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Copyright © 2006 AOPA. | Training Tips
| | SOLO CHOICES
The January 27, 2006, Training Tips described the limitations that a newly soloed student pilot may be required to observe during subsequent solo flights-limitations  appearing as logbook notations made by the student's flight instructor. While these entries amount to constraints on your "freedom" to fly solo, you may still find your solo horizons expanding. Even before you head out on the solo cross-country flights required for flight-test eligibility, airports within 25 nautical miles of your home field may offer practice for solo landings and takeoffs. The circumstances permitting this are set out in FAR 61.89.
"Solo flights may be made to another airport that is within 25 nautical miles from the airport where the student pilot normally receives training, provided-
(i) An authorized instructor has given the student pilot flight training at the other airport, and that training includes flight in both directions over the route, entering and exiting the traffic pattern, and takeoffs and landings at the other airport;
(ii) The authorized instructor who gave the training endorses the student pilot's logbook authorizing the flight;
(iii) The student pilot has current solo flight endorsements in accordance with 61.87 of this part;
(iv) The authorized instructor has determined that the student pilot is proficient to make the flight; and
(v) The purpose of the flight is to practice takeoffs and landings at that other airport."
Such flights are valuable experience builders and add focus to soloing. First, they offer a real-life terminal departure and a brief cruise phase followed by entry to a new traffic pattern. Also, they provide a quick alternative to a session planned to take place at your home base, should traffic there become uncomfortably heavy.
You'll be in charge and making decisions on these solos, so be alert. If in doubt about any situation and in contact with air traffic control, ask for assistance, as one new pilot had the good judgment to do, thereby avoiding a runway incursion as related in "Learning Experiences," June 2004 AOPA Flight Training. And never forget that even as a student pilot under instructor supervision, you accept a serious burden of command responsibility; be sure that you are properly authorized to conduct any flight (see the June 4, 2004, Training Tips article "Fly Solo, Share Responsibility").
| Your Partner in Training
| A checklist is an important document that you'll use on the first flight lesson and for every flight going forward. People who learned to fly simpler airplanes often could memorize their checklists, but today's sophisticated aircraft have so many additional features and settings that it's no longer a good idea to rely on memory alone. Refer to your checklist as you go through your preflight, and make sure you have actually followed through on each of the items to check. You can customize your checklist to make it more user-friendly. Consider reproducing it in a smaller (or larger) size, printing emergency items in bright colors, or adding items to the standard list. Christopher L. Parker gives you more ideas in the September 2005 issue of AOPA Flight Training. If you have questions or concerns, call the Pilot Information Center at 800/USA-AOPA weekdays from 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 Training News
| MONTANA COMPANY ORDERS 35 LIBERTY XL2s
Liberty Aerospace announced it has received an order for 35 XL2s from a Montana aircraft leasing company. The airplanes were purchased by LAFT LLC, which purchases and leases aircraft to flight training academies and schools. The aircraft ultimately will be on the flight line of Ormond Beach Aviation in Ormond, Florida. According to Liberty, Ormond Beach Aviation specializes in accelerated residential flight training for foreign pilots who are in the process of obtaining JAA licenses and ratings; the flight school also offers training for FAA certificates. LAFT managing partner Louise Fairfax praised the XL2's "advanced modular design providing cost-effective airframe maintenance," noting that the company had extensively evaluated a wide range of aircraft in its search for a cost-effective, technology advanced airplane that could serve a large training environment or a private owner.
PROJECT PILOT PARTICIPANT CROSSES COUNTRY IN CESSNA 150
Jesse McNeil, a low-time private pilot who was a participant in AOPA's Project Pilot program, put his new flying skills to the test recently by flying from Washington to Massachusetts in a Cessna 150. He had logged 50 hours as pilot in command when the flight took place in September 2005. McNeil traveled from Orcas Island Airport in Eastsound, Washington, to Plum Island Airport in Newburyport, Massachusetts. The trip took 38 flight hours over 13 flying days. McNeil said he viewed the journey like a bunch of small hops from one runway to the next. AOPA's Project Pilot pairs up student pilots with experienced members so that they can pass along their skill and enthusiasm and make learning to fly easier, safer, and more successful. McNeil and his mentor, Beverly Franklet, were pictured in the August 2005 issue of AOPA Pilot. To find out more about the program, see the Web site.
ARE YOU AND ATC ON THE SAME PAGE? TAKE THE SPORTY's QUIZ
Instrument pilots and students: Are you and air traffic control speaking the same language? Do you know your ATC terminology as well as you should? Find out by taking a few minutes to complete the Sporty's Safety Quiz on the AOPA Air Safety Foundation's Web site. A new quiz is posted every other week, and each person who completes the quiz gets a chance to win a Sporty's Air-Scan V Aviation/Radio Scanner. Test your knowledge of other topics by taking previous quizzes.
ERAU NAMES CHANCELLOR, DIRECTOR OF LONG-DISTANCE LEARNING
Thomas Connelly has been named chancellor of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University's Daytona Beach, Florida, campus. Connelly is Embry-Riddle's first presidential endowed chair in aviation. He joined the university in 1973 and has served as chair of the flight and aeronautical science departments, and dean of the school of aviation. In other faculty news, Martha Hollis is Embry-Riddle's new director of distance learning. She comes from Capella University, an accredited online learning institution, where she was program director, faculty director, quantitative methods and research chair, and core professor in the school of business.
| Inside AOPA
| | LAST CHANCE TO HAVE YOUR SAY ON ADIZ
The deadline is fast approaching. If you don't want the government to clamp down on your airspace the way it has around Baltimore and Washington, now is the time to file your comments against the proposal to make the Washington, D.C., Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) a permanent impediment to air travel along the East Coast. The deadline for comments is Monday, February 6. See AOPA's Member Action Center: Operation ADIZ. "As anyone who rationally considers the question recognizes, the security threat from small general aviation aircraft is minimal at best," wrote a 30-year private pilot from the Midwest. "Even most of the smaller motor vehicles traveling in and out of the area hourly, 24/7, pose a greater security risk than a typical four-seat plane such as mine. The load-carrying capacity and the mass just are not substantial in a small GA plane, as compared to most vehicles on the street.... Establishing the ADIZ is not a good idea!" More than 20,300 of your fellow pilots have taken a few moments to write to protect their airspace. Remember, an ADIZ can happen any place, any time. When it does, pilots, businesses, and airports suffer. Act now while you still have the opportunity.
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
| | ULTRACADDIE PUTS COCKPIT TOOLS IN THEIR PLACE
The design team at Noral Enterprises doesn't subscribe to the "throw it in the back seat" school of cockpit organization. They've come up with the UltraCaddie, made to hold charts, pen and pencil, flashlight, fuel tester, and E6B flight computer "within easy reach and out of the way." The UltraCaddie is constructed of nylon and comes in three styles: with an over-the-seat strap; with two 2-inch Velcro straps that can be mounted over side panels; or with a belt clip that can be fastened to side panels. It comes in a variety of colors and costs $24.99. Order online or call 877/996-6725.
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: When navigating to a VOR/DME station, how do I know if both the VOR and DME systems are working properly?
Answer: When a DME is co-located with a VOR, the specific DME frequency is paired with the VOR frequency so you only have to dial in one frequency, reducing the risk of errors. Both the VOR and DME have the same Morse code for identification, but they are broadcast at different intervals and with different tones. A VOR is working properly if you hear the Morse code every 10 seconds modulated at 1020 Hz. The DME code can be heard every 30 seconds and modulated at 1350 Hz. If you notice a gap in the broadcast and only hear a single code every 30 seconds, the DME is working properly, but the VOR is not. Be sure to check all notices to airmen (notams) with flight service before any flight so you are aware of any navigational aids that may be out of service. For additional information on utilizing your airplane's navigation equipment, visit AOPA Online.
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
| Looking for some really fabulous aviation photography? All the air-to-air photos and beautifully detailed ground images used by AOPA Pilot magazine over the years are yours at the click of a mouse button. Download your favorite images to use for wallpaper, send an e-postcard, or order prints online. For more details, see AOPA Online.
| What's New At AOPA Online
| There are flying clubs, and then there are flying clubs: The Boeing Employees Flying Association, or BEFA, has 450 members and a fleet of 19 piston-engine aircraft, including a 210-hp Cessna 172XP floatplane. Read about BEFA and clubs sponsored by other aircraft manufacturers in the February 2006 issue of AOPA Pilot.
| Weekend Weather
| See the current weather on AOPA Online, provided by Meteorlogix.
| ePilot Calendar
| FLYING DESTINATIONS NEXT WEEKEND:
Vero Beach, Florida. Aviation Day takes place February 11 at Vero Beach Municipal (VRB). This annual event will feature 40 show planes, and the Collings Foundation giving rides and tours of the B-17 and B-25. Contact Bill Zorc, 772/713-0607, 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 Sacramento, California; Melbourne, Florida; and Nashua, New Hampshire; February 18 and 19. Clinics are also scheduled in Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Las Vegas; Kent, Ohio; and Sterling, Virginia; February 25 and 26. 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 Little Rock, Arkansas, and Tampa, Florida, February 6; Rogers, Arkansas, Northglenn, Colorado, and Ocala, Florida, February 7; Colorado Springs, Colorado, Melbourne, Florida, and Oklahoma City, February 8; and Lake Worth, Florida, and Wichita, Kansas, February 9. The topic is "Do the Right Thing-Decision Making for Pilots." For more details and a complete schedule, see AOPA Online.
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