As I total the Aviation Services numbers at the end of 1997, it's obvious that AOPA members are discovering the wealth of free aviation assistance that comes with their membership.
Calls to the toll-free Pilot Information Center topped 128,000 last year, an increase of almost 30 percent over 1996. Questions ranged from the easy ("How often do I have to take a biennial flight review?") to the bizarre ("I knew I'd missed the runway when the streetlights started whizzing by, so now what do I tell the FAA?").
Occasionally there's a heartwarmer. Early this year, we were able to help an elderly widow sell her AOPA-member husband's airplane after he died of a heart attack. She told us, "My husband always said to call AOPA because you could help with any aviation problem."
In most customer service telephone centers, a one-year, 30-percent increase in demand would cause a rash of busy signals, delays for service, and perhaps even a decrease in the quality of assistance. I'm delighted to tell you that just the opposite is true here: Busy signals are near zero, average wait time is less than 30 seconds (few members have to hold at all), and even more complete information is available in a variety of formats.
Part of the reason is improved technology. In the past year, we've improved our telephone system, added electronic monitors to help smooth the flow of calls, moved to a Microsoft Windows display for the member database, and started work on a sophisticated general aviation knowledge base unequaled anywhere in the world.
But electronic goodies, helpful as they are, can go only so far. AOPA staff members are the true heart of this operation. Currently, 19 of the 23 Aviation Services employees are pilots, with most holding commercial or ATP certificates. Several are current flight instructors. Collectively, they have logged 47,500 hours over 248 years of flying and own nine aircraft.
To add even more value to those employees, we've beefed up training, focusing on questions you ask most. Each training session is captured on videotape, allowing quick review when needed.
So how does all this investment in technology, people, and training benefit you? Let me give you an example: Your dear Uncle Edgar's last request was to have his cremains scattered by airplane over a beautiful forest he loved, and you're elected. It's a daunting task, so you call the AOPA Pilot Information Center.
"Yes, sir, I can tell you how to do that," says the aviation specialist. He clicks his mouse a couple times and a complete description of the cremains scattering process pops up. "There are several considerations, including the legal side…." If you're short on time, the specialist can have the entire information sheet (titled "Aerial Burial") faxed to you in a minute or two. And it's free to AOPA members.
Or suppose you have your eye on a sweet little Commander 114 at a nearby airport and the owner seems inclined to sell it for a song. With one call you can learn about that model's history, quirks, major airworthiness directives, performance, and price history, plus get sound advice on avoiding buying problems.
Traditional information avenues haven't been neglected, either. New and updated publications include a new 30-page Pilots' Guide to Reducing the Cost of Flying booklet, an updated Tips On Buying Used Aircraft, and pilot report summaries on more than three dozen popular aircraft.
Nearly all of AOPA's information publications are now available for free download from the AOPA Web site (www.aopa.org).
New software commissioned last year in AOPA's John L. Baker Library is saving hours of research time, and direct member access to the library via AOPA's Web site is in the planning stages. Chief Librarian Carolyn Smith, a private pilot with a master of library science degree, is also helping to get AOPA's massive video and photo collection cataloged.
The AOPA Pilot Information Center is open from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, Monday through Friday. AOPA Online is accessible to members 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The next time you have a question on aviation, think AOPA. It's free to members.
Woody Cahall is director of AOPA Aviation Services.
One of AOPA's premier member benefits is the team of dedicated pilots and instructors who interact one-on-one with members. Together, they own nine aircraft and have more than 47,500 hours accumulated over 248 years in aviation. Any member can reach the specialists by calling 800/USA-AOPA (872-2672), or through AOPA's World Wide Web site (www.aopa.org).
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