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Tel: 800/USA-AOPA or
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Copyright � 2002 AOPA. | Training Tips
| USING CHECKLISTS
Checklists–pilots use them from preflight to shutdown. They fill chapters in pilot's operating handbooks: checklists for normal procedures, checklists for emergency procedures. Fail to use a checklist on a flight test and you will probably have to take that checkride again. Many mishaps are traced to failure to use standard procedures, including the appropriate checklist. See "Preflight Oversights" in the August 2002 AOPA Flight Training.
 So is it fair to say that pilots should always use the checklist for the task being performed? Not exactly. There are times when fumbling through a book to locate a checklist would be foolhardy, such as during a go-around, or during the initial response to an engine failure. Safety first.
To many students preparing for a flight test, this idea makes sense, but is also a source of worry because it conflicts with the message about checklists hammered home during training. Fortunately, a guide for knowing when it is acceptable to deviate from the basic rule is provided in the Practical Test Standards ( click here to download). The PTS for the private pilot certificate states that "examiners shall place special emphasis" on an applicant's use of checklists. But the PTS goes on to acknowledge that sometimes, doing so "would be either unsafe or impractical."
What should an applicant do then? "In this case, a review of the checklist after the elements have been accomplished, would be appropriate. Division of attention and proper visual scanning should be considered when using a checklist," says the PTS.
To perform these tasks adequately, the pilot must have committed emergency procedures to memory. A go-around must be performed with each step in the correct order. In a simulated loss-of-power emergency, the aircraft must be kept under control, and flown at the recommended speed, while the pilot diagnoses the problem and attempts an engine restart. Review your pilot's operating handbook and the AOPA Handbook for Pilots section on in-flight emergencies. Then see the discussion of using "memory items" during emergencies in "Crisis Management 101" in the September 2002 AOPA Flight Training.
Remember that the special emphasis examiners place on checklists extends to a flight's conclusion, as discussed in the January 2002 AOPA Flight Training's "Checkride" column. Choose your course of action wisely, and you will take the mystery out of using checklists.
| Your Partner in Training
| AOPA now offers an additional program to help you cover the cost of your flight training. It's called the AOPA Flight Training Funds program, with credit lines up to $25,000 and competitive rates. The program offers flexible terms, and predictable payments so you can choose the number of months you want to pay off your account–from 36 to 72–guaranteeing no surprises to your monthly budget. Whether you are a student pilot or working to upgrade your certificate, AOPA Flight Funds can help you earn your wings.
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
| FRACTIONAL CONTINUES IN GROWTH MODE
Fractional aircraft ownership company Executive Jet Management, Inc. added eight business jets to its charter fleet in the third quarter of 2002. Aspiring professional aviators will be glad to know that more airplanes mean more jobs; fractional operators accounted for 20 percent of all professional pilot hiring during the first eight months of this year. Executive Jet now manages more than 100 aircraft in nearly 50 locations across the country to meet the growing demand for charter and to support the NetJets Fractional Aircraft Ownership Program. Airport delays and business travelers' desire for increased security are fueling the continued growth of Executive Jet Management and others serving the fractional market, where buyers purchase only a share–say, one-fourth or even one-eighth of an aircraft–making ownership feasible for people who could not justify purchasing an entire aircraft.
TIGER MAKES RECORD LEAP TO 41,000 FEET
Bruce Bohannan has done it. The time-to-climb record that had eluded him earlier this year is his, unofficially. His piston-engine airplane, the Exxon Flyin' Tiger, has set a world record–actually three world records–by reaching 41,300 feet in 32 minutes and 2 seconds. (Don't try to climb that high in your training airplane.) He also set records in the C-1b aircraft class for sustained horizontal flight at that altitude and for absolute altitude. The record flight took place October 22 at Desert Resorts Regional Airport near Palm Springs, California, site of the AOPA Expo convention.
| Inside AOPA
| FAA ADOPTS AOPA'S PHOTO ID PROPOSAL
At AOPA Expo 2002 in Palm Springs, California, in her first public appearance before a general aviation audience, FAA Administrator Marion Blakey announced that the FAA has adopted AOPA's pilot ID petition. Effective October 28, the rule revises pilot certificate requirements to require that pilots carry a government-issued photo ID when flying, in addition to their medical and pilot certificates. AOPA had suggested that a valid driver's license would be an immediate, cost-effective solution in lieu of starting a new ID program. "This is great news," said AOPA President Phil Boyer. "Since 9/11 the need for pilots to carry a picture ID continued to surface in most security discussions. With the approval of AOPA's petition, the administrator makes this positive measure to enhance security throughout the general aviation community a reality."
PARADE OF PLANES KICKS OFF AOPA EXPO
Hundreds of pilots, their guests, and local residents lined the streets, waving and cheering Wednesday afternoon as 77 aircraft rolled past during the AOPA Parade of Planes. The aircraft are on display along with two Robinson helicopters that had landed earlier at the display site outside the Palm Springs Convention Center. The aircraft will taxi back to Palm Springs International Airport for departure at 4 p.m. on Saturday. For online coverage of Expo, see AOPA Online.
Changing your mailing or e-mail addresses? Click here to update.
| Training Products
| CAGE CONSULTING FLASHCARDS
Looking for an easy way to study information in the Aeronautical Information Manual and the federal aviation regulations? Cage Consulting's new Flashcards–designed by an airline pilot instructor, Ronald McElroy–can help pilots grow and maintain their core knowledge of the regulations and practices set forth in the AIM and FARs. There are 243 questions in the three-volume set; each volume is printed on high-quality stock and fashioned with a metal ring for review. The price is $23.95 per volume or $59.95 for the set. For more information, call 888/899-2243 or visit the Web site.
| Final Exam
| Question: Where can I find the codes explaining aircraft registration numbers in different countries?
Answer: The aircraft nationality and registration marks can be found in a couple of different resources. They are located in Supplement 1 to ICAO Annex 7, Aircraft Nationality and Registration Marks. The FAA has extracted these registration marks and included them in Chapter 4 of FAA Order 7340.1, "Contractions." Marks are listed either by country or by code. See the FAA Web site.
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
| Are you ready to take your FAA private pilot knowledge test, but don't know where to find the nearest approved testing center? An updated FAA Airman Knowledge Testing Center List has been posted on AOPA Online ( click here to download a copy). The CATS Testing Centers offer AOPA members a $10 discount on the knowledge test fee.
| Weekend Weather
| See the current weather on AOPA�Online, provided by Meteorlogix.
| ePilot Calendar
| WEEKEND FLYING DESTINATIONS
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. The 2002 Caribbean Airshow takes place November 3 at San Isidro Air Base. Armed forces aircraft from the United States, Brazil, Peru, Venezuela, France, and many Caribbean nations will be on display. Visit the Web site.
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 Clinic is scheduled in Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas, on November 2 and 3. Clinics are also scheduled in San Diego, and Atlanta, on November 9 and 10. 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 Atlanta, November 10. For more Pinch-Hitter courses, see AOPA Online.
ASF SAFETY SEMINARS
AOPA Air Safety Foundation Safety Seminars are scheduled in East Elmhurst, New York, October 28; Brookhaven, New York, October 29; White Plains, New York, October 30; and Poughkeepsie, New York, October 31. The topic is Ups and Downs, check AOPA�Online for more information.
To make submissions to the calendar, visit AOPA Online. For comments on calendar items, e-mail [email protected].
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