Originally Posted by jayray2

I partly agree with the original post. I realize people in Europe and all over the world have it pretty bad when it comes to fees and regulations. I am grateful to AOPA that we don't have user fees or any of the other regulations that other countries have. However, if the mission of AOPA is to keep flying affordable for the masses, then they have failed. Walk around the your local GA airport and look at the people there. They are not your average middle class American citizen. Most are of the independently wealthy, brain surgeon, lawyer type. The average Joe can not afford to fly for fun like he use to be able to in the late 70's and through the 80's. I have a plane and I can't afford to fly it. Once I am done with the maintenance and the storage fees I am lucky if I can get up for an hour a month. Have you ever looked at the price for an interior plastic piece for a Cessna? Why does a part for an airplane cost 5 times as much as the same part I can go buy at NAPA? (I partly know the answer to this question but it is one example of how GA is pricing itself out of the market). This year I am not renewing my AOPA fees. Maybe it is selfish of me but I feel even without AOPA we'd be in the same situation we are in right now. I'm going to use my money instead to buy 8 gallons of AvGas.