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AOPA Forum Admin response to "RV Hate" Thread

M

MitchMitchell

I'm New Here
VAF,

I wanted to drop by as a representative of AOPA and the Administrator of the AOPA Forums. I wish to apologize for the crude and?frankly?bully-like behavior that is going on in the ?Red Board?.

I have personally closed the thread, and issued a post that includes not only an apology to those that were insulted and/or hurt, but one of warning to posters and their rhetoric.

I would like to specifically apologize to: N8RV, tkatc, katieb, flyingriki, Louise Hose, mkjprice, ironflight, pmnewlon, Sam Buchanan, Snowflake, Mike D, rvbysdi, Alan Carroll and Flybuddy2. If there is anyone that I missed, I extend it to you as well. The moderators and I did not ?nip the thread in the bud?, resulting in soapboxing. Certain moderators inappropriately used it as a soapbox of insultingly gross magnitude.

While I could stand here, shrug my shoulders and say with utmost monotone, "The views and expressions of posters and moderators here do not reflect the views of AOPA or the Association", that goes only so far, and it provides no relief whatsoever to you.

If any of you have questions or concerns, please feel free to send an email to me, as I will respond to it much faster than private message.

I appreciate your time and patience in this, and wish all of you tailwinds and blue skies,

-Mitch Mitchell
AOPA Forum Admin.
AOPA eMedia and ePublishing

On a side note: please let me know via email, or call our 800 number, to turn off or ?edit? the amount of letters/calls/emails you receive from us. I will be more than happy to forward requests down and make sure they are fulfilled.

VAF Admins--feel free to close/lock this thread whenever, but I wanted to get this out to your community.
 
A little off subject, but I was in one Rod Hightower's Grass Roots meetings last night. He was asked about the confrontation between EAA and AOPA. His response was that not only there wasn't any, but he must have said at least a dozen times that every pilot should be a member of both organizations. He stated that he's working with AOPA to be complementary to each other. Neither organization has deep enough pockets to be all things to all people. It was a very refreshing meeting.
 
That's very classy. Nice job. Now re-thinking my expired AOPA membership.

I agree that we all have to pull in the same direction for general aviation to survive. Doesn't really seem like AOPA and EAA are on the same page though. Maybe the new leadership will rethink this synergy.
 
EAA helped get my plane in the air, and AOPA helps keep my plane in the air :D Rosie
 
I Accept

Thanks Mitch for the classy response. I appreciate that our voices were heard. Again thanks, and AOPA will continue to have my support.
 
It is great to see someone sincerely take responsibility and show concern for ALL of General Aviation - thank you very much!

Paul
 
The reaction here to Mitch's comments is certainly a lot more pleasant and thoughtful than the treatment he is getting from his own forum...... :eek:

Strange bunch over there.
Thanks Mitch!
Rik
 
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flyingriki said:
The reaction here to Mitch's comments are certainly a lot more pleasant and thoughtful than the treatment he is getting from his own forum...... :eek:

Strange bunch over there.
Thanks Mitch!
Rik
Click to expand...

You noticed that too, eh?

I appreciate Mitch's thoughtful response, just wish it reflected the feelings of some who fanned the flames on the AOPA board. We still have to live with that.....
 
Thanks for being the bigger person Mitch. Don't let the guys over there giving you heat get you down. They are just being childish.
 
Wow, that is a classy response!

Although I wasn't one who was specifically confronted on the Red Board, I did relate in a previous post here on VAF forums how very uncomfortable I felt a few years ago when I visited the AOPA forums. I visited for about two days and then tucked my tail and got out of that place!:eek: Just didn't feel comfortable. So the initial post on this thread is a class act in my book. Thank you, Mr. Mitchell.

With only 600,000 pilots in the U.S. out of a total U.S. population of about 310,000,000 (or, 0.2%) we are a very small minority in this country and thus don't need to be bashing each other. Can't we all just get along?

Don Hull
AOPA member since 1984
 
pmnewlon said:
Thanks Mitch (sent via email too)
Click to expand...

Yes thanks.

I had previously wrote to the AOPA yesterday, and received a response last evening. Systematic segregation is good for NOBODY! Just look at history. And yes, I suppose I'm a history buff.

L.Adamson --- RV6A
 
Mitch, Its nice to see someone taking care of the problem and being sincere in their apology. Things were getting very heated and I was glad to see things put to a stop. Keep doing what you are doing because you just made 13,000+ friends with that post.

DR, Thank you for putting up the confessional section on the front page. As an aspiring pilot/RV builder, it is nice to see that I will be joining a great group who cares about safety and is taking an inward look at the problems and how we can improve our overall safety. I USE to think low passes were cool. Now I cringe.

VAF, All 13,000 of us can have a major impact on GA safety and particularly RV safety. Confess your mistakes so that we can learn from them and keep being the best pilots we can!

Seeing all of this safety concern has made me more comfortable about flying (not that I was uncomfortable before;))

All the best,
 
Welcome to VAF!!!!

MitchMitchell said:
VAF,

I wanted to drop by as a representative of AOPA and the Administrator of the AOPA Forums.

-Mitch Mitchell
Click to expand...

Mitch, welcome to VAF, I know the reason you joined up probably has nothing to do with building, or flying an RV, but still, you are welcomed here. :D

Please feel free to "drop in" anytime, and get a feel for what VAF, and its members are all about.

You might even get offered a ride, if you have not ever had the pleasure of flying one of these wonderful aircraft.;)
 
Thanks Mitch! While I didn't go to the Red Board (not an AOPA member) I did feel its pain through the thread here. Apology accepted, let's hope all involved have learned from this.
 
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