February 14, 2014 - VOL 14, ISSUE 7

Flight Training News

Article

Able Flight seeks female pilot candidates

Able Flight is pushing hard to get more physically disabled women to apply for scholarships for its next flight training class, scheduled to begin in May. Read more... Share:  

Article

75-year-old encourages older flyers

A 75-year-old pilot says it's never too late to get hooked on flying. In the past 10 years, he earned his private pilot certificate and an instrument rating, and bought a Piper Archer III. Read more... Share:  

Apps of the week

What's app? Aviation games

With nasty weather grounding many pilots, you can still get in your flying fix by playing these five aviation game apps. Read more... Share:  

Greenville Airport opens new flight center

A flight center is being opened at South Carolina's Greenville Downtown Airport by local businessman Mitchell West. The center, a partnership between Aviation Access Project and Airwolf Aviation Services, will provide residents in the area low-cost aircraft ownership with a flight training option. Flight operations will begin on May 24, in conjunction with the airport's Take Flight 5K, a fundraiser for the aviation-themed community park that is being completed.

Upper Limit Aviation, Southern Utah University join forces

Upper Limit Aviation (ULA) kicked off the spring 2014 semester at Southern Utah University by welcoming 75 new students to the university's professional pilot program. The students join another 61 currently enrolled in the program. SUU and ULA began a partnership in fall 2013 to train new pilots to fly helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft.

Video

The art of crosswind landings

Managing a crosswind landing correctly is both art and science. Pilots learn the technique (the science) during their training, but rarely is emphasis placed on the art. And if the science is not practiced often, the art can slip away. Watch the video... Share:  

Flash-based, login required

Don't pay the price of ice

Could you recognize an imminent tail stall caused by ice accumulation? Avoid hazardous conditions that cause airframe icing with this Air Safety Institute quiz. Take the quiz...

Training Resources

Flash-based, login required

GPS for VFR operations

GPS is a great tool for pilots, but there's more to it than just the Direct-to button. Get a clear explanation of how GPS works and how you can use it to make your next VFR flight more efficient, enjoyable, and safe with this course from the Air Safety Institute. Take the course...

Did you know that student pilots who join AOPA are three times more likely to complete their flight training? Membership includes unlimited access to aviation information by phone (800/USA-AOPA, weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern time) or from Flight Training Online or AOPA Online. If you're not already a member, join today and get the pilot's edge.

Career Pilot

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Airline pilot shortage is here

U.S. airlines are facing a shortage of qualified pilots sooner than expected, leading carriers to boost hiring and cut routes, according to The Wall Street Journal. The situation has been exacerbated recently due to expected pilot retirements and new FAA regulations that require new airline pilots to have logged at least 1,500 hours of flight time, and that all airline pilots get more rest.

Southwest launching international service

Southwest Airlines began selling seats Jan. 27 for the first scheduled international flights flown by Southwest. Beginning July 1, Southwest will operate daily nonstop flights from Atlanta to Aruba and Montego Bay, Jamaica, and from Baltimore/Washington to Aruba; Nassau, Bahamas; and Montego Bay, Jamaica. In this first phase of the carrier's international conversion plan, subsidiary AirTran Airways will continue its existing international service.

For more aviation career news, see the Flight Training website.

Plane Spotter

Piper's high achievers

It started in the 1980s when a trim, pressurized, low-wing, 310-horsepower single-engine airplane called Malibu appeared. Stretches, more horsepower, and a turboprop followed, with names such as Mirage, for the 350-hp follow-on, and Meridian (a production turboprop). To a plane spotter, all members of the Piper PA-46 line of airplanes are easily ramp-recognizable by their high-aspect-ratio wing (that's the ratio of a wing's length to its chord), so designed with high-altitude cruise flight in mind. The aftermarket JetPROP DLX hits its stride at Flight Level 270 at 265 knots true airspeed.

Training Products

University Aviation Press opens e-books unit

University Aviation Press (UAP), which supplies e-books by aviation subject experts, has created a platform that allows users to publish and sell their ASA-vetted e-books via desktop computer, smartphone, and tablet devices. The deal includes copyright and digital rights management (DRM) to protect content.

Sporty's offers GoPro prop filter

Sporty's is now offering the GoPro HERO 3+ Prop Filter, created by NFlight Cam. The device attaches to the Hero 3+ to reduce prop blur. The aluminum bezel affixes to the lens portion of the case and doesn't block any of the camera's buttons. The included filter is designed to remove the propeller lines in 90 percent of the conditions encountered on a typical VFR flight. The device is $59.99.

Note: Products listed have not been evaluated by ePilot editors unless otherwise noted. AOPA assumes no responsibility for products or services listed or for claims or actions by manufacturers or vendors.

Member Benefits

Member benefits

Why plan for the worst-case scenario...

We are more at risk while we're traveling, so we're more likely to need help when we get hurt or sick in a place we don't know. That's why AOPA has developed MedFlight Freedom especially for AOPA members and their families. Read more... Share:  

Members only

Wet versus dry leasing: It's not about the fuel

The FAA doesn't care if you rent or lease an airplane with or without fuel. It certainly does care, however, about another type of wet lease operation that could run afoul of the regulations. Read more... Share:  

Blogs

How many different airplanes have you flown?

Jean Moule has been on the road, flying commercially—but she manages to find a connection to general aviation wherever she goes. Read more... Share:  

Teaching autorotations

Autorotation is one of the most critical maneuvers that helicopter CFIs perform with their students. It requires precision, timing, and the ability to multitask. Read more... Share:  

Instrument Tip

IFR Fix

'The dark side of automation'

The unpronounceable object is a computer navigation fix (CNF). Now that you know that, ignore it. Read more... Share:  

Final Exam

Question

In the upper right corner of a VOR identification box on a sectional chart, you notice the letter "H" in the middle of a solid background circle. What does that letter "H" signify?

Answer

That letter "H" signifies that "Hazardous Inflight Weather Advisory Service" (HIWAS) is available on that VOR. (Source: AOPA VFR Aeronautical Chart Symbols.)

Got a question for our technical services staff? Contact AOPA.

Career Opportunities

AOPA career opportunities

Join the AOPA team

Ever dream of turning your passion for aviation into a career? We're looking for an event planner, aviation technical writer contractor, coordinator of pilot community and development, director of insurance business operations, and member services and airport directory representative. To learn more about other AOPA career opportunities, visit AOPA Online.