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Tel: 800/USA-AOPA or
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Copyright � 2002 AOPA. | Training Tips
| PRACTICING ENGINE FAILURES
By the time a student pilot nears solo, he or she has had to handle a variety of simulated engine failures and forced-landing scenarios. The flight instructor idles the throttle and announces "engine failure." The student must select an emergency landing site, trim the airplane for the best glide speed, plan the approach, and–once all this has been accomplished–determine if the engine can be restarted. In the dual cross-country phase, practice more simulated emergencies to prepare for solo flights over unfamiliar terrain.
 How well did you react the last time the flight instructor declared a simulated engine failure in your cockpit? Were you caught by surprise? If so, make it a point to incorporate emergency planning into your thinking at all times while flying. The unexpected should not go unplanned, as discussed in the December 1992 AOPA Pilot. On any flight, while admiring the view below, evaluate the terrain for emergency-landing site potential. Consider approaches given today's surface winds. During training flights, many flight instructors like to spontaneously ask, "Where could we go right now if the engine quit?" They are pleased if the student can point out a field and discuss possible approaches. It is not confidence-inspiring if the student is caught off guard by the query.
Practice from high and low altitudes, always having emergency fields within reach during low-altitude airwork such as ground-reference maneuvers. Strive to satisfy the requirements of Area of Operation X, Task B of the Private Pilot Practical Test Standards, which you can download from AOPA Online. Remember that you will satisfy PTS standards, and achieve maximum safety, if you maintain positive control of your aircraft while performing your emergency approach and landing. Clear the engine frequently during your glide.
When dealing with an emergency–that is, a real emergency–the pilot is afforded flexibility under Section 91.3 of the Federal Aviation Regulations to this extent: "In an in-flight emergency requiring immediate action, the pilot in command may deviate from any rule of this part to the extent required to meet that emergency."
Fuel exhaustion is a prime cause of in-flight engine stoppages. See 10 tips for avoiding it in the April 2000 AOPA Flight Training. Distractions also play a role. In the February 2002 AOPA Flight Training, read the frank confessional of a pilot whose self-induced engine failure led to an off-airport landing. Learn from experiences like this to improve your own situational awareness and flying skills.
| Your Partner in Training
| "I've struck a bird, lost engine power, and need to make an emergency landing." A mid-air collision with a feathered creature is something every pilot wants to avoid. For a better understanding of these feathered fliers and some commonsense advice and avoidance tips, see AOPA Online. If you have questions about the subject, call our aviation experts at 800/USA-AOPA weekdays between 8:30 a.m. and 6 p.m. Eastern time.
As an AOPA Flight Training Member, you have access to all of the features within AOPA Online. For login information click here.
| Flight Training News
| TRAINING AIRPORTS COULD BENEFIT FROM LOW-COST RADARS
The FAA announced last week that it will start purchasing low-cost radar displays for some 15 air traffic control towers that handle more than 30,000 operations annually. And other airports will be able to purchase the systems directly. The systems, called the ARTS IE (Automated Radar Terminal Systems IE) and STARS LITE (Standard Terminal Automation Replacement System Local Integrated Tower Equipment)–based on existing air traffic control technology–were evaluated at airports in Vero Beach, Florida, and Prescott, Arizona, respectively. AOPA has been pushing for such systems since 1998. Airports with significant training activity, such as Vero Beach and Prescott, are prime candidates for the new radar displays. See AOPA�Online.
EASTERN MICHIGAN OFFERS FLIGHT TECHNOLOGY PROGRAM
Eastern Michigan University has launched a bachelor of science degree in Aviation Flight Technology. The program is designed to prepare students for entry-level pilot positions and will take an individual from student pilot to certificated multiengine instructor. It also includes a number of specialized courses that incorporate aviation business and management skills, safety, human factors, aerodynamics, aviation law and regulations, and crew resource management. Flight training is conducted by Eagle Flight Center, which is located at Willow Run Airport. For more information, call Timothy J. Doyle, program coordinator, at 734/487-1161 or e-mail.
UND STUDENTS TO STUDY REGIONAL AIR SERVICE
The University of North Dakota Aerospace Foundation has awarded a $50,000 grant to four aviation graduate students at UND's John D. Odegard School of Aerospace Sciences to study the economic benefits of expanded regional air service. Graduate students John Boehle, Ryan Deal, Shaun O'Keefe, and Chaminda Prelis will conduct the research. Last year, the North Dakota Aeronautics Commission approached the university to study the feasibility of expanded air service and its potential to spur economic growth in the state. Graduate students initially began work on the project late last year, and preliminary findings suggest that sufficient demand exists. Current efforts will focus on meeting this demand in the most economical, cost-effective manner possible.
| Inside AOPA
| FAA DRAFTS RULE ON AOPA PILOT ID PETITION
The FAA has told Sen. Max Cleland (D-Ga.) that the agency is now drafting a rule to implement AOPA's petition to require that pilots carry a government-issued photo ID, such as a driver's license, along with their pilot certificates. "The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) supports the proposed requirement as a low-cost interim measure to enhance security throughout the general aviation community that may be quickly implemented before a permanent system is developed and implemented," the FAA said in a letter to Cleland. AOPA will continue to work with Congress and the Bush administration to ensure that the pilot ID proposal doesn't become bogged down in executive review. See AOPA�Online.
NUCLEAR INDUSTRY REPORT BACKS UP AOPA'S FINDINGS
A nuclear industry report has concluded that a hijacked commercial airliner could not penetrate a U.S. nuclear power reactor and release deadly radiation. The study's preliminary findings were released Monday, and add more weight to an AOPA-commissioned study which concluded that a general aviation aircraft couldn't cause a radiation release. According to Reuters, the new study was commissioned by the Nuclear Energy Institute. It looked at what would happen if a Boeing 767 crashed into a nuclear power plant. See AOPA's study or the Reuters story.
AOPA'S BOYER WINS AWARD FOR GETTING GA BACK IN THE AIR
AOPA President Phil Boyer was honored by the Aero Club of New England (ACONE) for his efforts to restore U.S. pilots' flying privileges after the September 11 terrorist attacks. The club presented Boyer its prestigious Godfrey L. Cabot Award during a luncheon last Friday in Boston. "Phil Boyer has shown time and again that he can move political and regulatory mountains to keep the United States the world's greatest venue for the gift of flight," said ACONE President David G. Margolis. "Phil's actions after September 11 topped off a lifetime of leadership in GA." See AOPA�Online.
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| Training Products
| Need an aviation-oriented break from your flight-training handbook, the federal aviation regulations, and the pilot's operating handbook for your training airplane? Try a book by noted flight instructor and aviation author William K. Kershner, Logging Flight Time and Other Aviation Truths, Near Truths, and More Than a Few Rumors That Could Never Be Traced to Their Sources. This candid, lighthearted look at Kershner's more than 50 years in aviation–from Naval aviator and flight instructor to corporate aviator and flight-test pilot–is now available in paperback from the Iowa State Press for $24.99. For more information or to order, visit the Web site.
| Final Exam
| Question: What is a good, simple explanation of "angle of attack"?
Answer: Angle of attack is the angle formed between the chord line of a wing and the relative wind. The chord line is the imaginary line from the leading edge to the trailing edge of an airfoil. Basically, the angle of attack is the angle at which the wing is moving through the air. The greater the difference between the wing and the relative wind, the greater the angle of attack. Two articles from AOPA Flight Training can provide you with more information: "Understanding Lift" and "Form and Function: What is Angle of Attack?".
Got a technical question for AOPA specialists? E-mail to [email protected] or call 800/872-2672.
| Picture Perfect
| Jump to the AOPA Online Gallery to see the featured airplane of the day. Click on the link for details on how to capture wallpaper for your work area. See AOPA Online.
| What's New At AOPA Online
| Updated your airport data lately? New data files for AOPA's Airport eDirectory are posted every Monday morning on AOPA Online. The data files can be used to update both the desktop application and the data on your Palm personal digital assistant. If you haven't tried the eDirectory yet, you can download the application online.
| Weekend Weather
| See the current weather on AOPA�Online, provided by Meteorlogix.
| ePilot Calendar
| WEEKEND FLYING DESTINATIONS
Sidney, Ohio. The Sidney Air Show takes place June 29 at Sidney Municipal Airport (I12). Two safety seminars, many warbirds, barbecue chicken dinners, airplane rides. Contact Eric Kindig, 937/492-9794, or visit the Web site.
Saint Cloud, Minnesota. A Wheels, Wings, and Water Fly-In takes place June 30 at St. Cloud Regional Airport (STC). Pancake and sausage breakfast; free for pilots in command. Contact James M. Schlick, 320/253-6400.
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 Minneapolis and Reston, Virginia, June 29 and 30. Clinics are scheduled in Portland, Maine and Memphis, Tennessee, July 13 and 14. 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 Minneapolis on June 30. For more Pinch-Hitter courses, see AOPA Online.
ASF SAFETY SEMINARS
AOPA Air Safety Foundation Safety Seminars are scheduled in East Elmhurst, New York, June 24; Brookhaven, New York, June 25; Poughkeepsie, New York, June 26; and Randolph, New Jersey, June 27. The topics is single-pilot IFR, see AOPA�Online.
To make submissions to the calendar, visit AOPA Online. For comments on calendar items, e-mail [email protected].
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