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Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association
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Tel: 800/USA-AOPA or
301/695-2000
Copyright © 2003 AOPA. | Training Tips
| BE SELECTIVE ABOUT FUEL SELECTORS
Some student pilots fly the same make and model of aircraft throughout training. Others switch around, by choice or out of necessity. Whichever description applies to you, make it your business to become thoroughly familiar with the fuel system of the aircraft you are flying today ( click here to download Chapter Five of the Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge).
 That is especially true concerning the operation of the aircraft's fuel selector valve. Some aircraft are designed to draw fuel from both tanks at once, or from a single tank, as the pilot chooses. Others do not have the option to set the selector to "both." Attention to this detail now will pay big dividends down the road. Accidents caused by fuel starvation–in which fuel was available but not being fed to the engine–continue to bedevil pilots. "Running out of fuel may be easy, but so is taking the basic precautions needed to avoid the problem," observes Robert N. Rossier in his "Flying Safe" column in the April 2000 edition of AOPA Flight Training.
Staying with one aircraft during training simplifies the process, because learning in a variety of makes and models demands attention to different procedures, operating speeds, and designs. Hedge your bets by studying the appropriate pilot's operating handbooks and using checklists consistently (checklists are discussed in this newsletter's October 25, 2002, Training Tips) in familiar and unfamiliar aircraft alike. "Do You Do Checklists?" asks Amy Laboda in an April 1998 Flight Training column with her question as its title.
As aircraft become more complex, so do their fuel systems. "In fact, when we sign up for primary flight instruction we also enroll in Aircraft Fuel Management," observes aviation writer Mark Twombly in his September 2002 AOPA Flight Training column. Pilots who do not master the material are vulnerable to the problems set forth in the cautionary tale, "Dry Tank Disasters," by AOPA Air Safety Foundation Executive Director Bruce Landsberg in the August 2001 AOPA Pilot magazine. But those who pass the course and become certificated private pilots will go on to safely enjoy the time-honored rite of sampling different models and types of aircraft, as described in Budd Davisson's September 2003 AOPA Flight Training article "Fly It, You'll Like It!".
| Your Partner in Training
| As you progress through your training, your CFI will teach you how to take off and land at night. Eventually you'll go on a night dual cross-country. Many flight schools don't permit student pilots to fly solo after sunset, so you'll need know when the airplane is expected to be on the ground. To learn where to find sunset and civil twilight times in your area read the October 2002 "Aviation Speak". And be sure to read our 10 night-flying tips in "The After-Hours Club". They will help to prepare you even more for an enjoyable and memorable aviation adventure.
Do you have a question? Call our experienced pilots, available weekdays between 8:30 a.m. and 6 p.m. Eastern time toll-free at 800/872-2672. As an AOPA Flight Training Member, you have access to all of the features within AOPA Online. For login information click here.
| Flight Training News
| PRICE BREAK FOR ONLINE CFI REVALIDATION
There's good news for CFIs: The cost of renewing your certificate online has dropped from $149 to $119, thanks to a price break announced last week. The AOPA Air Safety Foundation/Jeppesen CFI Renewal Online program is a time-saving option in which CFIs can renew valid flight instructor certificates and ratings while studying at home, at their own pace. It's also a good way for instructors-to-be to prepare for initial CFI certification, or as a review for almost any pilot; the fee is $99 for noninstructors who do not seek revalidation. Try a free introductory lesson online. Questions about renewing your CFI certificate? Take a look at ASF's Top 22 Questions about CFI Renewals on AOPA Online.
LOGBOOK DEAL NETS NEARLY 800 TAKERS
A free Jeppesen logbook proved too good to pass up for nearly 800 consumers who took advantage of the offer made earlier this year by Be A Pilot and Jeppesen. Anyone who took a $49 introductory flight lesson in May, June, or July and submitted a receipt by July 31 could get in on the deal, and 738 did, Be A Pilot reported. Of those, 202 had seen the organization's television ads, 161 had looked at the Be A Pilot Web site, 85 "learned of the $49 intro lesson in the media," 73 "were told about it by a friend or relative," and 46 learned of the offer from a CFI.
| Inside AOPA
| AIRPORT WATCH KITS GO OUT TO MICHIGAN FLIGHT SCHOOLS
AOPA has teamed up with the Bureau of Aeronautics in Michigan's Department of Transportation to distribute AOPA's Airport Watch kits to every flight school in the state. Michigan's new law requires flight schools to post signs asking pilots to report suspicious activities and provide instructional materials for identifying those activities. The Airport Watch kit includes the required signs and posters to raise pilot awareness, as well as a training video and brochures. See AOPA Online.
AOPA EXPO OFFERS OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENTS
AOPA Expo, the association's annual convention, has a lot to offer for pilots of all levels–beginning with students. Sharpen your proficiency skills with seminars such as Defensive Flying, presented by AOPA Flight Training columnist Rod Machado, and Handling In-Flight Emergencies. Choose from among a variety of safety seminars, including the AOPA Air Safety Foundation's acclaimed Ups and Downs of Takeoffs and Landings, and presentations on safe maneuvering flight, night flying, spatial disorientation, and more. This year's Expo will be held in Philadelphia from October 30 through November 1, and will offer more than 500 exhibits and displays. If you're looking for specific types of products, you can sort an online index of exhibitors by product category. For more information on Expo, visit AOPA Online.
Changing your mailing or e-mail addresses? Click here to update.
| Training Products
| KINGS' RISK MANAGEMENT COURSE GAINS WINGS CREDIT
Certificated pilots can now get credit toward the FAA's Wings pilot proficiency program when they take King Schools' Practical Risk Management For Pilots course. The computer-based course can be completed in a little over one hour and King Schools will provide a certificate for the Wings program credit. Pilots may substitute a completed Wings program phase–one safety seminar or course and generally three hours of dual instruction–for a flight review. In fact, the FAA ordered 200 copies of the course for distribution to flight standards district offices. "Practical Risk Management For Pilots" is on CD-ROM, costs $49, and can be ordered by calling 800/854-1001 or visiting King Schools' Web site.
| | Final Exam | Question: If illness precludes a checkride before 24 months have elapsed since passing the FAA knowledge test, must the test be retaken, or can I obtain an extension?
Answer: Once taken and passed, the knowledge test is valid for 24 months in accordance with FAR 61.39(a)(1). There is no exception for illness; after 24 months have passed, you must retake the test. Read more about the knowledge test in AOPA Flight Training's September 2003 article.
Got a technical question for AOPA specialists? E-mail to [email protected] or call 800/872-2672. Don't forget the online archive of "Final Exam" questions and answers, searchable by keyword or topic.
| 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
| | Does the future look fractional for aspiring professional pilots? Wayne Phillips breaks down the job prospects and the rising stars among fractional ownership companies in his "Careers" column in the November issue of AOPA Flight Training. The full text of the issue is available online. Visit the magazine's Web links, where you're just one click away from any URL referenced in the issue.
| Weekend Weather
| See the current weather on AOPA Online, provided by Meteorlogix.
| ePilot Calendar
| WEEKEND FLYING DESTINATIONS
Salinas, California. The California International Airshow takes place October 17 through 19 at Salinas Municipal (SNS). Show features the Air Force Thunderbirds, Wayne Handley, Jimmy Franklin, Jim LeRoy, Eric Beard, the Showcopters, Bill Leff, Dan Buchanan, and the Flying E Team. Also see a variety of military aircraft including the F-15, A-10, FA-18, and F-117 stealth fighter. Static display of military and civilian aircraft. For more information, contact 888/845-SHOW, or visit the Web site.
West Chester, Pennsylvania. Rotorfest takes place October 18 and 19 at the American Helicopter Museum. Helicopter airshow from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., featuring Army special operations command parachute team; Bell 47 fly-in; and military, police, Coast Guard, and news helicopters. Admission $10; children $5. Contact 610/436-9600, 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 .
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 Windsor Locks, Connecticut; Fort Lauderdale, Florida; and Indianapolis, October 25 and 26. A clinic is also scheduled in Cincinnati, Ohio, November 1 and 2. For a complete schedule, see AOPA Online. Can't make it in person? Sign up for the CFI Renewal 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 Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and Windsor Locks, Connecticut, October 26. For more Pinch-Hitter courses, see AOPA Online.
ASF SAFETY SEMINARS
AOPA Air Safety Foundation Safety Seminars are scheduled in Eugene, Oregon, and Fort Lauderdale, Florida, October 20; Portland, Oregon, and Vero Beach, Florida, October 21; Everett, Washington, and Orlando, Florida, October 22; Seattle, and Jacksonville, Florida, October 23; Charlotte, North Carolina, October 27; Greensboro, North Carolina, October 28; and Raleigh, North Carolina, October 30. The topic is Say Intentions: When you need ATC's help. See AOPA Online for complete details.
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