Frederick, MD – The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) has unveiled its new Pilot Protection Services (PPS) program, designed to help members avoid problems that can threaten their pilot and medical certificates while also providing professional insights and assistance when they have a problem.
The core benefits of the new program are: year-round tips and advice from nationally-known medical and legal experts, the AOPA Legal Services Plan, and the most valuable elements of the former AOPA Medical Services Program. “Our Legal Services Plan and our Medical Services Program were effective in helping pilots once they were in trouble with the FAA,” said Vice President of AOPA Products, Ed Thompson. “But we realized that we could help our members even more if we provided proactive, year round information and access to services that could help them avoid those issues in the first place.”
All AOPA members will benefit from written and video content created by a team of experts that includes: Dr. Warren Silberman, former manager of the FAA’s aerospace medical certification division and an AOPA consultant; Dr. Jonathan Sackier, AOPA’s medical consultant and author of AOPA Pilot’s “Fly Well” column; Gary Crump, AOPA’s director of medical certification services; Dr. Robert Posner, AOPA’s weight management consultant; and Yodice Associates aviation attorneys Kathy Yodice, Ron Golden, and John Yodice, author of AOPA Pilot’s “Pilot Counsel” column. These experts will also create additional content and interactive experiences, including webinars, chats, and live appearances that will be available exclusively to PPS participants.
The new program is available at two levels of service. The $39 a year Basic Level plan includes: Essential Private Pilot Coverage under the Legal Services Plan (LSP); Airmen Medical Application status checks; exclusive additional content and interactive experiences; archived video and web content for participants only; and health and wellness discounts.
The $99 a year Plus Level plan offers all of the Basic Level benefits and: expanded Private Pilot, Commercial Pilot, and ATP Legal Services Plus coverage with double to triple the number of hours of coverage based on the type of legal action; Airmen Medical Records Review prior to submission to the FAA; and deeper health and wellness discounts.
AOPA members who were previously enrolled in either the AOPA Legal Services Plan or the former AOPA Medical Services Program have been moved into the new PPS program, providing them with two-for-one coverage. “We’re really excited about how this more affordable, single program provides AOPA members with access to information, services and protection that increases their chances of flying for as long as they like,” Thompson said.
