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Tel: 800/USA-AOPA or
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Copyright � 2002 AOPA. | Training Tips
| AIRSPEED AWARENESS
How does your training aircraft "feel" in flight at normal cruise speed? At a speed 20 percent below cruise? At minimum controllable airspeed? What combinations of pitch and power does it take to induce these flight profiles? A pilot well acquainted with the handling characteristics of his or her trainer can establish and trim for desired configurations with a minimum of fuss. He or she can recognize–by the combination of control pressures, pitch attitude, and even ambient sound–when all is right or when something is amiss.
 This is more than just flashy flying. And it is easy to learn. (Is "Flying by feel" an art form in decline? Consider the arguments put forth in the December 1999 AOPA Flight Training article.) Such skills enhance safety, providing sensory clues to aid in stall recognition and avoidance. They reduce pilot workload. They enhance passenger comfort, because the smoothness of the pilot becomes the smoothness of the ride. They help a pilot swiftly set up desired "V speeds" (see the list and description) for the best rate of climb, best angle of climb, best glide, best speed for turbulence penetration, etc. The skills are acquired through dedicated practice of slow-flight and stall-recovery drills, integrated with ground study of principles of flight (download the FAA's Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge ) and the pilot's operating handbook for your airplane. The training materials you acquired for your ground study address the applicable aerodynamic theories and introduce the necessary terminology. The POH gives the recommended operating speeds for your particular aircraft. And the in-flight practice soon makes acquiring "the feel" second nature. (Don't like practicing recoveries from stalls? Consider adopting the method outlined in AOPA Flight Training ). Note the power-pitch combinations, and the new "feel," as you slow the aircraft down, a few knots at a time.
Rest assured. If, after you have acquired and demonstrated your skills on the Private Pilot flight test ( download and review Area of Operation VIII in the Practical Test Standards for Private Pilot-Airplane) you go flying with someone who hasn't achieved the same proficiency, you will definitely notice the difference. Fly carefully!
| Your Partner in Training
| Here's the scenario: It's almost time for your cross-country solo, so in preparation you'll be planning and flying cross-countries with your instructor. The use of aeronautical charts is key at this point in your training. Log on to AOPA Online and you'll find the Aeronautical Chart User's Guide to be a useful learning aid and reference tool. If you have any questions, don't forget that our experienced pilots are available to answer your questions at 800/872-2672 weekdays between 8:30 a.m. and 6 p.m. Eastern.
As an AOPA Flight Training Trial Member, you have access to all of the features within AOPA Online. If you have received a copy of the magazine or your membership credentials in the mail, log in using your eight-digit member number, which is also your username. If you have not yet received your number, please call AOPA Member Assistance at 800/872-2672 weekdays between 8:30 a.m. and 6 p.m. Eastern for assistance.
| Flight Training News
| ALARUS CH2000 PANEL GOES HIGH-TECH
A Garmin GNS430 moving-map GPS/nav/com, along with a Garmin audio panel and transponder/encoder and a Bendix/King KX155 nav/com, is the new standard avionics complement in Aircraft Manufacturing and Development Company, Inc.'s Alarus CH2000 training aircraft. The company said an aviation university recently ordered 10 of the two-place trainers with that avionics package, as well as a sophisticated Sandel 3308 digital horizontal situation indicator (HSI). Alarus believes that the changes make the CH2000, priced under $119,000, the ideal VFR/IFR training aircraft for the twenty-first century. For more information, visit the Web site or call AMD at 478/374-2759.
| Inside AOPA
| FAA REOPENS THREE MARYLAND AIRPORTS
The FAA has issued two notams and a special federal aviation regulation (SFAR) that will open three closed Washington, D.C.-area airports–College Park (CGS), Potomac Airfield (VKX), and Washington Executive/Hyde Field (W32)–to operations by aircraft that were based at the airports on September 11. Pilots must complete a security background check and comply with special air traffic control procedures. After a test period, the FAA will consider allowing nonbased transient aircraft to use these airports. AOPA understands that this test period will likely run 60 days. In the SFAR, the FAA recognizes AOPA, the Maryland Department of Aviation, and the airport operators who participated in the development of the rule. The participation resulted in the FAA shelving more restrictive and cost-prohibitive alternatives. See the notams or the SFAR.
AOPA ONLINE OFFERS SPORT PILOT INFO
AOPA has created a dedicated Sport Pilot section on AOPA Online to help members understand the FAA's proposed Sport Pilot rule. In addition to a brief summary of the proposal, this new section compare the Sport Pilot proposal with existing certificates. "Because there has been so much interest in exactly what the Sport Pilot rule means to pilots, we felt that a dedicated AOPA Online section was important," said Andy Cebula, AOPA senior vice president of Government and Technical Affairs. See AOPA�Online.
AOPA�ASF EFFORTS BENEFIT STUDENTS
AOPA Air Safety Foundation educational efforts benefited more than 94,000 pilots during 2001. Some 59,000 people, including many student pilots, successfully completed 750 ASF seminars, clinics, courses, and online classes in 2001. A grant from AOPA helped finance the continuation of ASF's "Project V" (for video), which provided safety videos to 35,000 new pilots and pilots with new instrument ratings. New pilots received "Lost and Crossed," which reviews basic cross-country navigation and how to handle crosswind landings. Since its founding 51 years ago, ASF's educational efforts have helped the general aviation accident rate fall from 46.6 per 100,000 flight hours to just 7.05 per 100,000 flight hours. For more information, see the Web site.
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| Training Products
| FREE FARs, CARs, JARs AVAILABLE ONLINE
Need to know the most current regs for your next flight, or to study in preparation for your upcoming exam? Aero Training Products Inc. offers the latest U.S., Canadian, and European aviation regulations in downloadable format–for free! They can be saved to disk for sorting, indexing, and printing using any common word processor. Other training aids are available as well. For more, see the Web site.
| Final Exam
| Question: Can I get a pilot certificate that does not use my Social Security number as the certificate number?
Answer: Yes, the FAA will assign a unique number to your certificate at your request. You will need to fill out the Airman's Request for Change of Certificate Number form and submit it to the FAA Airmen Certification Branch in Oklahoma City, OK. The FAA will assign a unique number to your certificate and re-issue it. You may access the form, along with other FAA forms, on AOPA Online.
Got a technical question for AOPA specialists? E-mail to [email protected] or call 800/872-2672.
| What's New At AOPA Online
| ONLINE RESOURCES FOR STUDENTS
AOPA Flight Training magazine has added an online resource guide for student pilots to AOPA Online. It offers links to articles from past issues of the magazine, the Federal Aviation Regulations, and Aeronautical Information Manual, among other useful information. If you haven't visited the page, do so soon–and bookmark it for future reference.
| Picture Perfect
| Did you know you can create a personal e-card using the images from the AOPA Online Gallery? Send one to a friend today. See AOPA�Online.
| ePilot Calendar
| Check your weekend weather on AOPA Online.
WEEKEND FLYING DESTINATIONS
Casa Grande, Arizona. Casa Grande Airport (CGZ). Arizona Antique Aircraft Association forty-fourth annual Cactus Fly-In takes place March 1 through 3. Contact John Engle, 480/987-5516.
For more airport details, see AOPA's Airport Directory Online . For more events, see Aviation Calendar of Events
ASF FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR REFRESHER CLINICS
(All clinics start at 7:30 a.m.)
The next AOPA Air Safety Foundation Flight Instructor Refresher Clinics are scheduled in Sacramento, California; Melbourne, Florida; and Reston, Virginia, February 23 and 24. Clinics are scheduled in Birmingham, Alabama; Phoenix; and Ontario, California, March 2 and 3. For the Flight Instructor Refresher Clinic schedule, see AOPA Online.
ASF PINCH-HITTER GROUND-SCHOOL COURSES
(Pinch-Hitter courses start at 9:30 a.m.)
The next Pinch-Hitter� Ground School will take place in Phoenix March 3. For more Pinch-Hitter courses, see AOPA Online.
ASF SAFETY SEMINARS
AOPA Air Safety Foundation Safety Seminars are scheduled in Albuquerque, New Mexico, February 19; and Whitehall, Ohio, and Philadelphia, March 4. For more information, visit the Web site.
For comments on calendar items or to make submissions, contact [email protected].
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