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Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association
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Frederick, MD 21701
Tel: 800/USA-AOPA or
301/695-2000
Copyright � 2002 AOPA. | Training Tips
| SUMMER FLYING
Summer is coming, and the busiest months for general aviation will soon be here. That makes it a good time to review the performance charts in the pilot's operating handbook (POH) for your training aircraft and learn the warm-weather "numbers" for climb rates, fuel consumption in cruise, and takeoff and landing distances under various conditions. If you began flight training during cooler conditions and have not experienced warm-weather operations, such a study session will be enlightening. In many places the possibility of thunderstorms increases now, so include a review of this weather phenomenon in your update. A good place to start is the meteorology section of AOPA's Handbook for Pilots . Request and carefully study pilot weather reports or pireps that apply to your route.
 Warmer weather has numerous effects on flying light aircraft. Temperatures above standard and high humidity rob normally aspirated aircraft engines of power for takeoffs and climbs. Why? See Question #1 in the December 2001 AOPA Flight Training article titled "25 Questions". Reacquaint yourself with the meaning of the term "density altitude," and learn some rules of thumb for estimating its effects on performance, in AOPA's Handbook for Pilots . This drill will prepare you for questions on the FAA's Private Pilot Knowledge Test such as this one:
The basic purpose of adjusting the fuel/air mixture at altitude is to
A) Increase the amount of fuel in the mixture to compensate for the decrease in pressure and density of the air.
B) Decrease the fuel flow in order to compensate for decreased air density.
C) Decrease the amount of fuel in the mixture in order to compensate for increased air density.
(See correct answer below.)
Review the importance of using performance data in planning as summarized in the January 2001 AOPA Flight Training. For example, a 1986 Cessna making a short-field takeoff at maximum gross weight from a sea-level runway at 40 degrees Celsius will require 1,065 feet to become airborne and 1,945 feet to clear a 50-foot obstacle. At 5,000 feet above mean sea level the ground roll lengthens to 1,405 feet and the obstacle clearance requirement is 2,665 feet. Avoid problems associated with failure to anticipate such conditions, as reviewed in the August 2001 AOPA Flight Training–and enjoy your summer flying!
Answer to Knowledge Test Question:
B) Decrease the fuel flow in order to compensate for decreased air density.
| Your Partner in Training
| Perhaps you are thinking about a career change now that you're learning to fly. Go to AOPA Online and find out about the career opportunities waiting for you in aviation through our employment listings. Or, if you know the job you want, post it online, and expose your resume to the largest network of general aviation professionals available on the Internet.
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
| GOLF LEGEND TO PROMOTE LEARN-TO-FLY MONTH
Golf legend and longtime pilot Arnold Palmer will be honorary chairman of the Be A Pilot program's June Learn-to-Fly Month. Be A Pilot is a general aviation industry-sponsored program to promote flight training. "I wouldn't have enjoyed half the career I did–either in golf or in business–if I had not also been a pilot," said Palmer. Facing the extensive travel schedule of a young professional golfer, Palmer first took flight training because of a fear of flying. Now that he's playing less golf, Palmer plans to spend even more time at the controls. "Golf has always been my first love," Palmer says, "but now that I'm paring back my schedule, I'll spend even more time on my second love: flying. If I hadn't become a professional golfer, there's no doubt I would have gone into an aviation career." Recently, with the help of a 100-knot tailwind, he flew his own Cessna Citation X business jet from California to his hometown of Latrobe, Pennsylvania, in just three hours and eight minutes. For more information, see the Web site.
FLIGHT ACROSS AMERICA TO HONOR 9/11 VICTIMS
This summer volunteer pilots will honor victims of the September 11 tragedy by flying across the country. Starting on August 11 from Paine Field in Everett, Washington, Flight Across America will link with other flights and converge in New York City on the one-year anniversary. Fifty state flags will be delivered to the city. The goal is to have at least one aircraft take off and land from every airport in the country during the month-long celebration of flight. There will also be fly-in picnics. Flight Across America was dreamed up by Molly Peebles, a new private pilot whose FAA checkride originally was scheduled for September 11. With the flight, Peebles hopes to boost aviation, stir up stories from individual pilots, and change the way people look at the sky. For more information, see the Web site.
STUDENTS MARK 75th ANNIVERSARY OF LINDBERGH FLIGHT
In a cramped, Spartan cockpit, Charles Lindbergh piloted the "Spirit of St. Louis" on the first-ever solo transatlantic flight. On the anniversary of the historic journey from New York to Paris in 1927, students at Saint Louis University Parks College of Engineering and Aviation recreated that primitive cockpit. For a new "Lindbergh" exhibition at the Missouri History Museum in St. Louis, they constructed the gauges, controls, and instrument panel for an 11-foot replica of the plane's fuselage. The exhibit, which includes hundreds of artifacts, runs through January 5. Parks College celebrates its own seventy-fifth anniversary this year. For more information about the exhibit, call the Missouri History Museum at 314/746-45899 or visit the Web site.
| Inside AOPA
| NEED SOME ENCOURAGEMENT?
Are you enthusiastic about your flight training, but a little apprehensive about the seemingly endless amount of material you need to learn? Do you wonder how well you're progressing through your training, or maybe just what's next? AOPA Project Pilot has a new and improved way to match student pilots with experienced mentors who can provide just that sort of encouragement. Check out Project Pilot’s Find-a-Mentor/Find-a-Student page on AOPA Online.
ASF SCHOLARSHIP DEADLINES NEAR
The deadline for two scholarship programs administered by the AOPA Air Safety Foundation, the ExxonMobil Lubricants Scholarship and the Koch Corporation Scholarship, is July 31. ExxonMobil offers four scholarships: two academic aviation scholarships and two aircraft and powerplant mechanic scholarships. The Koch scholarship is awarded to a student enrolled in a university course of study focusing on aviation. For more information, see the Web site.
CHICAGO AIRPORTS BILLS SHOULD SEE ACTION IN JUNE
When the Senate and the House reconvene after the Memorial Day recess, movement is expected on the legislation to keep Meigs Field open in Chicago. AOPA Legislative Affairs continues to work with Sen. Richard Durbin (D-Ill.) and Rep. William Lipinski (D-Ill.) to pass the Senate and House bills. Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle (D-S.D.) has signaled his readiness to move the bill. A letter sent to both Daschle and Minority Leader Trent Lott (R-Miss.) may forestall any efforts by the Senate bill's opponent, Peter Fitzgerald (R-Ill.), to filibuster.
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| Training Products
| The FAA has released new Practical Test Standards for the Private Pilot, Commercial Pilot, and Certified Flight Instructor certificates and they're available now for $4.95 each from Aviation Supplies and Academics. The new standards become effective on August 1. For more information, visit the Web site or call 800/426-8338.
| Final Exam
| Question: What happens if my static port becomes blocked? What instruments are affected and how do I recognize it? What should I do?
Answer: A blocked static port will affect the airspeed indicator (ASI), altimeter, and the vertical speed indicator (VSI). Although ice may be one of the more common causes of blockage, almost anything can block the static port, including insects or dirt. When the static port is blocked, the ASI will indicate a lower-than-correct airspeed when the airplane is at an altitude above where the port was blocked, and a higher-than-correct airspeed when the airplane is at a lower altitude than where the blockage occurred. The altimeter will sense whatever pressure is trapped in the case by the plugged static port, and it will continue to indicate the same altitude. The VSI shows a vertical speed of zero feet per minute. If you encounter a static port blockage, use an alternate static source if one is available; consult your pilot's operating handbook. If there isn't an alternate static source, break the VSI's glass cover. But be aware that, because the alternate static pressure is usually lower than that produced by the normal static source, slight differences can occur. The altimeter reads higher than actual altitude, the vertical speed shows a climb when the airplane is in level flight, and the indicated airspeed is faster than the actual speed. For more information on the pitot-static system and flight instruments, you may want to read two AOPA Flight Training articles: "Mastering the Flight Instruments" and "Measuring the Need for Speed".
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
| A new subject report, Part 61 and Part 141 Flight Schools, has been posted on AOPA Online. The overview and a number of articles discuss the differences between the two kinds of schools. Another section provides detailed information for flight schools wishing to obtain FAR Part 141 certification.
| Weekend Weather
| {WX}
See the current weather on AOPA�Online, provided by Meteorlogix.
| ePilot Calendar
| WEEKEND FLYING DESTINATIONS
Frederick, Maryland. The AOPA Fly-in and Open House takes place June 1 at AOPA headquarters on Frederick Municipal Airport (FDK). Visit the Web site.
Manitowoc, Wisconsin. The Manitowoc Airshow 2002 takes place June 8 and 9 at Manitowoc County Airport (MTW). Featuring Air Force F-15s, A-10s, C-130s, Stealth Fighter fly-by, civilian performers, exhibits, and more. See the Web site.
Reading, Pennsylvania. A WWII Commemorative Weekend takes place June 7 through 9 at Reading Regional Airport (RDG). Sponsored by the Mid Atlantic Air Museum. Visit the Web site for more information.
Saint Francis, Kansas. The Twentieth Annual Stearman Fly-in takes place June 8 and 9 at St. Francis Airport (SYF). Stearman biplanes, hot air balloons, skydiving demonstrations. All airplanes, gliders, ultralights welcome. For more information call Robert Grace, 785/332-2251.
For more airport details, see AOPA's Airport Directory Online . For more events, see Aviation Calendar of Events
AOPA PILOT TOWN MEETINGS
The next Pilot Town Meetings featuring AOPA President Phil Boyer are in Cleveland, June 17; Nashville, Tennessee, June 19; and in Detroit, June 20. Admission is free. See AOPA Online.
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 Orlando, Florida, and Charlotte, North Carolina, June 15 and 16. A Clinic is scheduled in Las Vegas June 22 and 23. 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 Oklahoma City on June 14. Topics are Spatial Disorientation and 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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