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 © 2005 AOPA. | Training Tips | RATING TURBULENCE Has another pilot's report of conditions along your proposed route of flight ever helped you to prepare? Turbulence, for example, is especially prone to vary from forecast conditions, and there's nothing like a first-hand account to take the uncertainty out of your planning. Some of the ways turbulence is manufactured by the weather were described in the February 18, 2005, Training Tips. Pilots encountering turbulence are urged to report it for the benefit of other aircraft. The usual means is by a pilot report, or "pirep." File pireps often during your training, for practice and to share information with your fellow pilots. The desired format of a pirep on turbulence is given in the Aeronautical Information Manual and includes seven items: 1. Aircraft location 2. Time of occurrence in UTC 3. Turbulence intensity 4. Whether the turbulence occurred in or near clouds 5. Aircraft altitude or flight level 6. Type of aircraft 7. Duration of turbulence Evaluate pireps on turbulence carefully. Ask yourself whether the reported turbulence is consistent with conditions predicted during your weather briefing, and if not, why not? "When you call or visit an FAA flight service station for a preflight weather briefing, the information you receive on current weather should include pilot reports for your route of flight. If the briefer doesn't mention pilot reports, you should ask: 'Are there any pireps along my route?'" advised Jack Williams in his January 2003 AOPA Flight Training column, "The Weather Never Sleeps: Pirep Plea." The reported intensity of the turbulence is the only truly subjective item on the list, making the type of aircraft important. Turbulence that feels "light" to the crew of a corporate jet may be moderate or worse to a light single-engine airplane. Chapter 7 of the AIM offers useful descriptions of light, moderate, severe, and extreme turbulence. It also explains the difference between turbulence and "chop." To improve your pirep skills, complete the SkySpotter Program from the AOPA Online Safety Center. When providing your own pireps, don't save your reports for conditions that are as bumpy, or bumpier, than forecast. Surprisingly serene weather is good news that other pilots would love to know about. In-flight weather information is precious. Share the wealth!
| Your Partner in Training | Planning a cross-country trip? Whether you're launching solo or with your instructor, begin the journey with AOPA Flight Training Online's Virtual Flight Bag, a handy reference to a variety of online tools that will greatly enhance your flight-planning experience. Obtain airport information and print out taxi diagrams, check on the weather and temporary flight restrictions (TFRs), access frequently used forms and contact information for FAA facilities, or try AOPA's feature-filled online Real Time Flight Planner. If you still have questions about your trip, call the Pilot Information Center at 800/USA-AOPA weekdays between 8:30 a.m. and 6 p.m. Eastern. 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 | AIR SAFETY FOUNDATION LAUNCHES LATEST SAFETY HOT SPOT Operating at towered airports has its benefits as well as challenges. To keep you safe and flying within the rules, the AOPA Air Safety Foundation has launched its latest online compendium, Safety Hot Spot: Operations at Towered Airports, to reflect current trends in safety. The Web page serves as your springboard to "A Safety Checkup" written by foundation staff pilots, printed resources, online courses, Sporty's Safety Quizzes, and related Web sites. You'll also find video clips and communication tips. The operations at nontowered airports topic page is still available in the Safety Hot Spot archive. See the AOPA Online Safety Center. CHARITY FLIGHT TO KENYA GROUNDED Two pilots who launched July 9 on a round-the-world flight in a Cessna T210 were forced to end the flight the next day when the aircraft developed a mechanical problem. Pilots Ron Maines and David Maupin had completed the first leg-California to Maine-of a charity flight to Nairobi, Kenya, intended to bring international attention to the plight of children orphaned by AIDS. Departing Bangor on July 10, the airplane developed an oil leak, and the pilots returned to Bangor. Maupin will take a commercial flight to Kenya to deliver funds raised by Rotary International members and local schools. The money is to be used to build at least two new orphanages. NASA, EMBRY-RIDDLE TEACHER WORKSHOPS EXPAND Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and NASA are holding a second year of workshops that give high school teachers tools to make science more appealing to students. The TeachSpace initiative, launched in 2004 at Embry-Riddle's Daytona Beach campus, has proven so popular that 2005 sessions are being held in Prescott, Arizona, and the Seattle extended campus center. The program is projected to reach 10,000 teachers and more than 1 million teenagers by 2008, with a goal of motivating students to pursue careers in science, engineering, and technology. Teachers receive texts, instructional materials, and access to a curriculum Web site, plus free room and board and a $100 daily stipend. | Inside AOPA | LET AOPA HELP YOU PLAN A SAFE, FUN TRIP TO AIRVENTURE EAA AirVenture, the annual weeklong airshow that draws as many as 750,000 visitors to Oshkosh, Wisconsin, is a favorite destination for many pilots. Student pilots accompanied by their flight instructors have been known to make the trip to gain a perspective not found in other types of cross-country jaunts. If you're planning a trip to EAA AirVenture 2005 this month, see Now Featuring: Fly-in Safety at the AOPA Online Safety Center for valuable flight-planning resources, including fly-in guidelines, the AirVenture notam, the airport taxi diagram for Wittman Regional Airport, and much more. FLIGHT EXPLORER UNVEILS PILOT EDITION FOR AOPA MEMBERS Who could know what pilots want or need more than a fellow pilot? That's why Flight Explorer used pilots to design its new AOPA Flight Explorer Pilot Edition. Pilots can view the weather for the entire continental United States, have flight plans and actual routes for commercial and general aviation aircraft displayed, set up e-mails to be sent automatically when they depart or arrive, view the most popular FAA-approved routes between airports, and receive alerts on their personal digital assistant, cell phone, or other device when the FAA sends their preliminary IFR flight plan. The pilot edition also includes all of the features of AOPA Flight Explorer Personal Edition. For more information about Flight Explorer, see AOPA Online. 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 | TWO-FOR-ONE OFFER: MACHADO 'PRIVATE PILOT HANDBOOK,' DVD Aviation humorist and author Rod Machado's Private Pilot Handbook, a guide to the private pilot certificate, acclaimed as much for its down-to-earth, humorous approach as for its thoroughness, is a staple of many a pilot's personal library. Sporty's Pilot Shop is offering a special package that includes the handbook plus a bonus DVD for one price. The Samurai Airmanship DVD features a Machado presentation in which he explains how the code of the samurai and their discipline can be adapted for risk management and setting personal minimums. The special package sells for $34.95 and can be ordered online or by calling 800/SPORTYS. 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 rent an airplane from my local FBO for my private pilot flight training. Is it necessary for me to have renter's insurance? Answer: While your FBO may not require it, having your own insurance coverage is strongly recommended. Here's why: An FBO's insurance policy is designed to protect the FBO, not the renter. You can be held liable for injuries to passengers, damage to property, and even damage to the aircraft itself. What's more, if you damage the aircraft and the FBO turns in a claim for damage beyond its deductible to its insurance company, the insurance company can pay the FBO for the damage, then take action against you to collect the amount it paid to the FBO. This is called "subrogation." But that's not all. You could also be liable for the FBO's deductible, which could cost you thousands. With renter's insurance available for less than the cost of a few hours of flight time, it only makes sense to get covered. To apply for your coverage today, please click here, and for additional information, read AOPA's Guide to Aircraft Insurance . 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 | AOPA's aviation subject report on sport pilots and light sport aircraft includes frequently asked questions for student pilots, certificated private pilots, and ultralight pilots; a list of light-sport aircraft manufacturers and production aircraft that meet the light-sport specifications; plus links to practical test standards, pertinent sport pilot documents, and much more.
| Weekend Weather | See the current weather on AOPA Online, provided by Meteorlogix.
| ePilot Calendar | UPCOMING FLYING DESTINATIONS: Elmira/Corning, New York. Airfest 2005 takes place July 23 and 24 at Elmira/Corning Regional (ELM). This year honors Women in Aviation, and will feature aerobatics, skydivers, and much more. Contact Brenda Baumlin, 607/739-8200, or visit the Web site. Terre Haute, Indiana. The Terre Haute 2005 Air Fair takes place July 23 and 24 at Terre Haute International-Hulman Field (HUF). The U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds will fly both days-come to this great show on the way to Oshkosh. Contact Dennis Dunbar, 812/877-2524, or visit the Web site. Claremore, Oklahoma. Wings Over Oklahoma takes place July 23 and 24 at Claremore Regional (GCM). Featuring the West Coast A-10 Demo Team, Bob Carlton and his jet sailplane, Team Chaos, the Sooner Squadron Warbirds, and more! Contact John Walck, 918/951-5354, 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 Clinic is scheduled in Newark, New Jersey, July 23 and 24. A course is also scheduled in Long Beach, California, August 6 and 7. 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 to take place during EAA Airventure, July 28 through 30 in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. The topics vary-for a complete schedule, see AOPA Online.
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