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Tel: 800/USA-AOPA or
301/695-2000
Copyright � 2002 AOPA. | Training Tips
| NIGHT FLIGHT
 Some time after you have mastered basic aircraft control, but before your final flight-test preparation begins, night flying will enter your training program. Flying a general-aviation aircraft at night is one of the true privileges available to a private pilot. For a sample of its "special pleasures," see the February 2001 AOPA Flight Training article. But night flying makes different demands on a pilot than does aviation illuminated by sunlight. Knowledge of airport and aircraft lighting must be applied. See the February 1999 AOPA Flight Training article for a comprehensive review.
Pilots must get a weather briefing tailored to nocturnal conditions–keeping in mind, for example, that as temperatures come down, radiation fog may form. Additional fuel reserves must be carried at night. It also helps to have become proficient in flying by reference to instruments during your prior training, because under some night conditions, no clear visual horizon reference exists. The night flight environment is discussed in the November 1999 Flight Training article "Flight Into Darkness". Also see the section of the Aeronautical Information Manual on "Medical Facts for Pilots" for discussions of such issues as night-vision adaptation and the different needs for supplemental oxygen between day and night flight.
There was a time when night-flight training requirements were vague at best, with the exception of each trainee having to make 10 takeoffs and landings during night instruction. The Federal Aviation Administration has recently extended and clarified the requirements. Before going for a private pilot flight test, all applicants (except some in Alaska) now must be able to document that they have met the following requirements as set forth in the Federal Aviation Regulations:
"3 hours of night flight training in a single-engine airplane that includes–
(i) One cross-country flight of over 100 nautical miles total distance; and
(ii) 10 takeoffs and 10 landings to a full stop (with each landing involving a flight in the traffic pattern) at an airport."
For more tips on a strategy for night flight, including the use of information resources, and a pilot's personal observations following a night cross-country to a new destination, see the January 2001 AOPA Pilot article "Into the Heart of Darkness." Enjoy the beauty and the challenges of your night flight!
| AOPA, Your Partner in Training
| Our toll-free Pilot Information Center at 800-USA-AOPA (800/872-2672), available weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern time, is a great resource for new pilots. Our highly qualified, experienced pilots and flight instructors are ready to answer your questions and provide advice on all aspects of flying. A common question we get from new pilots is, "Where can I find regulations discussing currency of charts?" It is broadly accepted that the federal aviation regulation (FAR) discussing preflight action, 91.103, outlines these requirements. Only current charting information can possibly satisfy the "all available" information criteria within the FAR. If you don't understand the FARs , call our 800 number–our experts will be glad to help.
As an AOPA Flight Training Trial Member, you have access to all of the features within AOPA Online. If you have received a copy of the magazine or your membership credentials in the mail, log in using your eight-digit member number, which is also your username. If you have not yet received your number, please call AOPA Member Assistance at 800/872-2672 weekdays between 8:30 a.m. and 6 p.m. Eastern for assistance.
| Flight Training News
| INDUSTRY PROGRAM NETS 32K PILOT PROSPECTS
Be A Pilot, the industry's national public education program to promote general aviation and learning to fly, generated 32,368 prospective pilots during 2001. Despite a brief downturn in inquiries after September 11–and an increase to $49 in the cost of the program's introductory flying lesson–the number of prospects was the second highest in Be A Pilot's history. The 1,710 flight schools honoring Be A Pilot's $49 introductory flight coupons set another record. The organization's efforts are funded by 40 key general aviation businesses and organizations, which contributed $1.6 million last year. AOPA is one of four Be A Pilot platinum-level sponsors, the highest level. For more information, visit the Web site.
FAA CERTIFIES NEW SIMULATOR
FAA certification of the Motus full-motion flight simulator, classified at Flight Training Device (FTD) Level 2, allows students at Windsong Aviation–a flight school and FBO at Jeffco Airport in Denver–to log time towards primary and advanced flight certificates, and for recurrent training. The $150,000 simulator, manufactured by Fidelity Flight Simulation Inc., employs a 6 degree-of-freedom motion base, similar to that of $15 million airline simulators. "The general aviation pilot has never been able to take advantage of these kinds of training tools," said Graham Hodgetts, Fidelity Flight Simulation president. He said it was the first-ever certification of an affordable motion-based flight training device. For more information see the Web site.
SCHOLARSHIP TO HELP A LUCKY STUDENT
A scholarship designed to help one student pilot fulfill his or her dream of learning how to fly has been announced by Flying Network Inc. The company, which operates the www.studentpilot.com Web site, is offering the winning applicant a $1,000 flight training scholarship. "I created this scholarship to help [a pilot with financial difficulties] get over that final hurdle to becoming a private pilot," said Neil Glazer, the company's president. For more information about this scholarship and application, visit the Web site.
| Inside AOPA
| AOPA QUESTIONS LAST-MINUTE FLIGHT RESTRICTION
AOPA President Phil Boyer has complained to Homeland Security Director Tom Ridge about a last-minute temporary flight restriction (TFR) that effectively closed nine Washington-area airports during the president's State of the Union address. At 4:45 p.m. Tuesday, just hours before the speech, the FAA issued a notam banning all VFR flight within 25 nautical miles of Washington, D.C. "As a citizen of the United States during these troubled times, I am very concerned about whether I am 'secure in the homeland' with decisions like those made Tuesday," Boyer wrote. "I do not question the imposition of flight restrictions, but the manner in which the government acted. It is troubling that a vital homeland security decision about an event scheduled months in advance was made at not just the proverbial 'eleventh hour,' but operationally beyond any reasonable time pilots would expect such notification." Temporary restrictions have become common since the terrorist attacks of September 11, and pilots are reminded to check notams before every flight. AOPA Online is also an excellent source for updates.
Changing your mailing or e-mail addresses? Click here to update.
| Training Products
| ADVANCED IFR DVD NOW AVAILABLE
Sporty's Pilot Shop has completed its Instrument Rating Course on DVD with volume six, "Advanced IFR." This DVD covers night flying under instrument flight rules (IFR) and includes a comprehensive GPS IFR approach section featuring the Garmin GNS 530 GPS/com. The course includes seven discs, syllabus, study guide, CD/DVD wallet, signoff, and graduation form; it retails for $199. For more, see the Web site or call 800/543-8633.
| Coming Up In 'AOPA Flight Training'
| | Learn how to handle challenging approaches to airports, read tips for avoiding midair collisions, and find out how helicopters fly–all in the March issue of AOPA Flight Training, which will be mailed next week. | Final Exam
| Question: I am a 40-hour student pilot and my original logbook is getting full. What is the best way to transfer all the information from the old logbook to the new one? Do I need to have my instructors re-certify my training in the new logbook? Will I need to still carry along all my logbooks?
Answer: The usual way to handle this situation is to carry your totals over to the next logbook and mark it as volume 2. According to CFR 49 61.51(i)(2), as a student pilot you are required to carry your logbooks with you until you are certified as a private pilot. At that point, you don't need to carry them with you any longer. We would suggest that you also periodically make copies of each page of your logbook and keep them in a safe place for backup purposes. For more information on logbooks, see AOPA Online.
Got a technical question for AOPA specialists? E-mail to [email protected] or call 800/872-2672.
| What's New At AOPA Online
| Looking for a place to take your FAA written test? Click here to download our updated list of FAA-approved computer testing sites from AOPA Online.
| Picture Perfect
| Jump to the AOPA Online Gallery to see the featured airplane of the day. Click on the link for details on how to capture wallpaper for your work area. See AOPA Online.
| ePilot Calendar
| Check your weekend weather on AOPA Online.
WEEKEND FLYING DESTINATIONS
Boca Raton, Florida. Collings Foundation B-17 and B-24 on exhibit at Boca Raton Airport (BCT) February 17 through 20. Call 561/488-6155 for event information. For additional tour stops, see the Collings Foundation Web site.
For more airport details, see AOPA's Airport Directory Online . For more events, see Aviation Calendar of Events
ASF FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR REFRESHER CLINICS
(All clinics start at 7:30 a.m.)
The next AOPA Air Safety Foundation Flight Instructor Refresher Clinics are scheduled in Fort Lauderdale, Florida; Las Vegas; and Oklahoma City, February 9 and 10. Clinics are scheduled in Colorado Springs, Colorado; New Orleans; and Kent State, Ohio, February 16 and 17. For the Flight Instructor Refresher Clinic schedule, see AOPA Online.
ASF PINCH-HITTER GROUND-SCHOOL COURSES
(Pinch-Hitter courses start at 9:30 a.m.)
The next Pinch-Hitter� Ground School will take place in Las Vegas February 10. For more Pinch-Hitter courses, see AOPA Online.
ASF SAFETY SEMINARS
AOPA Air Safety Foundation Safety Seminars are scheduled in Mesa, Arizona, February 12; Tucson, Arizona, February 13; and Albuquerque, New Mexico, February 19.The topic is spatial disorientation. For more information, visit the Web site.
For comments on calendar items or to make submissions, contact Julie S. Walker at [email protected].
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