Training Notes and News

School News Daniel Webster creates kiosk system for flight students Flight students at Daniel Webster College in Nashua, New Hampshire, have begun using a kiosk system that allows them to access a variety of information in a "one-stop shop" fashion. The college has received the first of 10 MontegoNet Kiosks, or terminals that allow students to access such information as flight planning, weather, and airplane dispatch at one location. Rick Bartle, assistant director of flight operations-flight services, said the new kiosk has already seen a lot of traffic, with more than 200 user sessions each week. On a typical fall semester flying day, the college operates more than 100 flights, logging about 1,100 flight hours each month. The aviation program has 240 flight students.

AOPA and seven New York flight schools filed a lawsuit in federal court on December 6, challenging the constitutionality of the state law requiring criminal background checks for all flight school students. "This law is unnecessary, discriminatory, anti-business, and ineffective," said AOPA President Phil Boyer, "and it violates the U.S. Constitution.

"AOPA tried to work with the New York legislature on this issue, then gave the governor compelling reasons to veto the bill," Boyer continued. "AOPA fought a similar law in Michigan and won. We're still looking for a mutually acceptable compromise with the state of New York, but we'll fight this one all the way to the Supreme Court if we have to."

The issue is not about security, but rather what part of government has the authority and responsibility for aviation security. Congress has already enacted legislation to create "a single, uniform system of regulation for the safety and security of aviation, to be maintained by the federal government," according to the lawsuit, and that preempts any state laws.

"Beyond the constitutional issues, the New York law stands to hurt many small businesses in the state," said Boyer. Faced with the expense of a background check, many prospective student pilots may decide to forego flight training, or worse for the New York flight schools, do their training in a neighboring state, he said. --Warren D. Morningstar

Delta Connection Academy buys 50 Cirrus SR20s

Cirrus Design has inked a 50-aircraft order with Delta Connection Academy (DCA), headquartered in Sanford, Florida. DCA has already taken delivery of its first SR20; the remaining SR20s will be delivered over the next year or so, and will replace the flight training organization's stalwart fleet of Cessna 152s and 172s.

With DCA changing its training program to be more scenario-based through the FAA-Industry Training Standards (FITS) program, the company was looking for an airplane that could more quickly move its students to outlying airports to conduct training, according to DCA Chairman Gary Beck. To support the switch to Cirrus airplanes, DCA also is partnering with AeroSim Technologies to take delivery of $4.3 million in Aerosim-Mectronix flight simulators of various levels of sophistication. --Thomas B. Haines

ATP to purchase Diamond D-Jets for training

Airline Transport Professionals (ATP) announced in November a deal with Diamond in which the company will purchase 20 Diamond D-Jets and five Diamond flight training devices. Meanwhile, Diamond selected ATP to provide initial type ratings and recurrent training in the Diamond D-Jet. "ATP looks forward to working closely with Diamond to ensure that D-Jet training is readily available with nationwide convenience to D-Jet purchasers," said ATP President Derrick Dennis. --Alyssa J. Miller

Flight school features Diamond at new U.S. location

Sabena Airline Training Center, based in Brussels, Belgium, has opened a U.S. facility in Arizona, and will use Diamond aircraft for its training fleet. SATC has ordered a Diamond DA20-C, four DA40s, and three DA42 Twin Stars for the new location at Falcon Field Airport in Mesa, Arizona. Deliveries were to begin in January.

What It Looks Like

Cessna seat-rail track

By Mark Twombly

One small but significant preflight action that easily can be overlooked is making sure that all seats are securely in place on the seat tracks. This is especially important for the pilot's seat. Tragic accidents have occurred when the pilot's seat suddenly slid backward on takeoff, causing the pilot to jerk back on the yoke, pitching the nose up into a stall.

The potential for this problem led to an airworthiness directive (AD 87-20-03 R2) affecting the seat rails on many models of Cessna aircraft, including almost all single-engine models. The AD calls for inspections of the seat rails to check for excessive wear in the locking pin holes and for cracks in the rails, and to check the seat rollers for flat spots and other wear.

The photo shows a seat rail that failed an inspection because some of the locking pin holes were too worn. Typically, the holes become elongated over time. The pins from the seats can slip out of an elongated hole, allowing the seat to slide back.

When you settle into the cockpit before starting up, position the seat where it is most comfortable for you vertically and fore and aft, then make sure the locking pins are completely inserted in the seat rails. With your feet on the floor, forcefully try to slide the seat forward and aft. Use your leg muscles to do this, not your back, which just tends to rock the seat.

Newer-model Cessnas have an improved seat rail design that is not subject to the airworthiness directive.

Aviation Speak

Glass cockpit

By Machteld A. Smith

The myriad flight instruments, blinking dials, lights, and knobs found on a conventional cockpit panel are confusing and daunting to the uninitiated. It takes time to grasp their message and how to react to it.

Many flight schools are now utilizing newer-production training aircraft--those that feature modern glass-cockpit displays instead of the conventional "steam gauge" six-pack configuration. As a result, student pilots and instructors are increasingly finding themselves surrounded by electronic instrumentation similar to that found in commercial and personal jets. Pilots who were trained on traditional analog gauges also are eking out some dual time for a thorough familiarization and checkout in this glass environment.

The glass cockpit can stump you at first. Familiar instruments such as the tachometer, fuel gauges, and airspeed indicator seem simply to have vanished from the panel. You will remain in the dark as to their whereabouts unless you turn on the master switch to illuminate them on the electronics-driven screen of the primary flight display (PFD). And once you start the airplane and flip on the avionics switch, a marvel of moving maps, weather pages, and system maintenance pages materializes on the small television-like multi-function display (MFD) screen. You'll be checking GPS reception and double-checking your flight-plan input against the route painted on the moving-map display. And because glass flying interacts heavily with the autopilot, you'll also learn its proper use and interaction with its glass master.

Situational awareness is fantastic in a glass cockpit. Map insets--and heading, airspeed, and altimeter trends--meld onto the PFD in front of the pilot, while course, weather, and traffic displays come alive on the integrated MFD, generally located to the right of the PFD. Once mastered, the airspeed and altitude trend tapes are a pilot's best friends--integrated V-speed markers and incremental vertical speed and altitude value trends are helpful copilots.

Proper training and adherence to glass-specific procedures make flying glass exciting and enjoyable. Get together with your flight instructor and ace that glass class.

For more information see AOPA Online. Click the orange-circled "2" button for a video clip on PFD and MFD in the cockpit.

Final Exam

Final Exam is composed of questions similar to those a student may expect on the private pilot knowledge test. Answers are researched by members of the AOPA Pilot Information Center staff and may be found on p. 20.

1. For aviation purposes, ceiling is defined as the height above the Earth's surface of the

1. lowest reported obscuration and the highest layer of clouds reported as overcast.
2. lowest broken or overcast layer or vertical visibility into an obscuration.
3. lowest layer of clouds reported as scattered, broken, or thin.

2. The angle of attack at which an airplane wing stalls will

1. increase if the center of gravity is moved forward.
2. change with an increase in gross weight.
3. remain the same regardless of gross weight.

3. During an approach to a stall, an increased load factor will cause the airplane to

1. stall at a higher airspeed.
2. have a tendency to spin.
3. be more difficult to control.

4. As altitude increases, the indicated airspeed at which a given airplane stalls in a particular configuration will

1. decrease as the true airspeed decreases.
2. decrease as the true airspeed increases.
3. remain the same regardless of altitude.

5. The operator of an aircraft that has been involved in an accident is required to file an accident report within how many days?

1. Five.
2. Seven.
3. Ten.

6. The operator of an aircraft that has been involved in an incident is required to submit a report to the nearest field office of the NTSB

1. within seven days.
2. within 10 days.
3. when requested.

7. With respect to the certification of aircraft, which is a class of aircraft?

1. Airplane, rotorcraft, glider, balloon.
2. Normal, utility, acrobatic, limited.
3. Transport, restricted, provisional

8. May a pilot operate an aircraft that is not in compliance with an airworthiness directive (AD)?

1. Yes, under VFR conditions only.
2. Yes, ADs are only voluntary.
3. Yes, if allowed by the AD.

Final Exam Answers

1. The correct answer is B. For aviation purposes, the ceiling is the lowest broken or overcast layer, or vertical visibility into an obscuration that's not classified as thin or partial, such as thin overcast or partial obscuration. The lowest layer of scattered clouds is not considered a ceiling, while the lowest layer of broken clouds would be considered a ceiling.

2. The correct answer is C. A given airplane wing will always stall at the same angle of attack regardless of airspeed, weight, load factor, or density altitude. Each wing has a particular angle of attack (the critical angle of attack) at which the airflow separates from the upper surface of the wing and the stall occurs. Changing the CG or aircraft weight does not alter the critical angle of attack.

3. The correct answer is A. An increased load factor will result in an airplane stalling at a higher airspeed. Increasing load factor does not automatically produce a spin; other aerodynamic factors determine whether an airplane spins. Slower airspeeds, not increased load factor, generally make an aircraft more difficult to control.

4. The correct answer is C. All the performance factors of an airplane are dependent upon air density. As air density decreases, the airplane stalls at a higher true airspeed. The airspeed indicator will not show the effect of high density altitude (true airspeed) and an airplane will stall at the same indicated airspeed regardless of altitude. True airspeed increases, not decreases, with increased altitude, but the indicated airspeed at which the stall occurs remains the same.

5. The correct answer is C. The operator of an aircraft shall file a report to the NTSB within 10 days after an accident, or after seven days if an overdue aircraft is still missing. The report should be filed on NTSB Form 6120.1, revision 11/05.

6. The correct answer is C. The operator of an aircraft shall file a report to the NTSB for an incident only when requested. There is no specified time frame associated with this type of report, however. This report would be filed on NTSB Form 6120.1, revision 11/05.

7. The correct answer is A. Class of aircraft, as used with respect to the certification of aircraft, means a broad grouping of aircraft having similar characteristics of propulsion, flight, or landing such as airplane, rotorcraft, balloon, landplane, and seaplane. Normal, utility, acrobatic, limited, transport, restricted, and provisional are all categories, not classes, with respect to the certification of aircraft.

8. The correct answer is C. An AD is used to notify aircraft owners and interested persons of unsafe conditions and prescribe the conditions under which the aircraft may continue to be operated. An AD may be one of an emergency nature requiring immediate compliance upon receipt, or one of a less urgent nature requiring compliance within a relatively longer period of time. You may operate an airplane that is not in compliance with an AD only if such operation is allowed by the AD.

AOPA members can discuss these or any aviation questions with Pilot Information Center staff by calling 800/USA-AOPA or sending an e-mail.