AOPA Forums History

AOPA just announced due to "security reasons" that they are shutting down their forums in favor of facebook and their other site (which is even worse than the aborted Oshoksh365 thing). Of course, it's no wonder the site looked risky as they haven't updated their VB since 2009 (they're running 3.8.x which has not been supported in years). Of course, I complained to AOPA management and I got NOTHING back (which is par for the course because years ago I offered to help fix up their site to a modern version, get tapatalk working, etc. and they didn't even give me the courtesy of an answer).

Contrast this to the EAA where the last time I had issues not only did Pelton respond via emails but I got phone calls from Connie Bowlin (WOA), Michael Goulian (IAC), and Susan Dusenbury (Vintage). AOPA is a bit ineffectual and unreachable.

If the forums go, so will my AOPA membership. I've had enough of their shenanigans.

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Originally Posted by FlyingRon

AOPA just announced do=ue to "security reasons" that they are shutting down their forums in favor of facebook and their other site (which is even worse than the aborted Oshoksh365 thing). Of course, it's no wonder the site looked risky as they haven't updated their VB since 2009 (they're running 3.8.x which has not been supported in years). Of course, I complained to AOPA management and I got NOTHING back (which is par for the course because years ago I offered to help fix up their site to a modern version, get tapatalk working, etc. and they didn't even give me the courtesy of an answer).

Contrast this to the EAA where the last time I had issues not only did Pelton respond via emails but I got phone calls from Connie Bowlin (WOA), Michael Goulian (IAC), and Susan Dusenbury (Vintage). AOPA is a bit ineffectual and unreachable.

If the forums go, so will my AOPA membership. I've had enough of their shenanigans.

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I've been a member of AOPA for over 50 years. I finally dropped it this year when my renewal fee more than doubled. I tried to negotiate a "LifeTime" membership, but they were not interested.

I, too, have dropped my AOPA membership due to the fee going way up.

I dropped my AOPA membership when they increased the dues several years ago. I learned a lot from participating in the forums over the years, but in my opinion they were catering more to corporate & higher income owners & not to us little guys. I was particularly upset by their former president's full support of ADSB requirements which add significant costs to aircraft ownership. Even though I haven't flown in several years due to family commitments, I feel I get significantly more from my EAA membership than I ever did from AOPA.

I dropped my AOPA membership quite a number of years ago, to a large degree because I got sick of them alleging that they had done this and done that and done the other thing all by themselves, while it was obvious that EAA, GAMA and/or other organizations were involved, blowing their own horn to a (to me) sickening degree. There's a degree of that with EAA(not nearly as bad), but in recent years they've more and more been acknowledging the participation of other organizations too.

Actually, there were other things I didn't much care for, too. I still get occasional postal mail asking me to rejoin.

As a Canadian, I was only an AOPA member in order to have access to the US Airport Directory. When I got Foreflight over 5 years ago I cancelled my membership.

I'm not knocking the AOPA....they at least send one a hat.

You should have held out for the flight bag or the battery power bank.

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Originally Posted by Frank Giger

I'm not knocking the AOPA....they at least send one a hat.

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I've not got a hat from them. Even if they did, it probably wouldn't fit. Most of my Volunteer hats from EAA don't fit either.

ha ha....I've gotten a couple hats over the years, renewing at sun n fun or airventure...nice hats too. I've never gotten anything much like it from EAA...not that I expect it really.

I maintain my memberships primarily because I know they have some lobbying efforts on behalf of GA...even if they may not be lone players in that game, they do play a roll I suppose. i enjoy the magazine too....and I have used their med support people for support a time or two many years back.

I had only just recently joined their forums, and so I'm sad to see it going away. Didn't seem overly active anyway...oh well.

The med support outside the forum was counterproductive to me. Eh? Their forums are more active than this board. The major difference is you never see an AOPA staffer on the boards there. It's a 100% volunteer activity.

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Originally Posted by FlyingRon

The major difference is you never see an AOPA staffer on the boards there.

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Unless one of the writers is trolling for material for a magazine article. And just like every other time I have talked to the media, I was misquoted.

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Originally Posted by FlyingRon

The med support outside the forum was counterproductive to me. Eh? .

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How was it counter productive Ron? The few times I have used them it was very helpful.

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Originally Posted by gbrasch

How was it counter productive Ron? The few times I have used them it was very helpful.

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Because they gave out patently wrong information that ended up in me being unnecessarily grounded for 12 weeks while I got the stupidity unravelled. Dr. B pretty much told me that I was fed a load of bull by the AOPA and that my AME probably should have been decertfiied (for reasons unrelated to my application).

I was trying to be supportive, but I won't use "the hangar" as a web board.
I have a sneaky suspicion that this forum will get a lot more active.

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Originally Posted by n1acguy

I have a sneaky suspicion that this forum will get a lot more active.

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That would be a good thing!

The medical support Dr. B provided on the AOPA Forum was beyond excellent. That, and having so many really knowledgeable persons actively participating made it my favorite aviation Forum. Too bad it will close, so I will now visit this forum a lot more often.

;)

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Originally Posted by Puertoricoflyer

The medical support Dr. B provided on the AOPA Forum was beyond excellent. That, and having so many really knowledgeable persons actively participating made it my favorite aviation Forum. Too bad it will close, so I will now visit this forum a lot more often.

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If by "Dr. B." you're referring to Dr. Bruce Chien, he's on the Pilots of America forum... which was created, in fact, due to earlier issues with the AOPA forums.

https://www.pilotsofamerica.com/community/

Ron Wanttaja