JUNE 27, 2014 - VOL 16, ISSUE 26

AOPA Fly-Ins

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Camp out with your airplane

Camp out with your airplane and make new friends at AOPA’s Plymouth Fly-In. Camping will be available the nights of July 11 and 12. Plane Jane's Place will cater a meal on Friday from 6 to 8 p.m. (cost is $10 cash per person). Reservations are required in order to camp out. To reserve your spot and learn about the rules and responsibilities of camping at the airport, download the aircraft camping procedures.

AOPA Fly-Ins

Spread the word

The July 12 AOPA Fly-In in Plymouth, Mass., promises to be a great day to spend at the airport with hundreds of fellow AOPA members. Watch airplanes, learn from aviation experts, and meet with AOPA President Mark Baker and many others. There will be plenty to eat, as well as dozens of exhibits, aircraft displays, and vendors. Don't let your friends miss out on the fun: Print a poster—8.5 by 14 inches or 11 by 17 inches—and pin it at your local airport.

AOPA Fly-Ins

Learn from educational seminars at Plymouth Fly-In

Rusty pilots, owners eager to get hands-on with maintenance, and any pilot ready to sharpen communication and decision-making skills will have seminars to choose from July 12 during the AOPA Fly-In in Plymouth, Mass. Michael Goulian will present a seminar, and AOPA President Mark Baker will host a pilot town hall. See the seminar schedule...  

Technique and Safety

Article

'The human must be the boss'

Approaching San Francisco International Airport on a VFR day in a Boeing 777, the crew was "astonished" when automated systems did not respond as expected. That was among the comments from the pilots related by staff to members of the National Transportation Safety Board, which decided June 24 that Asiana Flight 214 fell victim to the crew's inattention to crucial details, mismanagement of the approach, and misunderstanding of how their complex systems work. Read more...  

IFR Fix

'Look out for Bud'

"Look out for Bud," was all an instructor had to say to a trainee. Bud had unknowingly become a see-and-avoid metaphor for countless aviators. Read more...  

Advocacy

Take ATP written before Aug. 1

Pilots planning to earn an airline transport pilot certificate should consider taking the knowledge test before Aug. 1 when new rules take effect. Read more...  

Flash-based, login required

Flying by the rules

"I Follow Roads" may not be the wisest thing to do in instrument flying. While instrument flight is often a world of grays, it is surrounded by FAA regulations that are black and white—all good reasons to stay sharp, develop and adhere to personal minimums, and be safe while staying on the FAA's good side. Take the course...

Video

'V.A.C.A.T.I.O.N.' spells trouble?

Before hopping in the airplane on your way to a Fourth of July celebration, be prepared and watch the Air Safety Institute's rhyme for the unwary pilot. This darkly humorous reminder spells out the ills that can befall careless vacation fliers; make sure that your name isn't next on the list. Watch the video...  

Aircraft Maintenance

Breaking breakers

When electrical system gremlins started to appear in A&P mechanic Jeff Simon's airplane, he discovered that his aircraft's circuit breakers (one of which was 41 years old) were failing one by one. Read more...  

Blog

Black swans and checklists

In the wake of a fatal Gulfstream IV accident a few weeks ago, AOPA Foundation President Bruce Landsberg wonders if it was caused solely by pilot error or if it was a combination of pilot error and mechanical malfunction. Read more...  

Advocacy

Article

AOPA sets record straight in 'USA Today'

USA Today published AOPA President Mark Baker's letter to the editor June 24, calling out errors in Thomas Frank's "Unfit for flight" article. AOPA was limited to 175 words in its letter to the editor and was denied the opportunity to submit a longer piece in the newspaper's Op-Ed section. However, the association is requesting that the publication run a lengthy correction. Read more...  

Advocacy

Pilots: Comment on draft airman standards

An AOPA-led industry group, part of a joint FAA-industry effort to improve general aviation safety by creating more relevant and meaningful written and practical testing experiences, has made new draft airman certification standards available for public comment. Read more...  

Advocacy

FAA authority over model aircraft

The FAA is warning model aircraft operators not to fly with first-person-view goggles or for hire in new guidance prompted by an uptick in reports of reckless model aircraft use. The FAA's interpretation of special rules for the operation of remotely controlled aircraft also gives the agency "clear" authority to take enforcement action against unsafe operators. Read more...  

Health

Article

Online tools help with medical

Looking for an aviation medical examiner? Want to practice filling out a medical application? Trying to figure out if you can still fly with the medication you are taking? You can find answers to all these questions and more in AOPA's online medical certification section. AOPA offers a link to the FAA's database of AMEs so that you can find one near you, a TurboMedical online tool that will flag any responses on a medical application that might require extra documentation, and a list of medications that the FAA allows and doesn't allow pilots to take while flying. Find more medical certification resources.  

Technology

Article

An electric record

South Carolina pilot Gary Davis barely made it above the Greenville Downtown Airport Class D airspace, although he most likely set a world record doing it. A longtime hang glider and ultralight pilot, Davis set out on June 21 to attempt a climb that no one flying his particular kind of machine had ever made. Read more...  

Survey

What's your approach to weather?

A 15-minute, confidential online survey for general aviation pilots created by university researchers working on an FAA-funded study includes questions about weather briefings, avoidance techniques, training, and technology used in the cockpit. Responses will help researchers better understand decision making and strategies, including strategies used to avoid VFR flight into instrument meteorological conditions.

Opinion

Blog

Get excited!

A flying car/jet that will fly as fast as a business jet and give passengers the comfort of a high-end sedan? Opinion Leaders blogger John Petersen shows off pictures of the concept that Greg Brown and Dave Fawcett have been working on. See the photos...  

Blog

Prepping the long x-c

Getting ready for an epic trip can be a lot of work—if you look at it as work. For months, Opinion Leaders blogger Amy Laboda has been preparing for her annual summer trek around much of the country. But, she writes, "I see all the prep as part of the build-up, the anticipation that is half the fun of going." Read more...  

Gear

Apps of the week

Now taking off: Flight training apps

Student pilots can use their smartphones and tablets as learning tools with these five apps. Read more...  

Travel

Article

Pilot retraces 'Flight of Passage'

Chris and April Nesin are flying across the United States in the same 1949 Piper PA-11 that teenagers Kern and Rinker Buck flew across the country in 1966. Rinker Buck later penned the memoir Flight of Passage about the journey. Read more...  

Article

Cirrus SR22 team wins Air Race Classic

A past winner was among the three members of a team that flew a Cirrus SR22 to victory in the 2014 Air Race Classic. Read more...  

Financial

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Annual report details projects

In 2013, donations to the AOPA Foundation helped support powerful programs designed to strengthen the pilot community. In its recently released annual report, the foundation details how your donations were used to support programs to boost pilot safety, grow the pilot community, involve youth in aviation, and preserve airports. Download the report to read an accounting of the funds, to see your name listed as a donor, or to learn how to make a donation. Read more...

Mattituck buys Southern Avionics

Continental Motors Group's maintenance, repair, and overhaul subsidiary, Mattituck Services Inc., has agreed to purchase an avionics and aircraft interior specialist in Mobile, Ala. The Southern Avionics and Communications Inc. deal is expected to close in the third quarter, as Airbus prepares to open an assembly line in Mobile, with significant growth in local operations and aviation business expected.

Article

Flying club's foundation promotes GA

The East Hill Flying Club has created a foundation to help fund youth flight training scholarships and provide financial support for aviation projects that benefit the public. Read more...  

Podcast

Are your club aircraft covered?

If you are thinking about starting a flying club or are rethinking your club's insurance needs and coverage, check out the "Aircraft insurance for flying clubs" podcast with AOPA Insurance Services President Bill Snead. Listen to the free podcast in iTunes...  

Member benefits

Two-minute course in renter's insurance

When buying aircraft renter's insurance, it helps to understand the insurance lingo and what it means to you. Learn the difference between required and optional coverages for a rented aircraft. Read more...  

News and Notes

Article

Flight challenge: 'Still anybody's game'

It's getting down to the wire for pilots and would-be aviators to pit their skills against the competition in the Flying Challenge Cup. Read more...  

Members only

Top three student pilot FAR violations

It's not often that the FAA takes enforcement action against student pilots for violations of the federal aviation regulations, but the few that do occur generally fall into three categories: errors on the medical application form, carrying passengers, and failure to have the proper endorsements for a flight. In these cases, the FAA usually revokes the student pilot's certificate. Read more...  

AOPA Strategic Partner Spotlight

Aero-Space Reports helps pilots

As an AOPA Strategic Partner, Aero-Space Reports supports AOPA members with discounts and special offers on its services. The company also provides sponsorship support for www.aopa.org and AOPA events, and participates in educating members to help current and prospective aircraft owners avoid ownership challenges. Thank you for your support.

Poll

Vote for best covers of 'AOPA Pilot'

A V35B Bonanza flies over Chetalothna Glacier, a Maule M-5 Lunar-Rocket prototype takes off like a "juiced-up grasshopper," an Aero Commander 112 flies in the sunset, a vintage Grumman Goose sees its reflection, a Cessna 182 travels along Baja California, a Ford Trimotor frames a Grumman Gulfstream II, a PJC-2 Harlow cruises, a Nimbus II glider soars—see all of this and more on the 1972 AOPA Pilot covers. Vote for your favorite cover...  

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 aviation technical specialist, Air Safety Institute intern, aircraft finance analyst I, member services representative, major gift officer, AOPA Live producer/videographer I, and account manager II. To learn more about other AOPA career opportunities, visit AOPA Online.

Forums

ADS-B installation

When are you going to install ADS-B Out? Read more...