AOPA Online is smart and easy
With the redesign of AOPA Online, members may now browse more than 40,000 pages of information with only a mouse — slide the cursor over a menu topic and submenus fly open, leading the way to categories of information compiled by the AOPA Aviation Services department.
Navigation with a few clicks of the mouse now provides an option for easy access to much of the information offered on AOPA's Web site.
Sliding the cursor over the menus on the left side and across the top of the members home page instantly brings up submenus for weather, medical, member services, and other frequently requested information sorted into categories (note that submenus cannot be accessed via WebTV and older browsers). Weather submenus, for example, include a direct link to Meteorlogix, which provides customized weather reports for AOPA Online; satellite-, radar-, surface weather-, and upper air imagery; and textual weather. Choosing a submenu not only brings you to a Web page designed to address specific issues, but also saves time otherwise spent downloading a main page and then selecting a submenu separately, according to AOPA Information Resources Coordinator Robert Fisher.
The name of the main category (listed along the far left and across the top of the page) and the name of the first submenu are the same in some cases. Clicking on the main category or the first submenu takes you to the same page. For example, selecting "Weather" from either the main category or the submenu takes you to Meteorlogix.
In other cases, choosing the main category leads you to a page offering options not reflected in the submenus. Selecting the "Frequently Asked Questions" submenu from the main category "Info Resources/FAQs" takes you directly to a search page for frequently asked questions. Selecting the main category opens a page with a link to the search page, plus additional information.
Some information, such as links for associations and type clubs in "Info Resources," is available only via these main categories. If you don't find what you're seeking in the submenus, select the link for the main category, Fisher says. Information for the most requested topics, such as currency versus proficiency, is pulled from throughout AOPA Online and organized into specific areas that are easily accessed with a few clicks of the mouse.
"Because of the scattering of different materials, there's a link on the 'Info Resources' page called 'Aviation Subject Reports' where, for certain topics, the Aviation Services department has already pulled many articles and many topics into one place," Fisher says.
"There's something new every day, and there's a 'what's new' area that lists what is added each and every day at the site."
Responsiveness is built into the system. For example, assessment of online and telephone requests for information from members reveals patterns used to determine when an issue has generated sufficient interest to warrant a subject report. Ongoing member feedback remains crucial as AOPA Online continues to evolve, Fisher says.
As an AOPA member, you have access to the best resources anywhere for information and answers for pilots. AOPA provides information for its members through a vast array of communications technologies. You can reach experts in all fields of aviation via AOPA Online ( www.aopa.org/members/), the AOPA Pilot Information Center (800/USA-AOPA), and e-mail ( [email protected]). Aviation technical specialists respond promptly to member requests while AOPA Online provides members with access to information and resources 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The toll-free AOPA Pilot Information Center gives you direct access to specialists in every area of aviation. The center is available to members from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern time, Monday through Friday.
AOPA Web resources
These aviation subject reports provide answers to frequently asked questions. The AOPA Aviation Services department (800/872-2672) answers more than 100,000 calls a year from members needing assistance with a variety of aviation-related issues.
www.aopa.org/members/files/topics/
In "President's Perspective: Finding Forrester," AOPA President Phil Boyer outlines recent changes to AOPA Online.
www.aopa.org/members/ftmag/article.cfm?article=4572
This collection of frequently asked aviation questions and answers can be searched by keyword or topic.
www.aopa.org/members/files/
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