Not being a real Pilot I am thinking about joining AOPA. The Magazine Im sure would be worth the Years subscription but Im particularly interested in the online Members section. Weather, Planning, Airport directorys information resources. How much of this would be beneficial to someone who is interested in enhanceing his flight sim experience as it pertains to real would procedures and realismDennis

Hi:I'm a real world pilot an AOPA member. Yes, the magazine is well worth it (actually, both of them are-- AOPA Pilot and AOPA Training-- though I only subscribe to Pilot and read Training when I'm sitting around the airport) I almost think that AOPA Pilot rivals Flying for the best aviation publication on the market. As for enhancing your FS experience, anything you can get through their members only section can also be found elsewhere on the net (duats, airnav, aeroplanner etc), though it is nice to have the information all in one place. The magazines do provide a lot of information that you can use to become a better pilot and teach you a lot of real world skills that you could apply to FS.That said however, if you are a general aviation enthusiast at all (even if you're not a pilot) you should seriously consider spending the $39 to join. AOPA is the loudest voice that general aviation has in Washington DC and they have done so much for the G.A. community, particularly in the post 9-11 environment. Additionally, if you are planning on becoming a real world pilot AOPA is well worth the investment as it can save you some money through member discounts. You can also obtain pilot insurance and legal aid through them. Just renewed my membership this morning, and glad I spent the money.-Rob

MOre than worth it for all the reasons Rob mentions-and it is the best flying magazine out there. You also might win the yearly airplane giveaway! :-)http://mywebpages.comcast.net/geofa/pages/Geofdog2.jpg

I joined this past November or thereabouts. I've enjoyed my membership with the magazine, web-site access, weekly electronic newsletters, and--oh, the very cool AOPA baseball cap that came complementary! Not to mention there is a members-only information hotline 800 number that answers any-and-all aviation questions. It's also good to know you are supporting an effective voice for GA interests in Washington, at a time when the industry is being beaten to death by the economy and over-zealous regulation.That said, most of the benefits I've gotten from AOPA have related to my real world flying.Welcome if you decide to join us!

Absolutely worth every penny. I'm currently doing my instrument rating and found many usefull information on AOPA's website. In short, you will support general aviation (which is already worth the money) and get a whole lot of information for your flying (sim and real world) needs.I can only encourage you to become a member.....when I joined I've never even been in GA airplane and now im in Florida with Comair to get my ratings. To much information and services AOPA has to offer, go for it :-)Cheers,Petehttp://members.aol.com/pzsoulman/myhomepage/logo.gifAthlonXP2000,AbitKX7-333(latest4in1),512MB/2700SDRAM,WinXP,DirectX8.1,Geforce3TI200(128MB)(Det.30.82),SBlive(WDM5.1.2601.0)

My fellow AOPA members make excellent points: one additional benefit I use a lot for simming is the annual Airport directory, with runway & frequency info for all airports in the US and some in Canada. Sure, the info is available online, but having it in hard copy is handy when you don't want to pause your flight.Oh, and IMHO AOPA Pilot is definitely the 3rd best aviation magazine, behind Flying and Airways Magazine.