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Corporate Membership of AOPA UK

The Aircraft Owner and Pilots Association (AOPA) is the world’s largest and most influential aviation membership association representing General Aviation (GA), with national AOPA organisations in 72 Countries over 6 Continents.

Whilst each national AOPA is an independent organisation, they all belong to the International Council of Aircraft Owner and Pilot Organisations (IAOPA). IAOPA itself is organised into 5 Regions:

  • IAOPA Africa-Indian Ocean Region
  • IAOPA European Region
  • IAOPA North America Region
  • IAOPA South America Region
  • IAOPA Asian Region

Through IAOPA, AOPA UK has direct representation at ICAO, where aviation standards and recommended practices (SARPS) originate. IAOPA is the only GA Organisation with a permanent seat at ICAO.

AOPA UK

AOPA UK is the trading name of The British Light Aviation Centre Limited, a Private Company limited by guarantee without share capital. It operates as a “Not for Commercial Gain” organisation and any profit made from our activities is re-invested in AOPA UK, not paid to shareholders.

In the UK, AOPA UK has provided representation to the Flight Training Industry (ATO's and DTO's), Airfields and Maintenance Organisations for over 50 Years. We have established engagment with the CAA through the Training and Education Working Group, which focuses on pilot training,licensing issues and regulation, and the AOPA Maintenance Working Group, which brings together Owners, Maintainers, CAA and LAA.

No other UK GA Organisation has the direct reach that AOPA UK does.

By far the majority of our operating costs are met by membership fees, largely from individual members but also from a growing number of Businesses, Organisations or Groups with a GA interest and who see the benefit of AOPA UK’s work to their business or operation.

There is no obligation or compulsion to join AOPA UK, unlike some other aviation organisations and associations, yet all of GA benefits from the successes of AOPA UK engaging with and influencing Regulators, Politicians, Government Departments, Local Authorities, etc.

AOPA UK represents the whole of GA, not just a narrow sector to the detriment of other sectors.

GA operates in a highly regulated environment (sometimes over regulated). Regulatory changes are normally slow, working on a cycle of several years between proposal and implementation. Consequently many business plans are predicated on an expectation that there will be time to prepare for and implement any changes. It is effectively an ecosystem that has evolved in the “natural rhythms” of the regulatory environment. Many GA businesses cannot react to sudden rapid change to this environment.

Therefore, when changes are proposed to regulation or through sudden national variations (derogations) that are too rapid for GA business to adapt to, AOPA UK will, and does, raise concerns with the relevant parties. This may make us look as though we are anti-change, but this is not the case. We are as pro-change and relaxation of regulation that is harming GA as anyone, perhaps more so, but not if the overall impact on GA business has not been considered or assessed and unbalances the GA ecosystem.

Some of Our Work

There is no obligation or compulsion to join AOPA UK, unlike some other aviation organisations and associations, yet all of GA benefits from the successes of AOPA UK engaging with and influencing Regulators, Politicians, Government Departments, Local Authorities, etc. Some of our achievements:

  • Had it not been for AOPA UK’s intervention the duty on AVGAS would be 50% greater than it is today, saving around 35p per litre
  • National Private Pilot’s Licence
  • There are no VFR navigation charges for private flights in aircraft of less than 2000 Kg
  • Successful pressure to slow down the introduction of 8.33 MHz radios and Mode S Transponders
  • Prevented the mandatory use of ELTs so that PLBs can be used instead
  • Strasser Scheme to waive landing fees for emergency diversions
  • No VFR En-route navigation charges for sub 2000 Kg aircraft
  • Introduction of the Declared Training Organisation (DTO) for PPL training organisations
  • Sensible relaxation of restrictions for GA during COVID-19 pandemic

Sometimes success is marked by “nothing happening”.  We continue to work on:

  • Part M Lite - reduced cost maintenance regime for EASA aircraft. We have had some success with the Self-Declared Maintenance Programmes.
  • Minimising the regulatory burden on ATO’s and RTF’s.
  • Easier route to a full IR for Private Pilots
  • Self-handling
  • Ensuring GA is not overlooked in the Single European Sky Project
  • E-borders and any impact on GA
  • Planning guidelines making Aerodromes less vulnerable to non-aviation development
  • Ensuring all regulation is proportionate and evidence based
  • Ensuring GA is not overlooked in revised or new Controlled Airspace design

and much more.

What would you gain from AOPA Corporate Membership?

GA is OUR business. AOPA UK can provide support and representation for any business, organisation or group that is affected by regulation and has an interest in:

  • Flight Training
  • Aerodrome Operations – Management and/or Ownership; Private Strip to Licensed Aerodrome
  • Aircraft Maintenance
  • Aircraft Hire

AOPA Corporate Membership offers:

  • The opportunity to bring your voice to rule making discussions
  • The opportunity to participate in relevant AOPA Working Groups or Committees that directly influence our responses to regulators
  • Access to AOPA UK contacts to help them resolve an issue affecting their business or membership as a whole.
  • Access to our network of Contacts:
    • UK Gov Departments
    • CAA and GA Committees
    • EC and EASA through IAOPA - we will continue to maintain a close relationship with our European colleagues after the UK leaves EASA
    • ICAO though IAOPA
  • Personal assistance and advice relating to your business or GA interests
  • Access to AOPA Aerobatics Certificate, RAD/NAV and AOPA Ground Instructor course material
  • Advice and support for planning issues affecting Aerodromes
  • AOPA UK Wings Scheme (CAA PROUD endorsed)
  • Listing on the AOPA UK website and printed Flying Directory

We are your friend at the end of a phone! All for less than the cost of a full page Magazine Advert.

Apply for Corporate Membership

AOPA UK Corporate Membership is offered on an annual basis. Membership rates are set based on the size of your business, services offered and the number of locations you operate from.

Corporate membership provides your business with access to AOPA UK services for issues or questions affecting the whole business, allowing you to get on with running your business while AOPA looks into your issue or query. It does not provide AOPA membership to individual level for staff, including Instructors, Students or other members of your business.

If you are a Registered Charity, not-for-profit organisation or other deserving body that operates for the benefit of the whole General Aviation sector in the UK we may give you complimentary membership. Please contact AOPA to discuss further.

To qualify for the lower rate of £285 you must be:

A Sole trader

A Small organisation or partnership, with a maximum of two partners/employees

Micro-entity: a company will be a micro-entity if it has any of the following:

             a turnover of £632,000 or less

             operate 3 Aircraft or less

Operating from a single location and not providing Aerobatic training for the AOPA Aerobatic Certificate.

For any other business, the minimum membership rate is £475

For GA businesses that operate from multiple locations please complete the form for a Quote.

Please complete this application form to apply for Corporate membership of AOPA UK. On completion click the Submit button and your form will be emailed to AOPA UK for processing. A copy will also be sent to the Email address given in the form. Once we have processed your application we will invoice you for the relevant membership rate.

* Indicates a required entry.

The details given in this section will be used as your contact details for AOPA UK use in connection with managing your membership and to maintain contact with you. If relevant you will be asked to provide alternate details for publication by AOPA UK later in the form.

AOPA UK use your Email address as our primary and preferred means of contacting you in respect of managing your membership.

As part of your membership we also keep you informed, including informing you of any important changes that could affect your flying. We do this through this website and the bi-monthly AOPA Magazine.

We also publish an Enewsletter to our members email addresses, these are normally published in between Magazine issues though we will issue additional newsletters if we believe there is value. You can unsubscribe from the newsletters at any time.

Please indicate your consent, or not, for this use of your Email Address below.

You have witheld your consent to use the Email Address above for anything other than managing your membership account. If you have another Email Address that AOPA UK can use for other communcations please enter it below.

AOPA and IAOPA negotiate benefits for members, which may be in the form of discounts or special offers for members only. To enable your entitlement to a member discount to be verified it may be necessary to share some of your membership data with other IAOPA organisations or trusted Third Parties who are offering the benefit. We will keep any such shared data to a minimum e.g. Member Number, Name, Email Address. Please indicate below if we may share your data for this purpose. 

£

You have chosen membership for your primary location only. You may only access AOPA UK member services for and on behalf of this business operation only. You may not use your AOPA membership for any other location. AOPA will not promote any other location. When we have processed your application we will invoice you for the relevant membership amount.

You have chosen membership for all locations. We will process your application and provide you with a quote for your group membership, based on your submitted information. If you accept the quote and decide to join AOPA we will ask you for the details of each operating location.

You have chosen membership for some locations. You may only access AOPA member services for the business operations that are members. You may not use your AOPA membership for any other location. AOPA will only promote locations that are members.  We will process your application and provide you with a quote for your group membership, based on your submitted information. If you accept the quote and decide to join AOPA we will ask you for the details of each operating location.

Please check all that apply. You may add additional information in the Remarks field.

The AOPA Aerobatics Certificate training course may only be offered by AOPA Corporate Members registered with AOPA to provide the training. To cover our Administration costs we charge £15 per annum in addition to your basic membership.

The AOPA Radio Navigation Certificate training course may only be offered by AOPA Corporate Members registered with AOPA to provide the training. To cover our Administration costs we charge £15 per annum in addition to your basic membership.

The AOPA Flying Companions course may only be offered by AOPA Corporate Members registered with AOPA to provide the course. To cover our Administration costs we charge £15 per annum in addition to your basic membership.

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