You may have noticed over the past few months that some articles in AOPA Pilot refer readers to the association's site on the World Wide Web for additional information. For instance, when the FAA recently issued new rules regarding the certification of insulin-dependent diabetics, we were able to provide the full text of these new rules on the Web, something that space restraints would not allow within the magazine itself. This is just one example of the considerable potential that the Web offers for expanded communication between you and your association.
Although we've just begun expanding Pilot's offerings through the Web, AOPA's site (www.aopa.org) is hardly new. We began development of the Internet version of AOPA Online in the summer of 1995 and went "live" on December 20 of that year. While scarcely a secret, we did little to promote the site in the early months, preferring to build it gradually as we learned the best way to present the information that it would contain. At Expo '96 in October, we unveiled a complete graphic makeover, featuring a more exciting look and vastly improved navigational capabilities. Then, just in time for Christmas, we launched the new members-only section. Finally, on March 7, AOPA Online on CompuServe was discontinued and consolidated into AOPA Online on the Web.
The philosophy behind having both a public and a private members-only section is simple. The public section is designed to acquaint the millions of Web users around the world with the who, what, why, and where of AOPA and of general aviation. In addition to describing AOPA's and the AOPA Air Safety Foundation's activities, we provide information to help aspiring pilots address the challenges of learning to fly. We include sample articles from the current edition of AOPA Pilot, ASF safety publications, the text of AOPA Legislative Action testimony on aviation bills, and reports from our regional representatives on issues facing general aviation and GA airports around the nation. The centerpiece of the public section is the home page, with daily news updates on the activities of AOPA, ASF, Legislative Action, and IAOPA on behalf of GA.
The private section is an added benefit of membership in AOPA. This section contains file libraries that will be brought online over the coming months, beginning with an archive of Pilot magazine articles dating back to 1990, databases comprising a variety of often-requested information items, free classified advertising, member-suggested Web links, and member-to-member messaging. We have a number of services and information products under study for introduction later this year, the first of which will be weather information. Priority goes to features specifically requested by the members who use the site.
The intent of our Web presence is to enhance the nature of your communication with your association. Our toll-free Pilot Information Center (800/USA-AOPA) is available to members 9.5 hours each weekday. AOPA Online, however, is there 24 hours a day, 365 days a year — and also boasts virtually unlimited storage capacity.
So if you are a member who wants to request an aircraft title search, you can do so at your own convenience, day or night. Or, by submitting the data online, save yourself the time it would normally take by mail or telephone to advise AOPA of an address change. Or download the current FAR Part 91 for study before a flight review. Or bid on an item in ASF's Silent Auction and contribute to the cause of aviation safety in the process.
More important, however, is the Web's ability to support AOPA's core missions of information, education, and representation. AOPA's Aviation Services department is engaged in a project to formalize the knowledge and resources of the aviation specialists who staff the Pilot Information Center into "fact sheets" on a variety of subjects. Dozens of these will be posted in the file libraries mentioned above so that members may have 24-hour-a-day access to the expertise of our staff. Similarly, the text of the AOPA Air Safety Foundation's "Safety Advisor" series and other publications is available through ASF's home page, as are up-to-date schedules of ASF courses and seminars. And we'll provide the full text of important notices of proposed rulemaking and other regulatory actions, offering you the opportunity to file comments for the docket online.
NPRMs are particularly good examples of the timeliness of the Web as a communications channel. Government agencies frequently propose rule changes on such short deadlines that, by the time AOPA is able to advise members of the issue in Pilot, the comment deadline is just days away — or may have already passed. Because AOPA Online is updated daily, we can provide a greater lead time for comments, enhancing AOPA's effectiveness in representing the interests of the general aviation community.
Another benefit of AOPA Online on the World Wide Web is the ability to link pilots and aircraft owners to other sites of importance. A vast amount of data is available from the FAA, DOT, and NTSB, but in addition, the Library of Congress operates a Web site that allows members to track the status of current legislation; also, the government's online document repository — Fedworld — contains a vast collection of regulatory information, to name just a couple of examples. AOPA Online also features an online version of this magazine's "Fly by Wire" advertiser index, with links to many of the leading manufacturers of airframes, engines, avionics, and accessories. We're in the process of compiling a similar list to link members to aircraft type clubs and other aviation organizations. On our site you will also find links to other nations' AOPAs and to IAOPA's Web page. (IAOPA has its own site at www.iaopa.org).
We've found that more than 97 percent of the people who access our site are using either Netscape Navigator or Microsoft Internet Explorer (MSIE), the two most popular Web browsers on the market. We designed AOPA Online to be compatible with the current versions of these two browsers (specifically Navigator 3.0 and MSIE 3.01) and recommend that members take advantage of their capabilities. Our home page contains links to sites where they may be downloaded (MSIE is free; Navigator carries a licensing fee). The major online services — such as CompuServe, America Online, and Prodigy — offer proprietary browsers, the current versions of which generally work well with AOPA Online.
However, older browsers, regardless of where they're from, do not support current Web standards. With these browsers, pages on AOPA Online may not display as they are intended, and important functions such as the password authentication process for accessing the members-only section may not work properly. That's why we suggest that everyone use the most current software available. Contact your Internet service provider for assistance in acquiring a browser appropriate to your computer and operating system.
As we've raised the issue of password authentication, a word about this process is in order. With approximately 340,000 members eligible for access to the members-only section, the job of authenticating users is a big one. In fact, AOPA Online is among the largest password-protected sites on the Web. The first time you access the members-only section, you're required to fill out a brief registration that allows us to confirm the status of your membership. You are then presented with a registration confirmation screen that indicates your user name and password. It's a good idea to print a copy of this confirmation screen because the password is case sensitive and must be entered correctly to access the members-only section.
Now here's the part that some members have found tricky. Whenever you attempt to log in to the members-only section, you'll see a little box pop up on your screen; it asks for your user name (or user ID, which means the same thing) and password. We're working on ways to simplify this procedure and to allow you to re-register without having to call AOPA if you should forget your password.
An enormous amount of information resides on the AOPA Web site, so to make searching for the data you need easier, we've provided search capabilities in both the public and private areas. Note that each search "engine" checks only its own area, so if you don't find what you're looking for in the public area, run the search again in the members-only area, and vice versa. Try to make your search as specific as possible, because a general term like "Cessna" will return a tremendous number of hits. Better to request "Cessna; 172" to narrow the search. The semicolon tells the search engine to find references that contain both "Cessna" and "172." You can link directly to the found documents from the search results screen.
If you need assistance, you will find at the bottom of every Web page a link to the "AOPA information request form." Fill in the blanks and click on the Submit button; your request will be routed to the appropriate department within AOPA for action.
The welcome mat is out, and we're looking forward to seeing you. Let us know what you think of the current offerings and tell us how we can make the Web site even more useful to you.
Seth B. Golbey, AOPA's director of Internet Services, is AOPA Online's webmaster.
Untangling the Web
A guide to Internet terminology
You may need to learn a few new terms to take full advantage of AOPA Online on the World Wide Web, but you can reap huge dividends for the little time invested.
Accessing the Internet requires a personal computer, a modem, an internet service provider (ISP), and special software. The modem links your computer with the ISP, which provides your connection to the Internet. The Internet isn't a place; it is a network of millions of computers — including yours, once you connect to the Internet. The technojargon isn't important, but understanding basic terminology associated with the World Wide Web is. The Web is friendly, with lots of pictures and colorful text from other computers. AOPA Online is a site, or location, on the Web, with a unique address called a uniform resource locator, or URL. Every Web site has a unique address, much like your street address.
Check under "Computers" in your Yellow Pages for a local ISP. The commercial online services such as CompuServe, America Online, and Prodigy also offer Internet access in addition to their own information. Most services offer a free trial, with rates around $19.95 per month for unlimited access, and many have lower rates for limited usage. When shopping for an ISP, look for a local telephone access number and excellent customer service.
Free software, including the browser you use to view sites on the Web, is usually supplied by the ISP. The browser automatically translates computer languages into the colorful and informative display on your computer screen.
Typing AOPA Online's URL (http://www.aopa.org) into your browser brings AOPA Online's home page to your computer. A home page is similar to a book's contents page and lists the many services available. The http stands for Hypertext Transfer Protocol. Older Web browsers require you to type the http://, but current browsers do not, and Pilot magazine omits it from URLs published in the magazine. To reach AOPA Online, simply type www.aopa.org and watch AOPA's home page as it's displayed on your monitor.
AOPA's home page brings you current aviation news and provides hyperlinks to other areas. A mouse click on a hyperlink brings you information from other areas of the Web site or from a different site. Hyperlinks can be either words or pictures, and your cursor will change into a miniature hand when it passes over a hyperlink. Hyperlinked text is easy to identify; the text is usually underlined and colored (the color may change after you've visited the linked site).
AOPA Online is easy to use. Once you become familiar with the Web, you might want to explore other popular Internet features. Electronic mail or e-mail allows you to send messages to other Internet users. An e-mail address contains a recipient and domain (or computer) name separated by the @ symbol. For example, one of AOPA's e-mail addresses is [email protected].
If you don't enjoy learning by trial and error, a local continuing education program may offer classes. Many how-to books and videos are available at your local bookstore and library. — Jeff Broomall
The author is a technical specialist in AOPA's Aviation Services department.
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