AOPA & Helicopters

[Chickenhawk1]

Looking for a little bit your personal experience here guys.
I've to give a presentation as part of my CFI course entitled 'AOPA and helicopters: Why should we join?'. I've researched the AOPA website and have found very little regarding, specifically, the benefits to GA helicopters and their pilots. So I'd like to hear some stories if anyone has them about how AOPA helped you as a member and as a helo pilot (i'm sure everyone else would like to hear them too). Thanks for your help in advance guys and gals...:ok:

[B Sousa]

Well, theres a clue, very few Helicopters are owned by the general public. The majority of those are not flown by the Owners.
Which means little revenue for an Organization, thus little interest. My 2 cents.
(AOPA 37 years now)(www.aopa.org)
Take a look at another Organization for Helicopters. HAI (www.rotor.com) THE biggest helicopter Organization out there. Pilots, very low on the totem pole as the money is from the Manufacturers and the Owners. Pilots are just another replaceable part.
( BUT WE shall party in Orlando, like we own the place)
Its all about the Money......

[aclark79]

I"m an AOPA member, and its been great for me for things like personal insurance, instructors insurance, extra cushions and stuff there, flight planning, airport information those kinds of things.

Its also one of the few orginazations fighting for GA rights, I am an HAI member, but I don't see them fighting airport closures. The more limits on GA planes there are, the more those limits will spill over onto Helicopters. Take the LIddel Crash on the East River in NY, the polititions there wanted to ban not just fixed wing planes, but all traffic around Manhattan and AOPA fought hard against that.

[fkelly]

Is it compulsory to be aged and obese to join or is it open to other pilots?

[MSP Aviation]

I once saw a middle aged, thin man wearing an AOPA hat!

I'm a member as well, but I don't wear the hat...

[Lightning_Boy]

Sounds like a Helicopter Adventures CFI Presentation to me, eh chickenhawk??? :ok:

[DennisK]

Speaking from experience ... I can say that in March 2000, Martin Robinson and Pat Malone of AOPA personally gave me exceptional support when I suffered a devastating family loss.

The publicity their journal gave to the technical aspects of a major 269C accident eventually resulted in the regulators taking, albeit long overdue, remedial action.

Since there had been a succession of accidents with fatalities related to the integrity of an airframe component, further accidents were prevented.

More detailed information was posted at the time on this forum.

No motive ... just to report the fact.

DRK

[scooter boy]

Being a tight bugger by nature I was initially doubtful about what AOPA actually do but having been a member for the past few years it is pretty clear that they are extremely politically active in lobbying governments and aviation authorities on behalf of GA.

They are also kept fairly busy representing and advising pilot members who find themselves on the wrong side of the authorities.

Membership costs peanuts and is well worth it IMHO, I also like the (free to members) magazine. It is far more focused on the business end of aircraft use than many others and is usually interesting reading.

BTW my annual membership is almost completely paid for by the fuel discount I get through AOPA every time I fill up my Mooney at Jersey.

SB

[Head Turner]

Without such organisations as AOPA we, the helicopterists would be suffering from all kinds of NIMBY activists who we all know are supported by ill informed ministers of politics.
Scooter Boy says it, as it is, and DennisK, God bless him, also points you to one other reasons we need these organisation.

For content for your CFI thing may I suggest you look into the rationale of AOPA etc