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Copyright © 2005 AOPA. | Training Tips
| TURBULENCE
 It's unavoidable. Sooner or later, anyone who learns to fly will cope with turbulence. So why not sooner? Turbulence in its common forms is a normal part of flying; getting used to its piloting challenges and putting its discomforts in context shouldn't be delayed. Learning strategies for minimizing exposure to turbulence-for example by climbing above convective currents on warm, fair days-will influence your flight planning and in-flight decisions such as altitude selection. Convective layer turbulence will become more common as the weather warms. It is explained and illustrated in Chapter 10 of the Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge.
Wind is another ingredient in turbulence production. But not always. "Wind speed alone doesn't create turbulence. Changes in wind speed and direction are the culprits when your flight begins to feel like the air has potholes, maybe even craters," writes meteorologist Jack Williams in "The Weather Never Sleeps: Lumps, Bumps, and Bruises" in the February 2005 AOPA Flight Training. However, wind combined with rugged or ragged terrain is a red flag for turbulence, as Thomas A. Horne described in the May 2002 AOPA Pilot article "Appalachian Weathermakers." "Just think of water flowing over rocks in rapids. Air, like water, is a fluid, and when it flows past obstacles it's deflected upward, then downward in a wavelike pattern. The pilot recognizes this when the airspeed fluctuates and the vertical speed indicator leaps up and down-and his or her head hits the headliner." Tighten that seatbelt!
You will find other turbulence indicators when gathering preflight weather information. Winds aloft forecasts may hint at wind shear when wind speeds or directions between adjacent levels vary drastically. Frontal passage may bring turbulence. With certain cloud formations visible, turbulence is on the prowl. Altocumulus standing lenticular clouds (ACSLs, discussed in the March 14, 2003 "Training Tips") tell of mountain waves and suggest severe turbulence or worse. Fresh pilot reports may be your best source of information. Pilots characterize turbulence or "chop" as light, moderate, or severe.
Pilots can't help but bump into turbulence. Let good flight planning and some training in choppy air boost your confidence, and smooth your passage.
| Your Partner in Training
| You may have accumulated enough hours and experience to take your private pilot checkride. Or, perhaps, you are just beginning your training, but you already have those "checkride jitters." The Private Pilot Practical Test Standards tell you everything you need to know to prepare. See AOPA Online to learn more. You'll also find the full text of the PTS at AOPA Flight Training Online.
Do you have a question? Call our experienced pilots-available weekdays between 8:30 a.m. and 6 p.m. Eastern-toll-free at 800/872-2672. As an AOPA Flight Training Member, you have access to all of the features within AOPA Online and AOPA Flight Training Online. Login information is available online.
| Flight Training News
| FAA PLANS TO CANCEL 500 REDUNDANT NDB APPROACHES
The FAA wants to reduce the number of under-used nondirectional radio beacon (NDB) approaches to devote more resources to developing satellite-based GPS-WAAS approaches, which deliver better all-weather access, vertical guidance, and lower minimums than conventional nonprecision approaches. The agency would like to cancel NDB procedures to runway ends already served by an area navigation (RNAV) procedure (GPS or GPS-WAAS) and another ground-based navigation aid (VOR, localizer, or LDA). The money saved will be applied to the development of new GPS-WAAS approaches. "As soon as AOPA learned about this plan, we jumped in to make sure no airport loses an approach that is still used frequently," said Melissa Rudinger, AOPA vice president of regulatory policy. "The FAA has assured us they're only looking for underutilized NDB approaches that can be canceled without undue hardship on the users." The FAA is looking for pilot and airport manager input on what approaches aren't being used. See AOPA Online for a list of procedures under consideration for cancellation.
PACIFIC COAST FLYING COMPETITION OPENS
The skies over Salinas Municipal Airport in Salinas, California, will be filled with activity this week as the Pacific Coast Intercollegiate Flying Association Safety Competition gets under way. Mount San Antonio College was slated to host the competition, scheduled February 17 to 21. Teams from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (Prescott, Arizona), Christian Heritage College (San Diego), Orange Coast College (Garden Grove, California), and Cypress College (Cypress, California) will compete in such events as precision landing and message drop in hopes of going on to the national competition in April. At press time, the Precision Flight Team at San Jose State University was appealing a ruling that bars it from competing because it is not currently a NIFA member team and, according to the university, is not a registered student organization.
SUN 'N FUN FLY-IN SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE
Sun 'n Fun is offering two $1,000 scholarships to college students who need financial assistance to attend the thirty-first annual Sun 'n Fun Fly-In in Lakeland, Florida, April 12 to 18. Eligible applicants must have a minimum 3.0 grade point average on a 4.0 scale and be enrolled in a science aerospace or aviation-related program at an accredited college or university. The application deadline is March 4. For more information or to apply online, see the Web site.
FORMER GANG MEMBERS START AIRCRAFT RECOVERY BUSINESS
Two years after joining a program aimed at getting at-risk teenagers interested in aviation, former gang members from Riverside, California, have launched a business. They got started recovering the control surfaces of a DC-3 owned by the local Commemorative Air Force squadron. Of the six teens who participated in the program, one is in college while four others formed the restoration business, which has recovered three aircraft and is involved in a complete refurbishment of a Waco cabin aircraft. The college student expects to join the company when he completes his education, and the other four plan to obtain airframe and powerplant mechanic certification when they graduate high school. The federal youth grant was administered under the auspices of the Thomas W. Wathen Foundation and the Polyfiber Corporation of Flabob Airport in partnership with the Jurupa Universified School District of Riverside County.
NEW FTDs ON TAP FOR DELTA STATE UNIVERSITY
Delta State University in Cleveland, Mississippi, has ordered three reconfigurable flight training devices from Frasca International. The TruFlite FTDs can be converted from multiengine to single-engine aircraft. Meanwhile, Daniel Webster College in Nashua, New Hampshire, took delivery of a third iGATE Model 6400 advanced aviation training device (ATD) from ELITE Simulation Solutions. Daniel Webster Chairman David Poynor said the new ATD will help to train a wider variety of approach and en route procedures than was possible in previous equipment.
SPORTY'S ACADEMY PLANS SUMMER AVIATION CAMPS
With spring nearly here, parents are already working on summer camp plans. Sporty's Academy at Clermont County Airport in Ohio has two offerings planned for June. The first session, June 14 through 15, is for children ages 10 to 12 and will focus on basic aerodynamics. Campers will tour the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force in Dayton, Ohio. A June 16 through 17 camp aimed at children ages 13 to 15 culminates with an introductory flight lesson. For more information on either camp, contact Sporty's Academy President Eric Radtke at 513/735-9100, extension 352.
| Inside AOPA
| | AOPA MEMBERS' GENEROSITY EXTENDS BEYOND IMMEDIATE CRISIS
The good work that AOPA members have helped to fund continues in tsunami-ravaged Southeast Asia. AOPA and AOPA members have donated more than $115,000 to Air Serv International, a non-governmental humanitarian organization (NGO) that uses GA aircraft to provide logistical support to other NGOs and relief agencies. "The funds donated to Air Serv from AOPA members are being used to pay for Caravan flights and some fuel for our seven helicopters," reports Air Serv CEO Stu Willcuts. "All of us express our deep appreciation to our AOPA partners for this significant response." Air Serv's C-208B Grand Caravan is being used to transport humanitarian staff, emergency medical supplies, and rabies and tetanus vaccines to Banda Aceh, one of the hardest hit towns in Sumatra. The material is then transferred to helicopters for transport to displaced person clinics along the west coast of Sumatra. For more information, see AOPA Online.
COMPLETE ASF SKYSPOTTER COURSE AND RECEIVE FREE T-SHIRT
Did you know that working with a flight service station briefer during your weather briefing is a two-way street? Most of the time briefers relay the weather to you, but you can provide flight service with information, too-in the form of a pilot weather report (pirep). The AOPA Air Safety Foundation's SkySpotter online course is a free, interactive program that teaches you what exactly a pirep is, what information to include in it, and who it should be given to. Be one of the next 200 users to complete the course, and you will automatically win a SkySpotter T-shirt. Please provide a valid mailing address upon course completion.
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.
| Training Products
| GLEIM SPORT PILOT KIT INCLUDES BOOKS, ONLINE GROUND SCHOOL
Gleim Publications says its new Sport Pilot Kit contains "everything you need (except airplane and instructor)." The kit is designed to help you expedite your training for the sport pilot certificate and save you some money by bundling the products. For $149.95, you receive a copy of the Federal Aviation Regulations/Aeronautical Information Manual, the Sport Pilot Practical Test Standards, Gleim's Pilot Handbook, Sport Pilot Flight Maneuvers and Practical Test Prep, Sport Pilot FAA Knowledge Test book and related software, Sport Pilot Syllabus, a logbook, plotter, flight computer, and a bag to carry everything. Plus, you get access to Gleim's sport pilot online ground school-which costs $99.95 by itself. For more information, see the Web site.
Note: Products listed have not been evaluated by ePilot editors unless otherwise noted. AOPA assumes no responsibility for products or services listed or for claims or actions by manufacturers or vendors.
| | Final Exam | Question: I recently received a third class medical/student pilot certificate from my aviation medical examiner (AME) so I can solo. Because I did not reach my fortieth birthday on the date of my medical examination, my medical is valid for 36 months; but my student pilot certificate is only valid for 24 months. Do I have to go back to the AME to get another student pilot certificate after it expires, even though my medical will still be valid for another 12 months?
Answer: No, you will not need to return to your AME until you need another medical. You can obtain your student pilot certificate from a designated pilot examiner or FAA inspector. For more information, download the FAA document.
Got a question for our technical services staff? E-mail to [email protected] or call the Pilot Information Center, 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 images in our archives and select your favorites today! For more details, see AOPA Online.
| What's New At AOPA Online
| Lots of new student pilots mistakenly believe that a "cross-country" means a flight that goes from coast to coast. Read in the March issue of AOPA Pilot how a weekend pilot made the trip that he thought everybody was making years ago: New Jersey to California in a Cessna 172.
| Weekend Weather
| See the current weather on AOPA Online, provided by Meteorlogix.
| ePilot Calendar
| FLYING DESTINATIONS NEXT WEEKEND:
Melbourne, Florida. The Florida Tech 2005 Aviation Symposium takes place February 24 through 26 at the Florida Institute of Technology College of Aeronautics at Melbourne International (MLB). Don't miss hours of seminars, banquet featuring speaker Erik Lindberg, and a variety of aviation day activities! Contact Milo Zonka, 321/863-1812, or visit the Web site.
Puyallup, Washington. The Twenty-second Annual Northwest Aviation Conference and Trade Show takes place February 26 and 27 at the Western Washington Fairgrounds. This event features a keynote address by AOPA President Phil Boyer, two large exhibit halls, and hours of aviation seminars. Call 866/922-7469, or visit the Web site.
To submit an event to the calendar or to search all events visit AOPA Online. For airport details, see AOPA's Airport Directory Online .
FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR REFRESHER CLINICS
The next AOPA Air Safety Foundation Flight Instructor Refresher Clinics are scheduled in Cocoa Beach, Florida, and Reston, Virginia, February 26 and 27. Courses are also scheduled in Phoenix; Ontario, California; and Orlando, Florida, March 5 and 6. For a complete schedule, see AOPA Online. Can't make it in person? Sign up for the CFI Refresher Online.
AOPA AIR SAFETY FOUNDATION SAFETY SEMINARS
AOPA Air Safety Foundation Safety Seminars are scheduled in Las Vegas, February 21; Eugene, Oregon, February 22; Portland, Oregon, February 23; Seattle, February 24; and Melbourne, Florida, and Puyallup, Washington, February 26. Topics vary, for a complete schedule, see AOPA Online.
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