When I achieve my goal of becoming an airline pilot I will definitely become a member of ALPA which is the Air Line Pilots Association. I'm already a member of the AOPA and EAA and I plan on staying with them as time goes on however I believe that the AOPA is a little more valuable. I have this opinion because as we discussed in class for $70 a year if you ever have an aircraft accident or incident they will provide a lawyer for you. The EAA or Experimental Aircraft Association is also very beneficial in that it provides many ways to give back to the aviation world through donation volunteer flights but for the purposes of this blog I'll be talking about the AOPA and ALPA.
The main purpose of the AOPA as stated in their website is to promote general aviation and " to make it possible for everyone that wants to take to the skies a reality". The AOPA fights to protect pilots rights and general aviation privileges. They offer many services ranging from updates on AOPA funded safety seminars to lawyer services. ALPA functions as the biggest airline pilot union in the world and claims they represent and advocate for over 54000 pilots at 31 different airlines on their website. Their main goal is to ensure and promote airline safety. ALPA basically fights for the protection of airline pilots much like the AOPA fights for the protection of general aviation pilots. The AOPA really fights to protect all pilots but specializes and focuses more on general aviation and leaves the airline pilot coverage to ALPA. When I say "fight" I mean that these organizations lobby to shoot down regulations that hinder or take away pilot rights. For example the AOPA has been trying to get the 3rd class medical done away with so that more private pilots will have access to the skies even if their health may be of concern.
It's important for me to stay involved in these organizations because they indirectly represent me and fight for my safety and rights as a pilot. They provide services that would be very hard to find elsewhere especially for such a low price.
References
http://www.alpa.org/en/about-alpa/what-we-do
https://www.aopa.org/about
AOPA and ALPA are most recommended organizations for pilots to join. Like you stated there are so many useful benefits of joining these organizations. I did not know that the EAA does donation flights. I like the emphasis on protecting your rights and safety as a pilot because these organizations are great for that. Great information as well.
ReplyDeleteAOPA is a wonderful organization to be a part of because they seem to treat all their members equally. Whether you're a senior captain at a major, or a weekend warrior who struggles just to keep current, AOPA recognizes and supports all pilots. The other nice thing about AOPA is that they fight for the little guys as you said. Sometimes it's nice to know you have an entire organization in your corner if you ever need it.
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