What with fuel price campaigning and an accessible IR I would have thought people would be clapping and cheering for AOPA - but GA in this country isn't like that at all.
A lot of people have been banging on about a more accessible private IR for much longer than I have been flying. It would be wrong for AOPA to claim sole credit, or even the main credit, for this. I think
PPL/IR have done most of the work to kick off the most recent movements, by getting in at the right places.
However, I still believe that the ultimate "lubricant" for a more accessible private IR has been the stampede to the FAA option.
According to the latest info I've seen, there is a long way to go as the "new IR" still falls way short of the FAA option on accessibility to the typical private IFR pilot. But it's a step in the right direction.