I just got sample christmas cards from AOPA. I wonder if they actually ever make a profit on direct mail schemes like this? I seriously doubt it is really worth it. It is also wasteful, I throw 2 pounds of paper away every month from them.

I will at least make some good of the card samples they sent. I plan to glue paper to the backside to cover up their order form and use them as post cards. Yes, I am cheap. But I am crafty, so that makes up for it.

D.

Just be thankful you have such a strong advocate for GA in the States - I guess they have to try and make money any way they can. Why not write directly to them and complain about it?

Actually I am not sure they are the advocate they claim to be. I need to research it more, much more, but it seems to me they advocate for the King Air and Citation crowd, and not so much for the guy who flys the old tail dragger out to the woods on a shoe string budget.
I only have so much money to support the sport, and I think my dollars may need to be redirected towards the RAF. I like graa roots organizations, and from what I have seen, thats what they are.

D.

David,

Consider that lately AOPA has been a significant supporter of the RAF. And a LOT of other "little guy" issues.

And, by the way, that mailing came from the Air Safety Foundation, not AOPA.

MTV

I'm not giving AOPA my credit card so got on the stick and sent my dues in with the first notice this year to try and save some wasted postage.

My guess is they make money on every letter or flyer you recieve. There is always an ad or two mixed in with that stuff. I just hope the focus remains lobbying and working across the country to protect our current sytem of general aviation.

Kinda like the NRA-- I've been a life member for about 20 years, but still get mailings asking me for more money: upgrade to benefactor status, or ILA & Whittington Center contributions (both of which I have given some support to). I have a buddy who joined but was so fed up with the immediate "send us money" mailings that he let his membership lapse.
But mailings aside, the NRA is still our best advocate as gun owners & probably the only reason firearm laws are not more restrictive than they are. Ditto for AOPA & aviation.

When you pay upper management high salarys (IIRC the president gets something like $800,000 a year) you gotta make ends meet somehow.

With so much at stake in GA these days you need to hire good 'help' so I can't get too burnt up about his salary.

Rerun

viewtopic.php?f=20&t=6346

hotrod150 wrote:I have a buddy who joined but was so fed up with the immediate "send us money" mailings that he let his membership lapse.

That's exactly what I did. There's no bigger chicken little organization than NRA. I got more sh!t from NRA than catalogs from Victoria's Secret.

After reading most of the other thread, and looking closer at the latest junk mail, I will renew. This time.