Membership Services
Pilot saves $1,000 through AOPA program
At first, Bettina Edelstein admits, it sounded “almost too good to be true,” but for a Manhattan writer penning a book about her return to aviation, and enrolling in school out of state to become an airframe and powerplant mechanic, it made sense to check it out.
With a few mouse clicks, she learned that discounts can add up fast when you’re selling a Manhattan apartment through an agent who participates in AOPA Lifestyles Member Discounts. At Prudential Douglas Elliman Real Estate, Edelstein found agents Timothy Griffin and Kevin Liba—both pilots—eager to help. While they couldn’t handle the sale personally, being based on Long Island, they put Edelstein in touch with a Manhattan broker—and stayed involved.
“Most important, Tim continued to check in regularly with me as well as the New York City broker to make sure everything was going well,” Edelstein said. “He was totally on the ball and delightful to deal with.”
Edelstein saved $1,260 on the commission, and, as she told Griffin, “that extra money is sure going to be a big help in paying for that honking set of Snap-On tools I'll be buying soon!”
Edelstein earned her private certificate in the 1980s, but stopped flying for more than 20 years. On a lark, she went for a ride in a Piper Warrior in November 2010.
“All it took was one brief flight for me to be smitten again,” Edelstein said. Shaking off the rust, “I found myself wanting to know more about how aircraft work and what makes them fly. Ultimately that yearning, and a newly awakened desire to be around airplanes as much as possible, led me to decide to pursue A&P certification. Meanwhile, I'm also writing a book about the life lessons I've learned in my return to flying.”
September 13, 2012
