FEBRUARY 14, 2014 - VOL 16, ISSUE 7

Technique and Safety

Fly like a fighter

How can 'lazy' be so precise?

Find out how military pilots flying T-38s set their power and trim, and then fly hands off using only rudder to perform Lazy 8s with 90 degrees of bank and 30 degrees of pitch. Read more... Share:  

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:  

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...

Advocacy

Advocacy

Senators ask for more complete answers about CBP stops

Senate General Aviation Caucus members are asking the Department of Homeland Security for more information and a briefing after the agency responded to some of the questions senators raised about the monitoring, stops, and searches of domestic GA flights by Customs and Border Protection. Read more... Share:  

Advocacy

AOPA, NBAA fight for Santa Monica

AOPA and the National Business Aviation Association have joined forces to file a friend of the court brief in a lawsuit over the future of Santa Monica Municipal Airport. In the filing, the associations point to the important role of the airport in the national transportation system and the potential domino effect if airports are allowed to walk away from land grant agreements. Read more... Share:  

Advocacy

Incomplete airport spending story slams GA

General aviation airports in Wisconsin were caught in the crosshairs of an "investigative" report by a Milwaukee TV station on how taxpayer dollars are being used to upgrade facilities. AOPA reached out to the station before the story aired, but the association's comments were not included in the report. Read more... Share:  

Blog

Media and 'spending your tax dollars'

Never let the facts get in the way of a good story! Instead of getting a balanced view, too often we get what the TV producer wants the slant to be, especially during sweeps. Read more... Share:  

Advocacy

AOPA opposes recommendation to phase out 121.5 MHz ELTs

In response to a new proposed federal equipment mandate, AOPA urges Washington to allow pilots to determine the best safety technology to invest in based on their type of flying. Rather than being forced to junk working emergency locator transmitters, pilots should be free to choose the best technology for their missions, AOPA is telling the Federal Communications Commission. Read more... Share:  

Advocacy

FAA, industry to work to make pilot testing relevant

AOPA plans to join a new FAA-industry working group that will help make pilot training and testing more relevant. Read more... Share:  

Health

Advocacy

Apnea bill would force rulemaking

The House has passed a bill that would force the FAA to go through the rulemaking process before imposing any new policies relating to sleep disorders, setting the stage for the Senate to consider an identical measure. Read more... Share:  

Technology

Slideshow

Driven by dreams

More than a century after Robert J. Collier commissioned a trophy to honor and encourage aeronautical innovation, nominees for the prestigious award continue to find diverse new ways to advance human achievement, from university gymnasiums where human-powered helicopters are setting new records to the edge of the solar system—and beyond. Read more... Share:  

Article

Drop-in ADS-B Out

Avidyne has received technical standard order (TSO) approval for the AXP340 transponder, a drop-in replacement for Bendix/King legacy models that offers Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast Out (ADS-B Out) capability. The $3,995 device is ready for certificated aircraft in the United States and Europe. Read more... Share:  

Article

Garmin marks GPS anniversary

Garmin is celebrating 20 years of instrument flying with a GPS as the primary navigation device. The GPS 155 was the first receiver certified by the FAA for use in instrument approaches, and by that measure the IFR GPS era began on Feb. 16, 1994. Read more... Share:  

Article

NavWorx ADS-B at FL950

An Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) transceiver developed for general aviation by NavWorx was recently used to test the technology at a much higher altitude: 95,000 feet. Read more... Share:  

Opinion

Blog

Reliability-centered maintenance

The airlines and military have learned how to reduce scheduled preventive maintenance while improving aircraft reliability: reliability-centered maintenance. But the proven concept hasn't been adopted by piston general aviation aircraft owners, writes Opinion Leaders blogger Mike Busch. Read more... Share:  

Blog

Freedoms of the air

Chinese foreign exchange students experience flying over Los Angeles in a Cessna 182. Opinion Leaders blogger Jolie Lucas shares how the flight exposed them to freedoms and a world they couldn't imagine in their country. Read more... Share:  

Blog

Aviators all

Could pilots learn a thing or two from the heroine Juliet, who said, "What's in a name?" Opinion Leaders blogger Jack Olcott writes, "What things are matters, not what we call them. The aviation community spends far too much effort labeling the various segments of flight." It all comes down to the pursuit of flight. Read more... Share:  

Gear

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:  

Travel

Blog

Night comes quickly in the Bahamas

As a group of pilots headed toward Cat Island in the Bahamas, the sun began to sink lower on the horizon. In the United States, this wouldn't be a problem. In the Bahamas, it's a cause for concern. Read more... Share:  

Financial

Article

Mooney to resume production

High-performance single-engine airplane maker Mooney will resume building new aircraft Feb. 26 at its Kerrville, Texas, factory, ending a five-year absence from production. Read more... Share:  

News and Notes

Article

Club raises funds for Honor Flights

Thanks to a fundraiser by the Bakersfield Flying Club in California, five World War II veterans will be flown to Washington, D.C., on Honor Flights. Read more... Share:  

Best Aircraft Showdown

'Best Aircraft' nominations open

Basketball fans have NCAA March Madness. Pilots have the Best Aircraft Showdown! Nominate your favorite aircraft to be in AOPA's third annual Best Aircraft Showdown. Nominations will be accepted from Feb. 14 to 28. Then, get ready to vote as the first 16 matchups will be opened on March 18. Nominate an aircraft... Share:  

Webinar

Why you need social media

What image of your flight school do potential customers see on social media like Facebook, Twitter, and Google Plus? AOPA eNewsletter and Social Media Editor Benét Wilson will help flight schools create the perfect social media plan and will offer tips for using social media effectively in a webinar Feb. 25 at 8 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. Register now... 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:  

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:  

Blog

Strange but true general aviation news

Landing without a propeller, no more drone beer deliveries, and trainer jet ejection. Read more... Share:  

More News

Able Flight seeks female pilot candidates

Trailer released for 'Planes: Fire & Rescue'

Flight school conference wraps up in San Antonio

Sweepstakes

Blog

First look: ECi cylinders

The delivery of six new ECi cylinders to Genesis Engines by D'Shannon and the disassembly of the entire original engine mark a new phase in the sweepstakes Debonair's transformation. Check out the old and new side by side, and find out the advantages of these shiny new cylinders. Read more... Share:  

Career Opportunities

Aviation job board

Job of the week: Aviation project manager

CH2M Hill, a global leader in consulting and design, is seeking an aviation project manager with experience on a broad range of airport projects. Responsibilities include working with aviation professionals in delivering planning, programming, architectural, engineering, and construction solutions for exciting airport projects, including passenger terminal airside and landside project components, with significant contribution to business development and building the aviation practice in the region. Learn more about this exciting career opportunity and others...

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.

Forums

Flight training lesson plan/curriculum

Which lesson plan/curriculum should a student use for the private pilot certificate? Read more...