What aviation organisations do you belong to?

[Genghis the Engineer]

Inspired by the LAA CE thread, I wonder what aviation organisations (or none) we all belong to? And why

I'll kick off:

Member of
LAA - UK's best members organisation for light aircraft flying and engineering, great magazine, plus they let me do a bit of test flying for them.

BMAA - UK's only (but also excellent) members organisation for microlight flying and engineering, great magazine, plus I'm an inspector and do a bit of test flying for them as well.

RAeS - World's best members organisation for aerospace professionals, superb library, really useful specialist committees, conferences and lectures, and I get discount on the journal.

SETP - World's only members organisation for Test Pilots. Also very cheap, and superb conferences and papers database.

Specifically not a member of
UKAOPA - doesn't seem to do anything I don't get from another association, plus seems to act a bit too much as a flying training industry representative body.

GAPAN - I don't have the time to do any justice to the membership, maybe one day.

AIAA - But I probably should be, whilst American it is really international and does some fantastic work. Plus members get huge journal discounts.

BGA - I don't fly gliders

(I've not done this as a poll, because I think that the poll system only allows us to vote for one thing each. Also there are bound to be other organisations that I didn't think of.)

G

[Katamarino]

I only belong to the US AOPA. I fly a lot in the US, and they have great online resources and do excellent work in defending GA there.

I think that advocacy in the UK is weakened by having so many splinter groups; of course, the EU regulators have already damaged EU GA too much for a "GA serves America" style campaign to be run over here. The European attitude seems to be "how can we bring these rich playboys down to our level", rather than the US view of "wow, how can I get up there?"

[IO540]

US AOPA.
PPL/IR (http://www.pplir.org).

[BackPacker]

None myself because the representation in the Netherlands is way too splintered to my liking. If there was one strong organization in the Netherlands I'd be a member of that.

[what next]

None - Reason? Don't know, I probably don't fit in any scheme, so it either means joining them all or none.

[englishal]

Us Aopa
Ppl/ir

[djpil]

I'm currently a member of AOPA (Australia), two Australian aerobatic clubs, International Aerobatic Club, Royal Victorian Aerobatic Club and the Flight Test Society Australia.

I was a member of the RAeS for many years - it may be the best organisation in UK or Europe but in Australia you pay a lot for what little you get here.

[Katamarino]

I had forgotten PPL/IR. Perhaps I shall join up...

[AfricanEagle]

AOPA Italy
Aeroclub of Italy

[flybymike]

Well let me be extraordinarily controversial here and say that I am a member of UKAOPA and have been for the last 27 years without break.

[Genghis the Engineer]

Well let me be extraordinarily controversial here and say that I am a member of UKAOPA and have been for the last 27 years without break.


I'm not sure it's controversial as such, but why do you find that the best club to belong to compared to, for example, the LAA?

G

[Tone]

AOPA is an interesting organisation;
£90 a year if you are in the UK
$35 a year in the US.
Benefits seem to be much the same
Rip-off or what?

[stevelup]

Economies of scale... Presumably AOPA US has several orders of magnitude more members than AOPA UK?

[vee-tail-1]

Well I was a member of SLAET (Society of licenced aircraft engineers and technologists) for many years, until it was merged with the RAeS.
Seemed like mixing chalk & cheese, so it was not until I gave up airline flying in 1993 that I joined another organisation, the PFA, now LAA.
Very happy with the balance of engineering and flying that the LAA gives me.

[Rod1]

I am a “full plus” member of the LAA which is compulsory if you own an LAA aircraft.


”BMAA - UK's only (but also excellent) members organisation for microlight flying and engineering, great magazine, plus I'm an inspector and do a bit of test flying for them as well.”

No so, the LAA has 20% micros in its fleet and offers full engineering and coaching support. But I agree the BMA is a very good members organisation with a much better forum than the LAA.

Rod1

[mrmum]

Am in UK AOPA, however as an FI it's not quite as expensive, but I initially joined as a PPL.

Used to be in PFA, but let it lapse after I'd been instructing for a while, didn't seem to do anything to benefit me as a FI, as I recall.

[J.A.F.O.]

LAA - Originally as I owned a PFA type then just because it was worth being a member of.

AOPA - Not entirely sure why.

[SlipSlider]

LAA - as my Champ is on a Permit. I have been a PFA/LAA member since the late 70's, although I was mostly flying the usual rental aircraft types for the first 20 years or so. I supported it's objectives then, and still do. If it was not for the LAA permit route, I doubt I would be flying today; and certainly not the 75 hrs I flew last year!

Other than that, just the VAC - Vintage Aircraft Club, as the Champ is, well ..... vintage.

Sometimes I feel guilty about not being a member of AOPA UK, but overall I remain unconvinced that it's for me.

[gasax]

LAA - because most of the time I've owned a permit aircraft - although the politics of the PFA/LAA depress me beyond belief.

AOPA - not so long as the sun shines, there needs to be a massive change before it becomes relevant.

BMAA - I would join in an instant if they were an LAA alternative - proper grass roots flying with enthusiastic people.

PPL/IR - seem to be effective - particularly given their very small base - should/could be an example to AOPA UK.

BGA - again an effective organisation which works effectively for its members seem to work rather than politic - if only the LAA were as good..........

[S-Works]

LAA
UKAOPA
USAOPA
Sea Plane Pilots Association
PPLIR

[Genghis the Engineer]

I am a “full plus” member of the LAA which is compulsory if you own an LAA aircraft.


”BMAA - UK's only (but also excellent) members organisation for microlight flying and engineering, great magazine, plus I'm an inspector and do a bit of test flying for them as well.”

No so, the LAA has 20% micros in its fleet and offers full engineering and coaching support. But I agree the BMA is a very good members organisation with a much better forum than the LAA.

Rod1

Okay, fair point, the BMAA is the best microlight organisation then.

But, whilst I've a lot of respect for the LAA coaching scheme, I'd personally never recommend anybody uses it for a microlight when there are multi-thousand hour microlight instructors out there who do nothing but teach on those and similar aeroplanes. The LAA coaching scheme should, in my opinion, be regarded as there for the vintage and homebuilt SEP types only.

G

[A and C]

LAA & AOPA

I fail to see why people see AOPA in such a negative way, the recent work they did during the volcanic ash stupidity was enough to make my subscription good value for money.

[Roffa]

Laa
Usaopa

Hmmmm, it won't let me capitalise them...

[Genghis the Engineer]

LAA & AOPA

I fail to see why people see AOPA in such a negative way, the recent work they did during the volcanic ash stupidity was enough to make my subscription good value for money.

Really, what did they do? I don't remember them attending any of the scientific meetings, CAA conferences, or being on the current volcanic ash taskforce.

G

[A and C]

They did get the ATC system working for VFR traffic when ATS units started to impliment "no fly zones".

[Genghis the Engineer]

They did get the ATC system working for VFR traffic when ATS units started to impliment "no fly zones".

AOPA did? How? Yes, I am being cynical here - I was very involved and attending most of CAA's policy meetings on the subject, without noticing any input from AOPA. They may have been talking to NATS directly, but you'd have perhaps expected some engagement with the scientific and safety debate if they were to make any useful contribution.

G

[bingoboy]

I am a member of a few of the many organisations that represent GA in the UK primarily down to necessity and find them all lacking in their ability to influence government (CAA/EASA) and public opinion.
They are segregated largely by type of aircraft/pilot. I would like to see just two organisations; one for non commercial GA and the other a trade body.

[IO540]

For some reason the UK organisations tend to pull in different directions.

I don't know why.

One reason may be the % of volunteers involved (due to the lack of income). The problem with volunteers is that you can't pick good people; you are stuck with whoever is willing to get their hands dirty, and - like Planning Committees ;) - a lot of them are simply incompetent.

Another may be that UK aviation has a long history and is packed full of "big old characters" with OBEs, CBEs, fellows of every society, you name it. These character types do find it hard to work with others. They did not get to where they are by bending over and compromising.

Another is the stingy nature of Brits. As the old joke goes: you can tell a plane full of Brits has landed; the engines stop but the whining continues. Pilots moan about £10 landing fees (having spent £100 flying there). Extracting cash from UK GA is a thankless task - especially if you have little to deliver in return ;)

America will always be different. They have the numbers but equally importantly they all regard themselves as "Americans" and tend to work together.

[ferrydude]

AOPA
NBAA
KWSN (Knights Who Say Ni)
YouTube - The Knights Who Say "Ni!" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zIV4poUZAQo)

[Bigglesthefrog]

Currently:-
LAA = Because I support the Rally (Would like a return to BIG rallies) and the Magazine is great.
Although I have been flying non permit A/C for years, I intend to change to a permit type soon that may involve some degree of building for which I may need a bit of help from Francis:ok:
FLYING CLUB = And a damn good old fashioned (everyone talks to everyone) club too!!

In the past:-
PFA = Loved the big Rally, supported the change in the magazine and had an involvement with the running of the association.
AOPA = Never found much benefit personally, but I may have been a bit selfish and/or short sighted here.
RAFGSA = With whom I first took to the air solo.
BHGA = I taut myself to fly Hang Gliders way before this association was started and then when I was convinced that they weren't going to be all controlling:= I joined them.

[shortstripper]

Just the LAA at present and have been a member since I was 16.

In the past I have belonged to the BMAA and BGA - probably will again at certain points during the rest of my "hopefully" long life still to come :\

SS