Advanced Flight Training

Ratings and Endorsements

Whether it's your favorite seaplane, tailwheel, complex, or high-performance airplane that you hope to someday fly as pilot in command, the FAA requires training and testing, or an endorsement by an authorized instructor, to have an additional category, class, or operating privilege added to your credentials.

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Going to High Performance Aircraft

AOPA continues to receive questions regarding endorsements needed by pilots to fly complex and high-performance aircraft. With the changes to 14 CFR 61.31 in mid-1997, the FAA changed the requirements for a person to act as PIC of these aircraft. The wrong endorsement could mean a violation or invalidate your aircraft insurance.

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AOPA Podcast: Airline Transport Pilot Certification

Listen as David Oord, AOPA's Manager of Regulatory Affairs, explains the changes to airline transport pilot certification and flight regulations.

Listen to the podcast

Turbine Magazine

Pilot Magazine

The ultimate King Air

When most general aviation pilots think of the biggest King Air, they’re most apt to name the King Air 350i.

Jan 09, 2015

Pilot Magazine

10 jet pilot errors

After thousands of hours of instruction given to new jet pilots, certain patterns in errors and knowledge gaps become apparent.

Jan 09, 2015

Pilot Magazine

Quick Look: Piper Cheyenne 400LS

Piper’s Cheyenne 400LS is one of those rare airplanes that has few compromises.

Jan 09, 2015

Pilot Magazine

Earning your stripes

A crusty old chief pilot once told me early in my jet flying career that I seemed a bit too eager to please at times, a little overly energetic to complete one task and move on to the next.

Dec 19, 2014

IFR Fix

IFR Fix: An uneasy compromise

The pilot wasn’t the first “expert” ever humbled by an icing encounter. Here was a chance for redemption.

2015, 01 12

IFR Fix

IFR Fix: Keene expectations

Your preparedness to fly the ILS or LOC RWY 2 approach to Dillant-Hopkins Airport in Keene, New Hampshirethis, is a result of your hour-long preflight ground review.

2014, 12 29 | comments

IFR Fix

IFR Fix: Power, and distraction

After a complete electrical failure during an initial climb from the departure airport, the pilot of a Beech King Air 200 learned a valuable lesson from a simple but costly omission.

2014, 12 19 | comments

IFR Fix

IFR Fix: Timing the handoff

No one likes to blow a radio exchange with ATC, but it's not possible to know exactly when a handoff from one center sector to another, or from a center to approach, is going to happen.

2014, 12 12 | comments

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