Some things your association does make big news. Some of its accomplishments are achieved more quietly. None of them, however, would be possible without its remarkable members. At the end of January, AOPA's membership neared the 411,000 mark. With a month-end total of 410,936, there are more AOPA members today than ever before in its 68-year history.
It was marked by a brief ceremony in our Frederick, Maryland-based headquarters last Friday. There, AOPA President Phil Boyer addressed the 200 employees (except those who were staffing the phones in the member services and Pilot Information Center) to mark the achievement. "We are a membership organization," Boyer reminded the staff. "And our success is best measured by our loyal members, giving us the strength and power we will need this year to battle the upcoming FAA funding issue. I want to thank you all for making AOPA not only the largest but the most successful aviation association in the world."
When Boyer became the association's third president in 1991, membership was about 300,000. The association reached the 400,000 milestone in the summer of 2004. "Every day I get e-mails from members thanking us for what we do," notes Boyer. "But I remind them that we couldn't do it without them. I want to thank each and every member for making this association what it is."
February 3, 2007