. We're currently working on including the EAA, so we'll do that next.
The strip that included the CAP caused quite a spike on our website stats...

I am not so sure about the Klyde Morris idea though. Reading through other websites and forums it seems we don't have the same audience. Klyde is very very political and controversial and we're a bit more "clean cut" which comes from us working on a TV project and from several guidelines we have to abide by to stay in all the magazines we're in.
I have found that people who absolutely love Klyde actually hate Chicken Wings (We've been accused of re-hashing old aviation jokes and so forth) and people who really love Chicken Wings can't always laugh at Klyde.

Please correct me if I am wrong though...

[Turbomallard]

I have found that people who absolutely love Klyde actually hate Chicken Wings (We've been accused of re-hashing old aviation jokes and so forth) and people who really love Chicken Wings can't always laugh at Klyde.

Please correct me if I am wrong though...

The two are certainly very different; I have no idea what the readership overlap might be. You may have heard from a vocal minority, and there could be a zillion out there who read and enjoy both. But hey, if Dilbert and Family Circus can do a one day strip switch, I should think that you and Wes could work out a guest appearance of some sort. Sit down over a couple of beers at Airventure (I recommend the Fox River Brewery) and I'm sure you'd all have enough material to last a while. Besides, how many opportunities in life are you as a cartoonist going to have to combine chickens and ants? 

TM

[Mike]

Good point!
I like the way you think. I am gonna see if we can do something like that (I like the beer idea too. Isn't beer great? It gets people together....)
This forum has brought in a number of new ideas. I am really enjoying it! There is almost not enough time in a day to realize them all...
Stef and I will have a lot of work to do next time we meet...

Thanks again for all the input, we really appreciate everything our fans have to say!!!

[Sleek-Jet]

I like Klyde and Chicken Wings... seems like there are is a small but vocal minority in aviation that have no sense of humor...

Klyde is very dry, and that's what I like about the strip.

Chicken Wings is laugh out loud funny, and that's what I like about the strip. (And you guys have a forum... )

[fireflyr]

I like Klyde and Chicken Wings... seems like there are is a small but vocal minority in aviation that have no sense of humor...

Klyde is very dry, and that's what I like about the strip.

Chicken Wings is laugh out loud funny, and that's what I like about the strip. (And you guys have a forum... )

KLYDE WHO!!
just thought I'd start light-hearted!

About AOPA--been a member for a lot of years but only subscribed to the legal-protection doohickey policy AFTER I was violated a few years back, lost my license for six months (well, I didn't really LOSE it, it's just that when I needed it the FA&A was keeping it for me)
It is a nightmare if you get violated and I could have saved myself much grief if I'd had AOPA's legal policy---I urge ya'll to subscribe to AOPA and the legal thingy they have--it's cheap insurance!