AOPA Online Members Only -- AOPA ePilot Flight Training Edition -- Vol. 5, Issue 48

EXTENDED CENTERLINE
The November 25, 2005, Training Tips discussed techniques for maintaining directional control during the ground run portions of takeoffs and landings. How well a pilot maintains directional control shows in whether the aircraft remains on the centerline of the runway while moving on the ground. Once airborne, something referred to as the "extended centerline" of the runway is your guide to proper positioning during the climbout after takeoff. "During the initial climb, it is important that the takeoff path remain aligned with the runway to avoid drifting into obstructions, or the path of another aircraft that may be taking off from a parallel runway," explains Chapter 5 of the FAA's Airplane Flying Handbook ( download 2.85 megabyte file).

It takes special focus to keep your ground track positioned along the extended centerline during this high-workload phase. "The sideways drift on climbout is caused by the same factors that put us off track everywhere else in the pattern. The wind, of course, is a big factor but certainly not the only one. Even on a calm day, it's easy to look back during the crosswind turn and find that we're off centerline. Why? It's usually a combination of letting a wing drop just a degree or two below level flight without making a correction and letting the ball slide off center by not correcting properly for P-factor, torque, slipstream, etc.," Budd Davisson wrote in the August 2001 AOPA Flight Training feature "Looking Down: Ground Track in the Pattern." Tracking correctly means establishing a crab angle into the wind once you are safely clear of the ground. Remember that wind speed and direction changes with altitude; your crab angle may require adjustment as you climb.

Suppose your takeoff clearance included instructions to "fly runway heading"-how should you comply? It starts with knowing the exact magnetic heading of the departure runway. "When cleared to 'fly or maintain runway heading,' pilots are expected to fly or maintain the heading that corresponds with the extended centerline of the departure runway. Drift correction shall not be applied; e.g., Runway 4, actual magnetic heading of the runway centerline 044, fly 044," explains the pilot/controller glossary within the Aeronautical Information Manual.

Details count! Display your skill by knowing and showing the safest, most precise takeoff and departure techniques.

UNIVERSITY OF NORTH DAKOTA-AEROSPACE ORDERS CIRRUS SR20s
The University of North Dakota's Odegard School of Aerospace Sciences has ordered four Cirrus SR20s as additions to the university's fleet. UND will take delivery of the aircraft in December, and flight training is set to begin in January. "UND Aerospace has already worked closely with Cirrus for over three years providing high-quality flight instruction to our customers," said John M. Bingham, Cirrus executive vice president of sales and marketing. "Our two organizations have created a formidable team to give pilots a new innovative airplane to fly and top-level flight training to further increase their level of safety." UND Aerospace has a fleet of more than 120 aircraft and more than 2,100 students enrolled in graduate and undergraduate programs. For more information on the school, see the Web site.

SPORTY'S GOES GLASS WITH 2006 SWEEPSTAKES SKYHAWK
Sporty's 2006 Sweepstakes Skyhawk will be a little different than its 23 predecessors. The brand-new Cessna 172S Skyhawk SP will feature a Garmin G1000 glass cockpit system. The G1000 integrated avionics system combines all aircraft and flight information on two 10-inch high-resolution displays. The airplane is valued at $230,000. The winner will also receive two Bose X headsets. All Sporty's sweepstakes winners receive a checkout in the aircraft, according to spokesman Jon Potts. This year's recipient will be trained by a G1000 Cessna-certified instructor; if the winner is a student pilot, that student's flight instructor can obtain the G1000 training so that he or she can then teach the winner, Potts added. To enter, place an order with Sporty's Pilot Shop by 5 p.m. Eastern time on September 6, 2006. Complete rules are available at Sporty's Web site.

AIRCRAFT ICING COURSE ATTRACTS MANUFACTURERS
Participants in an aircraft icing course sponsored by the University of Tennessee Space Institute got to experience how ice accumulation affects flying. The 87 individuals from three aircraft manufacturers underwent six days of specialized simulator training in which they performed approach and landing tasks while wing and tail surfaces in simulated aircraft were contaminated with ice. "Throughout the simulation, pilots experienced stability and control problems, high control forces, and other control anomalies, which greatly affected their ability to perform the flight tasks," said Richard Ranaudo, a professor in UTSI's Aviation Systems Department and director of the icing course held in November in Wichita, Kansas. "Most pilots completing their one-hour training session exited the simulator perspiring quite freely but giving very high marks to the realism and applicability of their experiences."

AOPA INCREASES REACH WITH NEW TV FACILITY
When the media seize on a story about general aviation, it's rarely good news. And all too often, reporters covering the story know little or nothing about GA. That's where AOPA comes in-providing accurate information and the pilot's perspective. Now that task is easier with the completion of a simple TV studio located inside AOPA's Frederick, Maryland, headquarters. The small, single-camera facility lets AOPA President Phil Boyer and other association officials get on the air with television stations nationwide in a matter of moments. "We want the media to get the story right, and news outlets need the information fast-this studio is one more way we can ensure that reporters get the facts they need and the GA perspective is part of the story," Boyer said. "Nobody understands GA better than AOPA, and it's vital that we share that understanding with the media and the public." AOPA officials have hundreds of media contacts each year, providing information about GA to reporters working in TV, radio, print, and online. To learn more about this new resource, see AOPA Online.

SUPPORT GA SAFETY BY PURCHASING HOLIDAY CARDS
AOPA Air Safety Foundation holiday cards are now available. Choose your favorite card design, address labels, and decorative seals. A portion of the proceeds from each box will help the foundation's mission to improve general aviation safety. To view the cards, or place an order, see the Web site or call 800/308-4285.

HAVE YOU UPDATED YOUR AOPA MEMBER PROFILE?
To make the most of your membership and allow us to serve you better, please visit AOPA Online and update your personal member profile.

KING SCHOOLS INTRODUCES GARMIN G1000 INTERACTIVE COURSE
Does your flight school offer an aircraft with the Garmin G1000 glass cockpit technology on the rental line? Are you considering buying an airplane with G1000 avionics? King Schools now offers an interactive CD-ROM course aimed at providing glass cockpit proficiency. "Cleared for Flying the Garmin G1000" covers VFR and IFR operations, navigation, communications, loading and activating instrument approaches, departure and arrival procedures, systems, what to do when things go wrong, and best operating procedures. It contains seven CD-ROMs and runs about four hours before interactive questions. When you've completed the course, you can print out a certificate for a checkout instructor, FBO, or insurance company. The course sells for $249 and may be ordered online.

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