AOPA Pilot Magazine - July 2014 - 4

PRESIDENT'S POSITION

New dues, new choices

MARK BAKER
AOPA President and CEO

Creating the future we all want

AOPA PRESIDENT

Mark Baker is an
active general
aviation pilot who
has more than more
than 7,500 flight
hours logged in 35
years of flying.

4 | AOPA PILOT July 2014

I ARRIVED AT AOPA less than a year ago with a lifelong
passion for aviation and a vision of sharing that passion,
not only with pilots like myself, but with countless others
who may not even know that flying is within their reach.
Right now, we are working to create an environment
where many more people can share in the experience of
general aviation, where we can reverse the rising cost of
flying, and where all of us can fly more often and much
later in life than we ever imagined. With you, we are
working to create a general aviation community that
is stronger and more vibrant than ever before. We can
achieve that by fighting hard to protect our freedoms,
by opening the hangar doors to anyone who wants to
experience aviation, and by removing the barriers that
prevent people from starting or continuing to fly.
To create the future we want, we have to start by
managing the present. When I came on board as AOPA
president, I promised to make aligning resources and
expenditures a top priority. And that's what I've done,
listening to you and focusing our energy on the programs
and goals that matter most.
To ensure that our focus is where it belongs-on your
priorities-we've made many changes inside your association, from increasing our advocacy efforts to cutting
costs. Through that process, I reached the difficult decision to raise AOPA's dues for just the second time in 24
years. Beginning September 1, a basic AOPA membership will be $59 a year. Let me share with you how and
why we decided to take this step.
I believe strongly that you must have your own house
in order before you ask others to contribute more. So we
started by cutting costs-bringing this year's operating
budget lower than it's been since 2006. As part of that
cost-cutting effort, we eliminated four executive positions, sold the Cessna Caravan, reduced mailings to save
on postage, and made sure we're making smart and efficient use of AOPA aircraft.
Aligning our resources with your priorities also
means we're more heavily, and successfully, engaged
in advocacy than ever before. We've stood up to federal agencies such as Customs and Border Protection to
make sure the rights of law-abiding pilots are respected.
We've worked closely with regulatory agencies to prevent rules that are unreasonably expensive or restrictive.
And we've worked with friends in Congress to stop user
fees, promote legislation that supports general aviation,
and get long-overdue action on medical reform.

This type of expert advocacy-and everything we do
to serve our members-comes at a cost. Typically, member dues account for some 30 percent of our operating
budget. Other revenue streams, such as advertising and
sponsorships, pay the rest. Difficult economic times
have hurt every industry, and GA is no exception. We
appreciate that so many companies continue to spend
their advertising dollars in AOPA publications, but we
can't ignore the fact that overall spending has decreased,
reducing an important revenue stream. The credit industry also has changed, decreasing returns from the AOPA
credit card. And the cost of doing business in America is
going up. Technology to run the websites and postage to
mail the magazines have risen in recent years.
We have long avoided passing these costs on to our
members, but despite refocusing our resources and cutting our spending, we've reached the conclusion that we
need to raise dues. Before deciding to take this step, we
got input from more than 2,000 members like you. They
told us how much they believe in what AOPA does. They
also told us they want choices that reflect the way they
fly. So we've added new membership options that offer
bundled pricing and let you pay only for the services you
need. The cost of these options varies from $49 for an
e-Membership to $179 for a Premium Plus membership,
which includes Pilot Protection Services Plus at a discount. We have discounted lifetime memberships that
provide excellent value, are a great way to show your
commitment to GA, and let you enjoy member benefits
without ever paying dues again.
I don't have space here to answer every question
that may come up, so if I haven't answered yours, please
check out our FAQ online (www.aopa.org/membership)
for more details. I know some of you also will have comments and ideas, and I want to hear from you. Contact
us via email (dues@aopa.org) and share your thoughts.
While I can't promise to respond to every comment, I
can assure you that we'll read every message we receive.
All of us at AOPA share your passion for aviation. We
are committed to strengthening GA, growing our community, and protecting our uniquely American freedom
to fly. We pledge to be good stewards of your dues dollars, and we appreciate the trust you place in us. Thank
you for your membership and your commitment to a
strong future for general aviation.
AOPA
EMAIL mark@aopa.org

http://www.aopa.org/membership

AOPA Pilot Magazine - July 2014

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