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Top Stories
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Slideshow
Fifty-two vintage World War II military aircraft took off from Culpeper Regional Airport in Northern Virginia, joining up with four others from nearby Manassas Regional Airport/Harry P. Davis Field early May 7 in a partial practice of what's likely to be a once-in-a-lifetime mission on Friday. On May 8, the 56 warbirds will cross the skies of the nation's capital in the Arsenal of Democracy: World War II Victory Capitol Flyover, which commemorates the seventieth anniversary of Victory in Europe Day.
Here's a look behind the scenes...
 
AOPA Live This Week
Drones might lead to cheaper avionics for you—see this report from the Unmanned Systems 2015 conference; watch a sneak peek of Yuichi Takagi looping and rolling before he makes his aerial demonstration debut at AOPA's Salinas Fly-In May 16; celebrate the Doolittle Tokyo Raiders for receiving the Congressional Gold Medal; and find out how you can own a still-airworthy Vickers Supermarine Spitfire Mk.1A.
Watch AOPA Live This Week®, May 7...
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Technique and Safety
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Article
The NTSB has urged the FAA to change procedures and update software to help avoid wrong-airport landings.
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Video
What's your definition of a perfect liftoff and departure? In Takeoffs and Landings: Normal Takeoffs, flight instructors examine the process, while in-flight footage shows what a normal takeoff should look like and what it often turns out to be. May all of your takeoffs be well-managed and safe.
Watch the video...
Fly like a fighter
A "simple" power-on stall got really exciting, but then turned into a nonevent because of the training the pilot had received. Is it time for you to get some spin training?
Read more...
Login required
If aerodynamics textbooks and dense equations make you sleepy, then it's time to wake up and discover the significance of "critical angle of attack." You may know an airplane can stall at any airspeed or pitch attitude, but do you really understand why?
Learn more with this Aerodynamics quiz from the Air Safety Institute...
Blog
Engines and mechanical systems aren't the only culprits of canceled flights nowadays. "It's software and the millions of lines of code that lie embedded in the magic that run the show and periodically cancel it as well," writes AOPA Air Safety Institute Senior Safety Advisor Bruce Landsberg. "For GA, this is instructive."
Read more...
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AOPA Fly-Ins
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Article
Passionate aerobatic performer Yuichi Takagi will fly his first aerial demonstration during the AOPA Fly-In in Salinas, California, May 16. His goal is to fly his Pitts S-2S in airshows. Because his Pitts does not have the vertical capabilities of an airplane like an Extra, Takagi's performance will include many complex maneuvers—including torque rolls and tumbles—in a short period of time. "I'm going to show my energy, and not the airplane's energy," he said. Read more...
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Health
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Pilot Protection Services
AOPA Pilot Protection Services has received some questions recently about what information the FAA needs from an airman who has an episode of atrial fibrillation.
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Technology
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Article
The FAA announced May 6 new industry partnerships and a new app to help keep unmanned aircraft flying safely.
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Article
Control surfaces designed to flex in flight have aerodynamic advantages demonstrated by collaboration between NASA, the U.S. Air Force, and a Michigan company. The aerospace agency announced successful completion of flight tests using a Gulfstream business jet with flaps that bend without hinges.
Read more...
Article
The Comparative Aircraft Flight Efficiency (CAFE) Foundation's Electric Aircraft Symposium—the who's who in electric aviation—recently highlighted new ideas in the electric aircraft realm, a few of them on the kooky side.
Read more...
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Opinion
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Blog
Not all checklists are equal—some are lousy while others are expertly crafted. The important lesson is to use the checklist, according to Opinion Leaders blogger Ron Rapp, because "it's not the neophyte who is at greatest risk for missing something, it's the grizzled veteran who whips through the flows at lightning speed and then neglects to use the checklist at all."
Read more...
Blog
Opinion Leaders blogger Jolie Lucas recently helped with a Pilots N Paws mission and writes, "The day was a testament to what our General Aviation airplanes can accomplish to give back in service as well as install a permanent smile on our faces."
Read more...
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Travel
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Pilot Getaways feature
California's Monterey Bay is one of the world's natural treasures, a gorgeous curved coastline with Santa Cruz at its northern tip, and Monterey at the southern. So why not land in Watsonville, right in the middle, on your way to or from the AOPA Fly-In in Salinas on May 16?
Read more...
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Financial
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Article
Continental Motors is now a player in the experimental market with its purchase of Danbury Aerospace of San Antonio, Texas, which includes Titan aircraft engines. Among its divisions is Engine Components International (ECi).
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Article
Low oil prices, the V-22 Osprey, and U.S. Army surplus sales likely all play a role in job cuts at Bell Helicopter, an analyst said. The Textron company announced 1,100 layoffs April 27.
Read more...
Member benefits
When negotiating the price of buying an airplane, it's easy to get so caught up in getting the best deal on the purchase price that other costs associated with aircraft ownership get neglected.
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Article
The AOPA Foundation has announced that it will once again award 10 Giving Back grants to charities that are doing good work through general aviation. Read more...
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News and Notes
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Article
Cirrus Aircraft's long-awaited jet program took a big step forward this week when the company announced that deliveries and training would take place in a new Knoxville, Tennessee-based facility.
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Article
Superior Aviation Group has created a new subsidiary to offer consulting services to companies looking to bring new aviation offerings to China and elsewhere.
Read more...
Article
It took 72 years, 11 months, 28 days, and an act of Congress, but the Doolittle Tokyo Raiders finally received the Congressional Gold Medal for their heroic raid bombing Japan's mainland in 1942.
Read more...
Article
Geraldine "Jerrie" Mock, the first woman to circumnavigate the world solo, had her final wish carried out by friends flying in formation to scatter her ashes.
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Aircraft Maintenance
Understanding our aircraft ultimately makes us safer pilots, builds confidence, and reinforces the need to preserve the fleet of general aviation aircraft.
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Article
There are no dues, and no rules, except to "fly safe" in the South Carolina Breakfast Club. Just enjoy the fun, the fellowship, some flying, and a home-cooked southern breakfast.
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Pilot Protection Services
Mother's Day is a time to honor the incredible women who strive and sacrifice every day to ensure their children have every opportunity to pursue their dreams. Members of the AOPA Pilot Protection Services community have come together to reflect on how their maternal figures played a part in their aviation journeys.
Read their stories...
Article
As Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines played in a large hangar, airplanes and helicopters took off and landed outside on a calm spring evening. Inside, moviegoers at the AOPA National Aviation Community Center watched the British comedy beside a magnificent flying machine, the North American T-6 Texan.
Read more...
Blog
After almost two months at sea, fresh coconuts were a welcome sight for Markus Lavenson, who writes about landing on an uninhabited Pacific atoll to pick up a load of the fresh fruit.
Read more...
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Career Opportunities
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Aviation job board
Florida Flyers is looking for qualified flight instructors to join its busy Part 141 operation. With more than 30 airplanes, successful candidates can expect average monthly flight time/dual instruction of at least 120 hours per month. Multiple positions are available now! Apply for this exciting opportunity today.
AOPA career opportunities
Ever dream of turning your passion for aviation into a career? We're looking for part time, temporary digital product support; an account executive, AOPA corporate partnerships; editorial intern; manager, airport policy; graphic design intern; contractual marketing copywriter; videographer, Air Safety Institute; senior director of government affairs (airport advocacy); director of government affairs (airspace/air traffic); aviation technical specialist; director, pilot community development; vice president, information and technology; senior ambassador, You Can Fly; outreach and events coordinator; vice president for major and leadership gifts; Sitecore developer; director of studies, research, and analysis; and account executive. To learn more about other AOPA career opportunities,
visit AOPA Online.
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Question of the Week
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Question
A microburst, which is a type of low-level wind shear, occurs over a small area and can produce downdrafts that are impossible to overcome. What is the velocity of the downdrafts?
Answer
Downdrafts from a microburst can reach a velocity of up to 6,000 feet per minute. (Source: Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge 11-11.)
Got a question for our technical services staff? Contact AOPA.
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Education and Seminars
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Flight Instructor Refresher Courses
May 16-17 - Dania Beach, Florida; Houston, Texas; Pensacola, Florida; and Albany, New York
Jun 13-14 - Orlando, Florida; Santa Clara, California; and Bloomington, Minnesota
Jun 20-21 - Sterling, Virginia
Jun 27-28 - Charlotte, North Carolina; Columbus, Ohio; and Phoenix, Arizona
For a complete schedule, see AOPA Online. Can't make it in person? Sign up for the Air Safety Institute's Online eFIRC.
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Air Safety Institute Safety Seminars
May 11 - Garden City, New York
May 12 - Madison, Wisconsin; and Poughkeepsie, New York
May 13 - Latham, New York; and Milwaukee, Wisconsin
May 14 - Brockport, New York; and Manitowoc, Wisconsin
Topics vary—for details and a complete schedule, see AOPA Online.
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Rusty Pilot Seminars
May 9 - Burlington, Washington
May 16 - Salinas, California; and Wheeling, Illinois
May 23 - Paia, Hawaii; and Morristown, Tennessee
May 30 - Pasco, Colorado; Englewood, Colorado; Newtown, Pennsylvania; and Goleta, California
For a complete schedule, see AOPA Online.
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Aviation Calendar
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Check out user-submitted events from your region. To include an event or to search all events in the calendar, visit AOPA Online. AOPA does not endorse the events listed below, nor have ePilot editors edited the submissions. AOPA assumes no responsibility for events listed.
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Photo Contest
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Who's your favorite co-pilot?
We want to find the best general aviation photos that show pilots sharing their passion for flying with their best flying friend. Submit a photo and vote for your favorite from the submissions. The photo with the most votes at 11:59 p.m. Eastern each Wednesday will win a prize from Sporty's and AOPA, and be featured in AOPA ePilot. An overall winner will be picked by Sporty's and AOPA on May 29 for a grand prize. This week's winning photo, "Starting the Dream," was submitted by Salvador Ruiz.
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ePilot Editors:
Sarah Deener
Alyssa Miller
Jim Moore
Production Assistant:
Melissa Whitehouse
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Contributors:
Jill W. Tallman
Elizabeth Tennyson
Warren Morningstar
Alton K. Marsh
Dave Hirschman
Tom Horne
Ian J. Twombly
Dan Namowitz
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