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AOPA MasterCard becomes inadvertent networking tool
How AOPA's MasterCard was instrumental in an airplane partnership
AOPA Member Peter Dekker
Peter Dekker, AOPA member since 2008, always wanted to learn to fly, but it wasn’t until his retirement four years ago that he had the time to devote to the process. Having earned his private pilot certificate, he soon bought a quarter share in a Piper Archer II, which he and his wife use for pleasure trips from their home base in Rindge, N.H., to varied destinations like Gettysburg, Pa., and Acadia National Park on Mount Desert Island, Maine.
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When Dekker was in need of a new credit card, he thought he might as well apply for AOPA’s MasterCard so his purchases could help support AOPA’s advocacy efforts. He knew, as well, that he could rapidly accumulate points—a task he actively pursues. In fact, he recently earned double points by paying for the airplane’s $4,000 annual inspection with the card.
When using his AOPA MasterCard, Dekker had noticed that merchants sometimes comment on it, most frequently thinking it’s a credit card to earn frequent flyer miles. But one day, Dekker used his card to buy wood pellets for his home’s stove at the Heart Line Stove Shop in Jaffrey, N.H. Unbeknownst to Dekker, Dave Miller, part of the family-owned business, is also a pilot, and he and Dekker ended up talking about flying for two hours. “At the time, I was thinking it was good Dave is one of the family—had he been just an employee, he probably would have been in trouble for talking with me for as long as we did,” said Dekker.
When one of the partners decided to sell his share, Dekker remembered his conversation with Miller, who had expressed interest in the airplane. When Miller was approached, he said yes, and after a quick sale, Dekker and Miller share ownership of the Archer II, all because the AOPA MasterCard identified Dekker as a pilot.
Dekker and his wife fly about 100 hours a year and use their AOPA MasterCard to accumulate points which they can put to use for trips, merchandise, or cash. You never know what other bonuses this card can provide, identifying you as a pilot each time you use it.
January 10, 2012
