Just been reading the last US AOPA mag...
Their total revenue is $53M so no wonder they are effective!
But they are seeing some changes. To quote:
Because of the declining pilot population, we have focused our marketing efforts on the pilots and prospective pilots most likely to join and renew with the organization
They are going after people graduating from training establishments, military pilots, etc.
The membership has declined from 414k to 385k over 5 years.
I would suggest that Europe has seen a far bigger decline, due to fuel being the dominant cost, and going up fast. Yet, I don't see much going on over here when it comes to encouraging new PPLs to stay in the game.
I don't see that the schools are at all interested in doing anything. The UK mentoring scheme, proposed and organised by UK AOPA, is not really going anywhere, despite having been very carefully set up to not upset the schools (only for PPL holders, no pre-PPL mentoring, etc). The schools are not interested in promoting any "advanced" training; the few instructors who go around doing courses need to tread carefully (and they get their business mostly by plugging themselves in pilot forums).
I grew up in the States. When I first got my license in 1988 the AOPA membership was 660,000! Wow...385k now!?
This has been debated before. How to get more people taking lessons? Not sure of the answer.
I'd like to think Ice Pilots, Flying Wild Alaska, Bush Pilots, and some of the other TV series might help?
It shows that AOPA USA has - despite a couple of "initiatives" - not had a clue over the last decade as to how to reverse the trend and increase the pilot population. Actually, I think they still focus too much on the existing pilots and too little on the would-be-pilots.
BTW, a couple of weeks ago, I attended AOPA Germany's annual general meeting and was rather surprised to learn that membership numbers have been stable and even rising in the last few years.
This is not necessarily to say that GA in Germany is fairing better than in the US. Maybe it's just that in Germany, a higher percentage of pilots has realized the urgent need to fight the ever increasing threats to GA flying.
Just been reading the last US AOPA mag...
Still wastin' your time with that?
It shows that AOPA USA has - despite a couple of "initiatives" - not had a clue over the last decade as to how to reverse the trend and increase the pilot population. Actually, I think they still focus too much on the existing pilots and too little on the would-be-pilots.
What makes you think that?
Does anyone have a clue how to solve the problems that cause GA to decline?
Still wastin' your time with that?
Can you elaborate?
Maybe it's just that in Germany, a higher percentage of pilots has realized the urgent need to fight the ever increasing threats to GA flying.
Yeah, the worse the crap we get from EASA and the national regulators, the better for AOPA because pilots feel like they have to do something... And the other aspect of that is that whenever there is something positive, like a bullet dodged, AOPA will claim it as their victory (and so will a few other organizations).
I don't know many pilots at my airfield that are AOPA members. I also don't know how I could lobby them to join. There is a something similar to the the US' AAA in Germany, called ADAC, it's for cars and the membership numbers are insanely high (18 of 80 million inhabitants of Germany, i.e. 22.5% whereas the AAA has less than 15%). It's a pure car lobby organization but few members realize that, they think it is an insurance for roadside breakdowns. AOPA gives very little incentives to its members and whatever good AOPA does (i.e. prevent EASA from implementing stupid rules), non members benefit equally.
And here all along I thought ADAC was a paid service to send me magazines for German reading practice. :-)
The basic issue with participation in aviation is society becoming more risk averse, and less adventurous. I don''t think there's much you can do about that in relation to aviation, but I do take part in the US AOPA PAC as a tactical-level thing - they use the money against local politicians who would close airports if not strongly reminded that the land was given to them with strings attached.
Otherwise, I recommend buying aircraft now while they are widespread and relatively inexpensive, and enjoying them. Who cares that many people today have forgotten what it is to live? Live yourself, enjoy your aircraft while they worry about the brand of clothes they wear, and prove that life is better that way.
What's the membership percentage of the DAeC? If ADAC had some competition, their membership numbers might be lower too.
Peter,
I would suggest that Europe has seen a far bigger decline, due to fuel being the dominant cost, and going up fast.
I agree. Cost ist the major showstopper for most PPL's. Add to that pressures from social circles and family, who today are being told at every possible occasion how "immoral" and "inappropriate" such "luxury hobbies" are and we are "environment killers" e.t.c. This kind of political brainwash started in the 80ties (I can only too well remember my school days then with all the hippy movement on the loose) and has produced the politicians who today are convinced aviation is only for the rich class enemy and therefore needs to be exterminated.
Mind, they are not only after Aviation. In yesterday's paper the same bunch of people suggest to impose new taxes on all "fossil fuels" of £10 per liter "to save the environment" and to "regulate the overcrowded traffic". In other words, these people only want the very rich to drive or rather nobody at all.
I don't see that the schools are at all interested in doing anything.
Basically, there are two different kind of schools, both of them are quite unsuitable to attract future private pilots/owners.
1 are the flying clubs and aeroclub like outfits which fly their park of non complex GA machinery and aim to produce PPL's to rent their airplanes to while and after their education.
That kind of school will actively discourage aircraft ownership (because they then loose the pilots as their customers) and paint bleakest pictures of how much a plane costs to own and the hasseles involved. Well, imagine driving schools doing that.... who in turn know exactly that their job is to produce safe drivers and then have them buy their own cars. The flight schools don't want that and will fight those who do. Add to that, quite a few aerodromes are actually owned by such schools/clubs and do their best to ban/restrict/dictate conditions to pilot/owners for the same aforementioned reasons.
Most of those schools do not have the facilities nor the license to do more tham PPL training, most do not offer nor aspire to offer anything beyond that. It does not help that in order to offer IR or CPL training they need to fulfil a C130load full of regulations and paperwork, which is quite impossible for those small outfits.
How attractive is it then if already during training you are told repeatedly that - you will NEVER EVER be able to afford your own plane - owning a plane is a nightmare, will cause your marriage to break up and probably pimples - and should you dare own your own plane, don't even think of basing it at their aerodrome, they have a 20 year waiting list for a hangar space.
Now compare that with car ownership and ask yourself if you'd even consider making your license under these conditions?
The 2nd kind of schools are those who are interested in producing the future pay-to-fly airline pilots. They are not at all interested in PPL's because those bow out of the school program after the first 1/3rd and never get to the really expensive parts. Those schools btw also oppose the future EASA proposals for a better accessible IR as it will cut their margins. When youngsters come to them to inquire about flight training, they get a glossy with a £100 k price tag to be an airline pilot and get to bed all the hosties, with an application for a credit they can never pay back in the packet as well.
And no, they do not want owner/pilots either. Because they take up slots at airports which the school needs for themselves, because they are not a client after they buy and because the typical owner pilot is interested in getting exactly the license/rating he needs but not more. No expensive CPL or ATPL.
That is why the current education system for pilots is not at all helping the situation.
Add to that the the cost for pilot training to a PPL and let alone IR has quatrippled in the last 20 years. That is a 400% inflation folks. Had it been anything like that when I did my CPL/IR, I could never have done it, not even a PPL. Today, doing a PPL costs half a yearly income or more, before it was 2-3 salaries.
Philip,
BTW, a couple of weeks ago, I attended AOPA Germany's annual general meeting and was rather surprised to learn that membership numbers have been stable and even rising in the last few years.
Same in Switzerland. It has to do with EASA and people's fear of it. Not unlike when workers join the unions when a big RIF is announced, people flock to the Aeroclubs as well as AOPA in masses when they see their licenses threatened. AOPA never had the profile here it has in the US, there is no glossy mag (which btw is probably one of their best marketing tools apart from the AOPA discounts they offer) for many years, AOPA in Europe was something you could join to get a nice crew card and discount vouchers for hotels and rental cars. That has changed in recent years and the work of AOPA especcially with regards to fighting EASA overregulation has been quantrum leap from years and years of inactivity before.
I do read the AOPA Mag basically to stay on top of what is going on in the US. However, I stopped some others I used to read mainly because it is too painful to see what is possible in the US but not in Europe. I have found that I end up much more frustrated and angry after reading about all the super toys and STC's e.t.c. people can have in the US which I can't have here. So I stopped.
Achim,
AOPA gives very little incentives to its members and whatever good AOPA does (i.e. prevent EASA from implementing stupid rules), non members benefit equally.
Well, I have to say that in recent years things have improved (at least in Switzerland). They do offer a very good safety seminar each year (a full day seminar which alone is worth the membership fee), I also got help from them in other issues. But you are right, were AOPA Europe to make a real difference and also go anywhere close to the ADAC effect (such as that pilots feel they "have to" belong or be missing something) they would need to come up with a common effort.
One reason AOPA is not as powerful as in the US is however the predominant power of the national aeroclubs who basically force membership onto most pilots. At least in Switzerland, that is a major factor. Without membership in the local, and through it the national, Aeroclub, it is next to impossible to rent planes from the club owned flight schools and flying groups. And a lot of these pilots then say, well, I am paying for the national aeroclub, why should I pay for one more? They don't see the difference and they consequently go for wht they have to pay for anyhow.
Silvaire,
Otherwise, I recommend buying aircraft now while they are widespread and relatively inexpensive, and enjoying them. Who cares that many people today have forgotten what it is to live? Live yourself, enjoy your aircraft while they worry about the brand of clothes they wear, and prove that life is better that way.
Amen Brother!
Add to that the the cost for pilot training to a PPL and let alone IR has quatrippled in the last 20 years. That is a 400% inflation folks. Had it been anything like that when I did my CPL/IR, I could never have done it, not even a PPL. Today, doing a PPL costs half a yearly income or more, before it was 2-3 salaries.
Here in the UK the average male salary is c. 25k (say €30k) while a PPL costs about €12k - that's based at an airport with significant landing fees, but it does assume you finish in say 50hrs. Obviously if you are a "100hr+ student" then it will cost you twice...
Is it really similarly pricey in Switzerland, where I would expect average income to be high?
I do read the AOPA Mag basically to stay on top of what is going on in the US. However, I stopped some others I used to read mainly because it is too painful to see what is possible in the US but not in Europe. I have found that I end up much more frustrated and angry after reading about all the super toys and STC's e.t.c. people can have in the US which I can't have here. So I stopped.
There are two main US mags: Flying and AOPA.
The latter comes "free" with US AOPA membership. I get it largely because it contains a lot of stuff about "traditional" flying which my son likes to read about. But it's also good to see US aviation reps visiting Europe here and there and when they do, they tend to wipe the EASA officials off the floor. I recall a particularly amusing episode where Phil Boyer made a speech at a meeting in Athens about GPS approaches into non-towered airports, and the Euro regulators cleared off very quickly before any questions could be presented to them. US AOPA does therefore matter - they raise awareness of what is possible, and slowly it is working into the system here.
The former is a glossy mag that reviews largely the latest fancy planes and products. I have now stopped getting it because it featured little but shoe-licking reviews of the same old stuff over and over. Mac was a great writer but he left when the new management took over and then, I felt, there was a lot less to read.
I don't know how even an unmarried person could comfortably fly on €30K per year - the two junior engineers who work for me make more than twice that and have limited disposable income.
Flying Magazine has in the last couple of decades been about glossy fantasy, versus the real world. The US AOPA mag is broader based and is more about real world flying, real people, hard issues. Its the best US magazine. I'm frustrated that I can't properly read the German aviation press but I like to read the UK mags... even if they drive me crazy with blinkered, technically uninformed, class conscious writing. More information is good, and one can read between the lines to see what's really going on. I picked up a copy of Pilot last week for €12.
Good for Phil Boyer, his calm presentation of the real world of aviation would surely embarrass those representing EASA's world view.
