AOPA Australia President Andrew Anderson has issued a heart-felt plea for missing members to return to the fold.
In the form of an open letter to all of GA, Anderson outlines the work done by AOPA and asks lapsed members to give the organisation another chance.
"GA faces challenges like never before," the letter says. "Through CASA, the government is accelerating major regulatory change that will affect every private or commercial pilot, aircraft owner and maintenance business. As you would be well aware, government policies for airport privatisation and full cost recovery have already hit our industry hard.
"Unless GA speaks up, the future will bring further limitations and restrictions that will destroy our natural advantage of flexibility and threaten our viability."
The organisation has been working on a program to remain financially viable in the face of falling membership. AOPA now has a positive bank balance, something that is the result of a lot of spending cuts and hard work on behalf of the committee, none of which are paid for their services.
Through the tone of the letter, Anderson clearly attributes falling membership to AOPA letting down its members.
"I know too well what it’s like to feel let-down" he says. "I resigned from AOPA myself during turbulent times, but re-joined once that was over.
"Without individual members, AOPA is not just financially threatened, but cannot claim the support of the GA industry as it deals with an ever-increasing number of challenges ahead.
"Some people think we should give up, and others say we should turn our backs on government and refuse to engage them. Those approaches will only harm us further, not help, and leave us voiceless as government and the airlines continue to pursue policies to push us out."
The full text of the letter can be read on the AOPA Australia website here.