AOPA Pilot Magazine - April 2011 - 1

MEMBERGUIDE
AOPA, 421 AVIATION WAY, FREDERICK, MARYLAND 21701 AOPA, 421 AVIATION WAY, FREDERICK, MARYLAND 21701 800-USA-AOPA (872-2672) • www.aopa.org 800-USA-AOPA (872-2672) • www.aopa.org

AOPA member services that keep you flying

ADDRESS CHANGE? ADDRESS CHANGE?

Send your new address and AOPA membership number to Send your new address and AOPA membership number to AOPA, 421 Aviation Way, Frederick, Maryland 21701-4798 AOPA, 421 Aviation Way, Frederick, Maryland 21701-4798 Fax ..........................................................301-695-2375 Fax ..........................................................301-695-2375 Click ................................. www.aopa.org/coa-form.html Click ................................. www.aopa.org/coa-form.html

TOLL-FREE PILOT INFORMATION CENTER TOLL-FREE PILOT INFORMATION CENTER AOPA FOUNDATION AOPA FOUNDATION

Call .......................................800-USA-AOPA (872-2672) Call .......................................800-USA-AOPA (872-2672) Click ........................................................www.aopa.org Click ........................................................www.aopa.org Call ..........................................................800-955-9115 Call ..........................................................800-955-9115 Click ...................................... www.aopa.org/foundation Click ...................................... www.aopa.org/foundation

Member regains medical after surgery for deteriorating heart valve
Don Hull is an aerospace engineer in Huntsville, Alabama. In 2008, Hull’s doctor detected a heart murmur, which the doctor believed would be helped with medication. The following year, the situation required surgery. At that time, Hull was told his mitral valve could be repaired and did not have to be replaced. Unfortunately, several days after the repair surgery, a second surgery was necessary to totally replace the valve. All of this left Hull with no medical. Although he’d been an AOPA member since 1984, Hull had not joined AOPA’s Medical Services Plan. When he was told he would need surgery, Hull decided to add the plan, because he knew he wanted to get his medical back. “My medical expired on March 31, a week before my surgery. I would have self-declared that I wasn’t able to fly, however,” he says. AOPA helped him submit a package to the FAA. “What I submitted was more than 300 pages of my medical record, including 150 pages from the hospital where I had the surgery—it was every entry in my medical record from the day I went in to the day I was discharged,” Hull says. He did not submit anything to his AME or to the FAA without talking to AOPA first. “AOPA reviewed every piece of paper,” he says. The review period might have added a few extra weeks to the process, but Hull says it was well worth it in terms of peace of mind. “I have heard horror stories of people’s paperwork being hung up for months, and I didn’t want that to happen to me.” After he submitted his package, the FAA called to tell him it required four items and he had 30 days to submit them. “I went into panic mode and called AOPA. I realized that I could supply all four easily; in fact, they already had two of the items.” At the end of June, Hull says, “AOPA sent me an e-mail saying they had just checked and that I would get my Special Issuance Class III Medical, and sure enough, a week later I got it in the mail.” The special issuance means that Hull must pass the medical exam every year instead of every two years. “From the standpoint of accurate advice, AOPA knows what they’re doing. There’s a peace of mind that comes from knowing you have a third party to talk to and to ask questions,” says Hull.

AIR SAFETY INSTITUTE AIR SAFETY INSTITUTE

Call ..........................................................800-638-3101 Call ..........................................................800-638-3101 Click ................................................. www.aopa.org/asf Click ................................................. www.aopa.org/asf

AOPA CREDIT CARD PROGRAM AOPA CREDIT CARD PROGRAM AOPA AIRCRAFT FINANCING AOPA AIRCRAFT FINANCING

Call ..........................................................800-523-7666 Call ..........................................................800-523-7666 Click ...........................................www.aopa.org/info/cc Click ...........................................www.aopa.org/info/cc Call ..........................................................800-627-5263 Call ..........................................................800-627-5263 Click ..............................................www.aopa.org/loans Click ..............................................www.aopa.org/loans

AOPA AIRCRAFT INSURANCE AOPA AIRCRAFT INSURANCE

Call .......................................800-622-AOPA (622-2672) Call .......................................800-622-AOPA (622-2672) Click ............................ www.aopa.org/aircraftinsurance Click ............................ www.aopa.org/aircraftinsurance

AOPA LEGAL SERVICES PLAN AOPA LEGAL SERVICES PLAN

AOPA MEDICAL SERVICES PROGRAM AOPA MEDICAL SERVICES PROGRAM OTHER AOPA MEMBER PRODUCTS OTHER AOPA MEMBER PRODUCTS

Call .......................................800-USA-AOPA (872-2672) Call .......................................800-USA-AOPA (872-2672) Click ............................. www.aopa.org/medicalservices Click ............................. www.aopa.org/medicalservices Call .......................................800-USA-AOPA (872-2672) Call .......................................800-USA-AOPA (872-2672) Click .............................www.aopa.org/memberproducts Click .............................www.aopa.org/memberproducts

ANSWERSFORPILOTS
Webinar on buying an aircraft set for April 20
This is the time of year when many AOPA members consider purchasing an aircraft. If you are looking to buy and have questions about the purchase process, AOPA has answers for you. AOPA’s staff of aviation technical specialists can help you determine a fair value for the aircraft you have in mind, and discuss costs, financing, insurance, inspections, aircraft records, and all the other considerations that go into making an informed decision to buy. AOPA will host two free interactive webinars about buying aircraft on April 20 at 3 p.m. and 9 p.m. Eastern time. Sign up online (www.aopa.org/members/pic/webinars. html). For an overview of what will be covered in the webinar, read this month’s online Answers for Pilots (www.aopa. org/members/answers0411). And, as always, if you have an immediate question, give us a call at 800-USA-AOPA (872-2672).

AOPA Facebook page gets a facelift
The pilot community is converging on the all-new AOPA Facebook page (Facebook.com/aopapilots) and we want you to join the conversation. We have consolidated our Facebook pages to make it even easier to connect with other pilots and engage in some hangar talk. Get a sneak peek at upcoming content in the magazine and the latest on what’s going on in general aviation. Like AOPA’s new page on Facebook today!
AOPA PILOT • 1 • APRIL 2011

AOPA Pilot Magazine - April 2011

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of AOPA Pilot Magazine - April 2011