Originally Posted by NE_Pilot

That's a bit of a stretch to say the problem is AOPA. The 5% who are real idiots are the problem regardless of AOPA. If anything, AOPA is closer to being the solution than the problem, as they offer more training and education in regards to aviation safety than the FAA does.

I do not believe that lowering the Bravo will help, yes it would give you a greater buffer, however it would concentrate all GA aircraft into a smaller window of usable altitudes.

I think the greatest issue is that most GA pilots are unaware that they are flying "in the way" of the traffic going into those larger airports, and this is only complicated by the fact that many times the larger airports are landing with tailwinds. For a GA pilot if the wind favors 01 they assume and plan on landing 01, not 19. So for the more aware GA pilot they may think they are doing the right thing navigating around the airspace so as to avoid flying through the final only to end up right in the middle of it.

Another, smaller, issue is that NY TRACON does not have a reputation (rightfully or not) as being friendly and helpful towards the very GA aircraft that are "getting in the way". As someone who has flown in and around the NY area doing 91, 135, and 121 operations for over a decade, I can tell you from experience that most GA pilots at the smaller airports do not bother requesting Flight Following as they have been denied one too many times. Flight Following can help in avoiding some of this issues as most of the pilots who request it will follow the directions you give them (i.e. altitude to fly under the Bravo, turns to avoid traffic or airport finals, etc.) Obviously, this is workload dependent and not always possible.

I think a good way to go about reducing the incidents of close calls would be through education. As stated before, AOPA does a lot in terms of education and training to enhance safety. Aside from a video that they can put out, it may be helpful to have a seminar in the local area (at LDJ, N07, etc.) done in conjunction with controllers from NY TRACON. Not sure how possible that would be, but it could go a long way in helping to reduce these incidents as pilots in the area would be more aware of the very issues you bring up, and have strategies on how to best navigate that congested airspace.