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Tel: 800/USA-AOPA or
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Copyright � 2002 AOPA. | Training Tips
| STRANGE DESTINATIONS
The cruise phase of your flight is almost at an end. It is time to prepare for arrival at the destination. This is your first flight into the airport at the end of your route–a new feature of your solo flight experience. But the strangeness is offset by knowing that certain well-practiced procedures honed during past training flights will help you just as much with this arrival as they have at the familiar runways back home.
 There may also be significant differences, but you are eager to experience this new dimension of flight training. Your destination airport may be situated in a different class of airspace than your home field. If so, the trip will be a test of your ability to comply with new procedures. But that won't present any problems if you have reviewed the equipment and procedural requirements of the various airspace classes in the Aeronautical Information Manual . Communications are part of this mix. Review some helpful advise in the March 2001 AOPA Flight Training article, Communicating With ATC.
One challenge of arriving at a never-before-visited airport is actually locating the place, which could be hidden in a sprawling urban landscape, nestled between ridges in a narrow valley, or lost against the sameness of a rolling rural landscape. Some tricks of the trade are offered in Finding the Field. There is also the possibility that the airport you are visiting falls into the category of a private strip; such airports are so designated on aeronautical charts. For some thoughts on factors to keep in mind when arriving at a non-public airport, review another helpful article from the March 2001 issue of AOPA Flight Training . And whether the airport you will soon add to your logbook is public or private, know that your confidence and ability to comply safely and promptly with instructions will be enhanced by touring the field, including any air traffic control facilities located there, with a competent guide such as your flight instructor–as recommended in the June 2001 AOPA Flight Training .
| Accessing AOPA Online
| 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
| FAA ISSUES SECURITY RECOMMENDATIONS AFTER TAMPA CRASH
Make sure that you bring a photo ID to your next flying lesson. The FAA has issued a set of recommendations to enhance security at flight schools and FBOs. The voluntary recommendations, which are designed to prevent unauthorized people from gaining access to aircraft, were issued in response to the suicide crash of a 15-year-old boy in Tampa, Florida, last Saturday (see Inside AOPA below). "Since the Tampa incident, AOPA has worked very closely with the FAA to craft practical suggestions that will enhance general aviation security without unreasonable restrictions," said AOPA President Phil Boyer. "These suggestions can be implemented immediately. On Tuesday, I urged FAA Administrator Jane Garvey to make them public as rapidly as possible." Many flight schools have already implemented the security controls, which include positively identifying a student or renter pilot before allowing access to aircraft; controlling aircraft ignition keys so that the student can't start the aircraft until the instructor is ready; and supervising students more closely, regardless of age. For more information see AOPA Online.
DELTA BEGINS WESTERN MICHIGAN SCHOLARSHIP
Delta Air Lines is seeking applications for an undergraduate professional pilot training program at Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo. The intensive 14-month training program is designed to turn students with little or no flight experience into multiengine-rated commercial pilots with instrument ratings. For more information on the scholarship, visit the Web site.
| Inside AOPA
| AOPA MOUNTS MEDIA EFFORT ON TAMPA INCIDENT
AOPA is taking the offensive to ensure that this past weekend's tragic incident in Tampa, Florida, where a youth crashed an airplane into a building, does not result in ill-considered regulations affecting general aviation. "This was not a breach of security, this was an abuse of trust," said AOPA President Phil Boyer. "An apparently troubled young man who had legitimate access to an aircraft abused the trust of his flight instructor and stole the airplane with tragic results." Boyer said that AOPA and the rest of the industry remain committed to the secure and safe operation of all general aviation aircraft. The industry has taken significant steps to enhance GA security, including forwarding a comprehensive set of recommendations to the Transportation Security Administration. AOPA has been active with the news media as well, with interviews with major national media ranging from CBS, ABC, NBC, and CNN to The Associated Press and USA Today.
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| Training Products
| KIT HELPS PLAN RADIO COMMUNICATIONS
Need some help with radio procedures? Many student pilots are uncomfortable talking on the aircraft radio. A new VFR Communications Kit includes templates you can take with you into the cockpit or use as workbooks for flight training. Sporty's Pilot Shop offers the kit for $17.95. For more information, contact Sporty's at 800/543-8633, or visit the Web site.
| Final Exam
| Question: I'm just beginning the cross-county phase of my flight training and am beginning to travel to new airports. Is there a listing or Web site from the FAA that gives airport identifiers?
Answer: FAA Order 7350.7A lists the location identifiers authorized by the Federal Aviation Administration and Transport Canada. It lists airports, navigation aids, weather stations, and flight service stations, as well as some ICAO identifiers. You can also find new identifiers in its Appendix, which lists identifier deletions, additions, and corrections. The order itself, which is updated and republished every 112 days, is available online. You can also key identifiers into AOPA's Airport Directory Online to learn the airport name and other details.
Got a technical question for AOPA specialists? E-mail to [email protected] or call 800/872-2672.
| What's New At AOPA Online
| Going winter flying? Check out our updated report on 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
Lakeland, Florida. RV Day takes place January 26 at Lakeland Linder Regional Airport (LAL) at the Sun 'n Fun site. Call 863/644-0741 for event information.
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 San Jose, California, January 19 and 20. 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 February 3 in Dallas, Texas. For more Pinch-Hitter courses, see AOPA Online.
ASF SAFETY SEMINARS
AOPA Air Safety Foundation Safety Seminars are scheduled in in Van Nuys, California, January 14; Ontario, California, January 15; Carlsbad, California, January 16; Costa Mesa, California, January 17; San Antonio, Texas, January 21; West Houston, Texas, January 22; Austin, Texas, January 23; and Fort Worth, Texas, January 24. 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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