AOPA Online Members Only -- AOPA ePilot Flight Training Edition -- Vol. 6, Issue 49

TEST SCORES MATTER
What's your standard for passing the FAA Private Pilot Knowledge Test? A passing grade? Better? Don't kid yourself, results matter. Not only does achieving a high score on the knowledge test help present you to your flight-test examiner as a well-prepared applicant, but it also gives you a valuable asset-knowledge! There's also the matter of complying with a section of FAR 61.39, practical test prerequisites. The relevant portion states that an applicant for a flight test must be certified by his or her flight instructor as having "demonstrated satisfactory knowledge of the subject areas in which the applicant was deficient on the airman knowledge test." Be assured, an applicant who shows up for a flight test with a knowledge-test grade barely above 70 percent (the minimum passing score) will be in for some scrutiny. (A good resource for knowledge-test study is AOPA Online's library of Airman Knowledge Test Questions. Click on the appropriate test and get right to work!)

It's not uncommon for the knowledge test to be spoken of, sometimes even by flight instructors, as something to "get out of the way." This could mislead a new student pilot into underestimating the importance of the exam, as explained above. A new student also hears a wide variety of advice about when to take the test. Opinions vary on this point because there is no required moment in training for taking it, except that it must be taken and passed before taking the flight test. Also, the knowledge-test results "expire" after 24 months.

What to do? Some sound guidance is offered in the September 2003 commentary "Preflight" by AOPA Flight Training Editor Mike Collins: "When I'm asked, I suggest that beginning students study their choice of ground-school material concurrently with their flight lessons. Certain things, such as VOR and NDB navigation, can be much easier to comprehend when flight training can complement the bookwork. I think that an ideal time for most students to take the knowledge test is just before beginning their solo cross-countries; by then their flight training should have exposed them to all the knowledge-test subject areas." Aim high on your knowledge test, then maintain that standard throughout your pilot training.

The AOPA Medical Certification home page is the starting point for information about medical certification issues with your local aviation medical examiner (AME) and regional federal air surgeons. Also available are medical subject reports, answers to common aviation medical concerns, searchable listings of AMEs and medications the FAA allows or prohibits, and a medical online status request form to assist with your medical certification.

Do you have a question? Call the experienced pilots in AOPA's Pilot Information Center at 800/USA-AOPA. They're available to take your calls weekdays 8:30 a.m. to 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 SCHOOL FEATURES DIAMOND AT NEW U.S. LOCATION
Sabena Airline Training Center (SATC), based in Brussels, Belgium, has opened a U.S. facility in Arizona and will use Diamond aircraft for its training fleet. SATC has ordered six aircraft-a Diamond DA20-C1, four DA40s, and three DA42 Twin Stars-at the new location at Falcon Field Airport in Mesa, Arizona. SATC chose Diamond because it offers a family of aircraft that have "important cost advantages over other training aircraft, while providing our customers next-generation training with the [Garmin] G1000," according to Kris Van den Bergh, managing director and head of flight training for SATC's Arizona location. Deliveries are set to begin in January.

WAI EXTENDS SCHOLARSHIP DEADLINES
There's still time to apply for several scholarships offered through Women in Aviation International (WAI). Featured programs include six maintenance scholarships sponsored by Pratt & Whitney and one flight attendant scholarship offered by FlightSafety International. The deadline to apply is December 21. WAI suggests applicants read the instructions as they may differ from the normal application process. For more information, see the Web site.

NEW FLIGHT SCHOOL OPENS IN OKLAHOMA
A new flight school has opened its doors at the Bartlesville Municipal Airport in Bartlesville, Oklahoma. Pathfinder Aeronautical Institute was founded by Savio and Rachel Barreto. Savio Barreto is a graduate of Spartan College of Aeronautics and Technology; he is assistant chief pilot for NetJets, Inc. Rachel Barreto was a commercial pilot for a Continental Express carrier and Atlantic Coast Airlines. The school currently has a Cessna 172 and a Mooney M20C for rental and training, with plans to acquire three more aircraft. For more information, call 918/876-1278.

GET THE FACTS ON GPS TECHNOLOGY
Flight instructors: Looking for a good introduction to the GPS system for your students? Flight students: Is a panel-mount GPS unit in your future? Get the basics and a lot more with the AOPA Air Safety Foundation's newly revised Safety Advisor, GPS Technology. The 16-page publication includes in-depth discussions of how the system works and how it differs from VOR navigation. It also provides a look at the different types of GPS approaches and information on how to fly them. Plus, you'll learn about the different types of GPS receivers (WAAS/non-WAAS), and get some tips and tricks, as well as answers to frequently asked questions.

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.

CUSTOM AIRPLANE ORNAMENT FROM SPORTY'S
If you have a holiday tree ornament commemorating your new home, your baby, or your grandchild, why not have an ornament that recalls your training airplane? Thanks to Sporty's custom airplane ornaments, you can order a leaded glass ornament with a silhouette of a low-wing, high-wing, taildragger, or twin-engine aircraft, and have it inscribed with the airplane's N number or with a one-line message of up to 20 characters. The ornament costs $29.95 and may 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.

Question: I am interested in learning more about VFR chart symbols so I can better interpret them while planning a flight. What resource can I use to gain a better understanding of the symbols used?

Answer: If the chart legend does not depict the symbol, you can refer to the Aeronautical Chart User's Guide published by the FAA's National Aeronautical Charting Office. It includes a large section covering VFR chart terms and symbols that you can download. Topics include: aeronautical (airports and radio aids); topographic (populated areas and man-made versus natural obstructions/features); hydrography (shorelines, lakes, and streams); and relief (mountain contours, mountain passes, and quarries). Additional insight into chart symbols and airspace classes is available by downloading the AOPA Air Safety Foundation Safety Advisor, Airspace for Everyone .

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.

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 Denver, December 16 and 17. Clinics are also scheduled in Long Beach, CA; Portland, OR; and San Antonio, January 6 and 7. For a complete schedule, see AOPA Online. Can't make it in person? Sign up for the CFI Refresher Online.