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Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association
421 Aviation Way
Frederick, MD 21701
Tel: 800/USA-AOPA or
301/695-2000
Copyright © 2003 AOPA. | Training Tips
| NAME THAT PLANE!
Most pilots are fascinated with anything  related to aviation. Just walking out onto the ramp for a lesson in the trusty trainer may be interrupted time and again as the new student fires off questions about other aircraft arriving, departing, or just parked nearby. Other students opt for a narrower focus, concentrating their attention on the task-and trainer-at hand and defer making a detailed catalog of other aircraft makes and models until later.
But aircraft recognition is more than just a fun game to play at the airport. While you shouldn't consume an entire lesson wandering about gawking at airplanes, knowing their names and capabilities will help when you are flying solo in the traffic pattern, and on cross-countries to airports that are home to craft unlike those at your home field. (See "Preparing for the Unfamiliar" in the September 27, 2002, edition of the newsletter). Also, because many pilots broadcast both the make and model aircraft they are flying when making position reports, added safety is built into knowing, say, that the Centurion is a high-performance single-engine Cessna, or perhaps that the twin-engine Beech Baron and turboprop King Air are still faster. (See a discussion of pilot radio technique in the November 2002 AOPA Pilot article "Battling the Babble" and a flight instructor's comments in response, in the January 2003 AOPA Pilot letters to the editor.)
So valued is the ability of a pilot to quickly spot and identify other traffic that aircraft recognition is a competitive event in collegiate aviation education. Flight Training explains how it's done in the August 1998 "Training Topics" feature by Anthony Costello. But just because another pilot has reported your aircraft in sight, do not let your guard down, as Amy Laboda reminds pilots in her cautionary "Out of the Pattern" commentary in the January 2000 AOPA Flight Training. Indeed, flight instructors must frequently point out to a student that he or she spotted an aircraft other than the one of which they were being advised (and perhaps being instructed to follow) by air traffic control. So if you see an intriguing new machine during your next trip to the airport, go ahead and ask about it, and add to your ever-increasing knowledge of aviation!
| Your Partner in Training
| What's one of the first things you should do after enrolling in AOPA's free six-month membership? Besides reading AOPA Flight Training magazine from cover to cover, register at AOPA Online. You won't find a better collection of aviation resources right at your fingertips-anywhere! Here are some great links to get you started on this comprehensive Web site. Click here for an extensive assortment of reference materials, including the FAA Practical Test Standards and the federal aviation regulations, among many others. Click here for a compilation of online resources particularly useful for student pilots.
Additional questions? Call our experienced pilots-available weekdays between 8:30 a.m. and 6 p.m. Eastern to answer your questions-toll-free at 800/872-2672.
| Flight Training News
| AOPA MEMBERS GO FOR NEW INSURANCE DISCOUNT
Are you training in an airplane that you already own? If so, you may want to join other AOPA members by taking advantage of a new insurance discount. For the first time in its 64-year history AOPA last week announced a member aircraft insurance discount through an arrangement with AIG Aviation, one of the world's most secure aviation insurers. Qualified AOPA members can receive a 5-percent discount off the cost of aircraft insurance, saving the average member $70-nearly double the cost of AOPA membership. While not all aircraft may qualify, the great majority will, said Greg Sterling, executive vice president and general manager of the AOPA Insurance Agency. "No single insurance company can insure every type of aircraft or pilot, but AIG's new membership discount will allow the majority of AOPA members to save on insurance costs every year." The discount is available for policies issued after January 1, 2003. Members can find out if they qualify and obtain a no-obligation insurance quote in minutes by calling 800/622-AOPA (2672) or visiting AOPA Online.
AOPA's PETITION TO REOPEN 'DC3' ON FEDERAL DOCKET
The FAA Office of Rulemaking has formally registered AOPA's petition to allow transient traffic use of the "DC3" airports (College Park Airport, Potomac Airpark, and Washington Executive/Hyde Field) in Maryland, close to Washington, D.C. AOPA had filed the petition in October 2002 and has been pressing the FAA to put it on the docket ever since. "Restoration of general aviation access to the nation's capital is one of the major post-9/11 airspace hurdles remaining," said Andrew V. Cebula, AOPA senior vice president for government and technical affairs. "Pilots are encouraged to visit the federal government's rulemaking Web site and submit comments recommending that the FAA adopt AOPA's petition and restore general aviation access to Washington's airspace." ( Click here and enter document # FAA-2002-13623-1.) Under the current special flight rules governing operations at those airports, only pilots who were based there before September 11, 2001, and have undergone background checks may operate from the airports. AOPA is also asking that that vetted pilots be permitted to conduct pattern work at all three airports.
DELTA TO LAUNCH NEW SUBSIDIARY
Delta Air Lines will launch a new low-fare subsidiary, operating 36 Boeing 757 aircraft, to compete with low-fare carriers such as AirTran and JetBlue, according to airline career consulting firm Air, Inc. It will replace the existing Delta Express operation. Delta had 1,014 pilots on furlough in early December, so the new operation is not likely to create immediate hiring. Air, Inc. said that 469 pilots were hired in November 2002, including 53 at major airlines, 147 at national airlines, and 126 by other jet operators. For more information visit the Air, Inc. Web site.
ENHANCED VISION TRAINING OFFERED
Are you an aspiring professional pilot fascinated by the concept of virtual reality-like assistance in landing during low-visibility conditions? Training company FlightSafety International has installed the Enhanced Vision System (EVS) on the full-flight Gulfstream V simulator at its center in Savannah, Georgia. The EVS uses the business jet's head-up display to present the pilot with visual cues derived from infrared imagery-assisting the pilot's vision when visibility is obscured by night or poor weather conditions. By late December, some 90 pilots had taken the initial EVS course. FlightSafety has also received FAA Level D certification for its recently upgraded Falcon 20 full-motion simulator, located at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport in Texas.
| Inside AOPA
| 'TIME' PULLS INFLAMMATORY HOUSE AD
Time magazine has decided it will no longer run a house ad that showed two general aviation aircraft tied down with a nuclear power plant in the background. The caption read, "Remember when only environmentalists would have been alarmed by this photo? Join the conversation." Many AOPA members contacted Time's management to protest the ad. In an e-mailed response, Time magazine President Eileen Naughton said the ad was never intended to malign general aviation, but to illustrate how dramatically Americans' perceptions have changed since September 2001. "Before that date, the juxtaposition of an airport runway and a nuclear facility would not have raised an eyebrow. But since September 11, even the most commonplace images have the power to provide us to see things differently," she said. AOPA President Phil Boyer said the episode demonstrates two things about U.S. media: "Responsible news organizations do want to 'get it right' And a reasoned response from our many members can influence the media."
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| Training Products
| AVIATION SIMULATION TECHNOLOGY LAUNCHES NEW FTD
In the business for more than two decades, Aviation Simulation Technology has debuted its latest flight training device (FTD) intended for use in flight schools. The new AST-300 features a single- or multiengine configuration, with a King silver Crown avionics stack that includes a horizontal situation indicator, radiomagnetic indicator, and a Garmin GNS 430 GPS/com. Other avionics options are available, as are leasing programs. For more, see the Web site.
| Final Exam
| Question: What does the term "mode C veil" mean?
Answer: "Mode C veil" refers to an area around a Class B airport in which a mode C transponder is required. According to Federal Aviation Regulation 91.215(b)(1), "This requirement [for Mode C transponders] applies to all aircraft in all airspace within 30 nautical miles of an airport listed in Appendix D, section 1 of this part from the surface upward to 10,000 feet msl." An exception found in FAR 91.215(b)(3) includes, among others, any aircraft that was not originally certificated with an engine-driven electrical system. For more information on Mode C, see Robert Snow's "Check-in Time: How to Report to ATC," in the January 1998 issue of Flight Training.
Got a technical question for AOPA specialists? E-mail to [email protected] or call 800/872-2672.
| Picture Perfect
| | The AOPA Online Gallery allows you to download your favorite images to use for wallpaper, send a personalized e-card, and order high-quality prints to be shipped directly to your doorstep. Search the hundreds of fabulous images in our archives and select your favorites today! For more details, see AOPA Online.
| What's New At AOPA Online
| If your knowledge of runway signs and markings is less than stellar, here's a new PowerPoint presentation from the AOPA Air Safety Foundation that will help you to become more proficient and safe. Also, two revised sections of the federal aviation regulations are now online: FAR Part 61, Certification: Pilots, Flight Instructors, and Ground Instructor) and FAR Part 97, Standard Instrument Approach Procedures).
| Weekend Weather
| See the current weather on AOPA Online, provided by Meteorlogix.
| ePilot Calendar
| WEEKEND FLYING DESTINATIONS
East Lansing, Michigan. The Great Lakes International Aviation Conference takes place January 17 through 19 at the Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center. This event celebrates 100 years of powered flight and features breakout presentations, trade exhibits for pilots and mechanics, historical displays, and more. Call 517/335-9880, or visit the Web site.
Pompano Beach, Florida. Air Fair 2003 takes place January 18 and 19 at Pompano Beach Air Park (PMP). Family focused airshow and static display of vintage warbirds and current military and civilian aircraft. Contact Robert Tash, 564/694-3557, or visit the Web site.
To submit an event to the calendar, or search all events, visit AOPA Online. For airport details, see AOPA's Airport Directory Online . For comments on calendar items, contact [email protected].
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 Charlotte, North Carolina, and San Antonio, January 18 and 19. Clinics are also scheduled in Long Beach, California, and Baltimore, January 25 and 26. 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 Schools will take place in Dallas/Fort Worth, on February 2, and Sacramento, California, February 9. For more Pinch-Hitter courses, see AOPA Online.
ASF SAFETY SEMINARS
AOPA Air Safety Foundation Safety Seminars are scheduled in Van Nuys, California, January 13; Ontario, California, January 14; Costa Mesa, California, January 15; and San Diego, January 16. The topic is "The Ups and Downs of Takeoffs and Landings." For the complete schedule, see AOPA Online.
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