| Advertisers
           
Do not reply to this e-mail. Got news? Contact ePilot. Having difficulty using this service? Visit the ePilot Frequently Asked Questions now at AOPA Online or write to [email protected].
Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association
421 Aviation Way
Frederick, MD 21701
Tel: 800/USA-AOPA or
301/695-2000
Copyright © 2003 AOPA. | Training Tips
| 'SUPERCOOLED' WATER IN THE SKY
 As the weather turns colder and icing begins to appear in aviation weather forecasts and pilot reports, don't disregard that information as strictly of concern to instrument-rated pilots flying in and out of clouds. Structural icing can form on an aircraft whenever the temperature is below freezing and visible moisture is present, as discussed in the AOPA Air Safety Foundation's Aircraft Icing Safety Advisor, which can be downloaded from AOPA Online. Supercooled water droplets–chilled below freezing temperature but still in liquid form–are the culprit. You do not have to be flying in clouds to encounter them.
"The basic rule to remember is that visible moisture and below-freezing temperatures are needed to produce structural icing," writes meteorologist Jack Williams in AOPA Flight Training's November 2002 article, "The Weather Never Sleeps: Dangers of Frozen Precipitation." He describes the hazard: "As ice builds up on an airplane's wings it creates random shapes that disrupt the flow of air over the wings. The airplane's designers, or course, had carefully calculated the wing shape needed to create lift. In minutes ice can, in effect, wipe out some of the designers' efforts."
The weather phenomenon most likely to bring a pilot flying in the clear into contact with supercooled water is freezing drizzle or rain. In warm-front conditions, for example, rain falling from an overcast into colder (but clear) air may chill below the freezing point yet not turn to ice until it strikes an object–like an aircraft. In the meantime, the droplets may grow to considerable size. "Those giant supercooled drops splatter, run back a great distance, then instantly freeze, coating large portions of the airframe with a tenacious clear ice." Even sophisticated airplanes approved for flight into known icing conditions can have a difficult time with this kind of ice, cautions AOPA Pilot Editor-at-Large Thomas A. Horne in "Wx Watch: Fighting Freezing Rain" in the September 1999 AOPA Flight Training. Read his strategies for handling the problem, beginning with avoidance.
Until now you may have considered frost–the subject of the January 17, 2003, "Training Tips"–to be a student pilot's only structural-icing concern. That is not the case. To test your knowledge, take the AOPA Air Safety Foundation's online Safety Quiz on aircraft icing, and then fly on safely though the coming winter months!
| Your Partner in Training
| Are you just thinking about taking your first flying lesson, but you already know that flying is your passion? Or perhaps you are ready to get your medical certificate, and you now realize that flying is more than just a hobby? Take a look at AOPA's Guide to Flying Careers . Written for people who see themselves earning a living as a pilot, the guide will show you some of the possibilities that you may want to explore further.
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
| TSA: GA THREAT OVERSTATED IN WAKE OF TERRORIST ATTACKS
The head of the Transportation Security Administration said last week that in the highly emotional period following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, some security officials suggested that the threat posed by general aviation airplanes was much greater than it actually is. Adm. James Loy told the House aviation subcommittee October 17 that "we're getting to the point" when the government will need to rethink many of the restrictions placed on aviation since the attacks. Loy's remarks, which he made at a hearing on safety at air carrier airports, simply reinforce what AOPA has maintained all along, according to association President Phil Boyer. "We've been vindicated," he said. Read the full news story on AOPA Online.
AIRLINE TRANSPORT PROFESSIONALS TO OPEN NEW FACILITY
Airline Transport Professionals Inc. (ATP) will open a new training center November 1 in Van Nuys, California. The school currently operates multiengine flight training and certification programs at 21 other locations, including three in California. The Van Nuys facility will have Piper Seminoles, an AST-300 Level Three flight training device, and a computerized FAA testing center. "Socal is a hot spot for general aviation, and our new Van Nuys Training Center will allow us to accommodate and better serve local area pilots who are seeking to enhance their certification level and proficiency in airline-quality aircraft at a low cost," ATP Vice President Jim Koziarski said. For more information, see the Web site, or call 800/ALL-ATPS (800/255-2877).
...AND ERAU FINDS STRONG INTEREST IN ELITE PILOT PROGRAM
After Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University last year announced plans for a new commercial airline pilot training program, dubbed CAPT, the inquiries and applications began pouring in. CAPT was designed to train a limited number of candidates to regional airline hiring standards within 12 months, ERAU explained. The first two classes in Daytona Beach, Florida, were fully enrolled, and ERAU has registered 28 more students for subsequent classes, which are limited in size to 12 students per month. Prospective applicants for CAPT don't need prior flight training, but they must first meet numerous other requirements (for example, they must hold at least a bachelor's degree and be able to get a first class medical certificate). Pilots who have a commercial certificate with instrument and multiengine ratings can finish up in four to five months rather than 12 months. For more information, see the Web site or call 877/577-CAPT.
| Inside AOPA
| AOPA OFFERS EXPO PLANNING TOOLS
AOPA Expo 2003 kicks off next Thursday at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia. It runs through Saturday, November 1. Visitors may register at the door. As pilots get down to the business of planning their flights to Expo, both AOPA and Member Products partner Meteorlogix are providing important flight planning tools. AOPA has worked closely with the FAA to develop VFR arrival procedures to ease the traffic flow into Philadelphia's airspace. And Meteorlogix is providing Philadelphia weather maps and information for free to all pilots. Both the arrival procedures and the weather information are available from the AOPA Expo Web page.
ATTENTION FLIGHT INSTRUCTORS: Do you plan to attend AOPA Expo? If so, please consider participating in AOPA Flight Training's first CFI Roundtable. It will be held Friday, October 31, in Room 301 of the Philadelphia Marriott, which adjoins the Pennsylvania Convention Center. E-mail for more information.
ASF UNVEILS SINGLE-PILOT IFR ONLINE COURSE
Flying alone or as the sole pilot in instrument meteorological conditions is one of the most challenging types of flying a pilot can do. It requires a tremendous amount of organization and forethought. To help these pilots better address the often rapid-fire decisions required during flight under instrument flight rules (IFR), the AOPA Air Safety Foundation has introduced Single-Pilot IFR, a free online course. "Single-Pilot IFR focuses on decision-making, organization, and cockpit resource management," said ASF Executive Director Bruce Landsberg. "Staying ahead of the airplane is even more critical when you can't see." The new interactive program uses true-or-false, multiple choice, and other question formats in an entertaining atmosphere to effectively teach a serious topic. "By the time a pilot finishes the course, he or she will understand many of the risks and challenges of single-pilot IFR operations," said Landsberg.
Changing your mailing or e-mail addresses? Click here to update.
| Training Products
| TRACK YOUR Gs WITH SPORTY'S ELECTRONIC G-METER
For pilots who enjoy aerobatic flight, or CFIs who simply want a new way to illustrate the load factor caused by more basic maneuvers like steep turns and unusual attitudes, Sporty's offers the Electronic G-meter. A G meter does what its name implies: It records the number of Gs you're pulling during a particular maneuver. (One G equals the force of gravity.) The portable Electronic G-Meter can be placed inside an airplane using Vecro or double-sided tape, and it operates on two AAA batteries. It shows instantaneous readings with a range of -4.0 to +8.0 Gs, and it also records maximum/minimum values to review after a maneuver is complete. The Electronic G-Meter sells for $199. For more information or to order, visit Sporty's Web site or call 800/SPORTYS.
| | Final Exam | Question: I am 15 years old, taking flying lessons, and I want to solo on my sixteenth birthday, which falls on a Sunday. Is there a way to obtain my medical and student pilot certificate before my birthday, so I can solo on that Sunday?
Answer: Yes, there is! Ask your aviation medical examiner to issue the Airman Medical and Student Pilot Certificate, FAA Form 8420-2 (yellow), with the following statement in the limitations block of the student pilot certificate: "Not valid until [month, day, and year of sixteenth birthday]." This can be requested within 30 days of your birthday. Good luck!
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
| | When it comes to pilot logbooks, the questions are endless: "I've lost my logbook. Now what do I do?" "Can I log safety pilot time in a complex aircraft if I don't have a complex endorsement?" "Do I have to carry my logbook in the airplane?" Find the answers to burning questions like these in AOPA's updated Aviation Subject Report, Logbooks and Logging Time .
| Weekend Weather
| See the current weather on AOPA Online, provided by Meteorlogix.
| ePilot Calendar
| WEEKEND FLYING DESTINATIONS
Perry, Georgia. Wings Over Georgia takes place November 1 and 2 at Perry-Houston County (PXE). The premier airshow features warbirds, military, aerobatic, and classic aircraft, plus static displays and R/C demonstrations. Contact Steve Weigandt, 478/987-8501, or visit the Web site.
Richmond, Virginia. A Wright Brothers Symposium takes place November 1 at the Virginia Aviation Museum. Experts will discuss how the Wrights overcame the many problems and frustrations of building an aircraft that could be controlled. Rick Young will describe his efforts in repeating the Wrights' feat. Reservations suggested. Contact Kim Leigh, 804/236-3622, 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 Clinic is scheduled in Cincinnati, Ohio, November 1 and 2. Clinics are also scheduled in Fresno, California; Atlanta, and Dallas, November 8 and 9. 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 School will take place in Albuquerque, New Mexico, November 16. For more Pinch-Hitter courses, see AOPA Online.
ASF SAFETY SEMINARS
AOPA Air Safety Foundation Safety Seminars are scheduled in 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. There will also be seminars held during AOPA Expo in Philadelphia, October 30 through November 1. See AOPA Online for complete details.
| |
