AOPA Online Members Only -- AOPA ePilot Flight Training Edition -- Vol. 7, Issue 2

OPERATING RULES, AND EXCEPTIONS
Describe your aircraft's fuel system. How is the primer used during engine start? Describe the trim system and its use. Should you retrim every time you change airspeeds and configurations? Are there times when trim should simply be "overpowered" with manual yoke pressure? Learning the answers to such questions is what becoming a pilot is about.

You learned that trimming is the final step in setting up your aircraft for steady-state flight after power and pitch have been established for a climb, level cruise, or descent. A stable landing approach requires proper trim. "It is critical to retrim the airplane every time you change the power or flap settings. Trim for the proper approach speed as recommended by the manufacturer. It is common for pilots to underuse the trim," Alton K. Marsh wrote in the March 2002 AOPA Pilot column "Out of the Pattern: Consistent Landings."

What if you need to execute a go-around? When you add climb power, how will your aircraft respond? By pitching up to maintain its trimmed airspeed in a climb. However, that airspeed may not be correct now—it may be too slow. You will also be occupied retracting flaps and monitoring whatever situation made you abort the landing. Is this a time to retrim? "Don't try to trim the elevator pressure out before the flaps are up because you'll have to retrim. If you trim the airplane to cancel the nose-up pitch while the flaps are still down, the trim will want to push the nose toward the ground when you retract the flaps. Just overpower the trim until the flaps are up," Budd Davisson advised in the September 2005 AOPA Flight Training feature "Going, Going, Go Around."

Even basic operations such as engine starts tell an observer (such as a designated examiner) whether a pilot possesses real-world systems knowledge. "A carbureted fuel system is just one example. When I ask a pilot to describe that system, he will usually recite the general system description that's illustrated in the pilot's operating handbook for the aircraft. Then, in the airplane, he will make several operational fuel-system errors," Ralph Butcher said in "Insights: Systems Knowledge" in the May 2005 AOPA Flight Training. Read his article to see how experience builds on book knowledge to produce excellence in the cockpit. For an interactive look at engine operations, take the AOPA Air Safety Foundation's free online course, Engine and Propeller.

"Oh no, I lost my logbook! What do I do?" A student pilot is required to carry his/her logbook on all solo cross-country flights; it must contain the proper endorsements. If the endorsements are lost, then new endorsements should be obtained from an authorized instructor. A private pilot doesn't have to carry a logbook, but it's still an important record of flight experience. The FAA's General Aviation Operation Inspectors Handbook (FAA Order 8700.1) provides guidance for reconstructing lost logbooks. If you have other questions about logbooks or logging time, 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.

'SPIN DOCTOR' BILL KERSHNER DIES AT 77
Pilot, flight instructor, and aviation author William K. Kershner, 77, died January 8 in Sewanee, Tennessee, after a prolonged battle with cancer. "Bill will be remembered as an enthusiastic pilot, great educator, and friend," said Bruce Landsberg, AOPA Air Safety Foundation executive director. "He served as a sounding board on many occasions to the foundation. I called on him periodically to discuss airmanship or procedural issues. From traffic patterns to aerodynamics of stalls to IFR techniques, I could always count on Bill for good advice." Kershner soloed an Aeronca Defender from Clarksville, Tennessee's Outlaw Field—a grass strip at the time—in 1945 at age 16. After four years flying Corsairs in the Navy, Kershner worked as a corporate pilot, flight-test pilot, and special assistant to William T. Piper Sr., then president of Piper Aircraft. With the help of his wife, Betty—who typed his handwritten manuscripts—Kershner authored and illustrated a series of five highly regarded flight manuals; his Student Pilot's Flight Manual alone has sold more than 1 million copies. Kershner contributed often to AOPA publications, including AOPA Pilot and AOPA Flight Training. He also was known for his interest in spins, having logged more than 8,000 spins totaling some 35,000 turns. He was the national General Aviation Flight Instructor of the Year in 1992. Kershner continued to teach ground school into late December 2006. See the multimedia presentations about Kershner's work on AOPA Online .

REGIONAL AIRLINES INK DEAL WITH ATP
Atlantic Southeast Airlines and Trans State Airlines have signed airline pilot hiring letters of agreement with Airline Transport Professionals (ATP) of Jacksonville Beach, Florida. The letters represent agreements in which the airlines guarantee interviews to pilots who are recommended by ATP. Trans State agreed to reduce its minimum prerequisites for ATP graduates to 500 hours total flight time and 100 hours total multiengine time. Atlantic Southeast's reduced minimums for ATP graduates are 500 hours total time and 50 hours total multiengine time.

ABLE FLIGHT NAMES SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS
Able Flight, a newly formed organization whose goal is to provide flying scholarships for persons with disabilities, has named the first two recipients of the program. Stephany Glassing and Brad Jones will be trained to obtain a sport pilot certificate in a specially equipped Sky Arrow 600 light sport aircraft. Glassing and Jones both suffered spinal cord injuries in automobile accidents and are former patients of Shepherd Center, a catastrophic care and rehabilitative hospital in Atlanta. "Being in a [wheel]chair instantaneously makes everyday life and events challenging," said Jones. "The challenge of learning to fly will be a difficult one, but it will bring a renewed sense that anything is possible, no matter what other challenges life might have for me in the future." Said Glassing, "Able Flight is allowing me to fulfill dreams after being in a chair for 22 years."

EMBRY-RIDDLE READY TO RESUME CLASSES AFTER TORNADO
Officials at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University say its Daytona Beach, Florida, campus is making "excellent progress" in its recovery effort following a Christmas Day tornado. The school is on schedule to open for spring semester on January 16. Some campus departments are relocating to other buildings; classroom buildings suffered less severe damage. Meanwhile, 52 of the 57 airplanes needed to fill out the fleet have been acquired, school officials said. The tornado caused $50 million to $60 million in damages, according to early estimates.

'FLIGHT DREAM' AWARD WINNERS ANNOUNCED
Three student pilots have received $300 cash awards from Student Pilot Network as the 2006 recipients of SPN's "Flight Dream Award." They are Shaye Dunn, of Peachtree City, Georgia, who trains at Falcon Aviation Academy; Larnelle Rogers, of Albuquerque, New Mexico, who flies at Bode Aviation; and Aaron Tarbox of Ashland, Virginia, who flies with Heart of Virginia Aviation. SPN is taking applications for the 2007 Flight Dream Awards. For more information and registration requirements, visit the Web site.

CALLING ALL SHUTTERBUGS TO 'AOPA PILOT' GA PHOTO CONTEST
Do you carry a camera in your flight bag—just in case? Do you take photos at the airport and fly-ins to capture all of the cool airplanes on takeoff and arrival? If so, send your best work to the second annual AOPA Pilot 2007 General Aviation Photography Contest. Amateur photographers are encouraged to submit digital photos that capture the beauty and spirit of general aviation. If your photo is chosen as the first-place winner when the contest ends on September 4, you could win $1,000! For complete rules and additional information, see AOPA Online.

NEW AIRPORT WATCH SIGNS POP UP ACROSS COUNTRY
AOPA is kicking off the new year with a push to remind pilots to "lock up and look out" by following Airport Watch tips every time they go to the airport. The association is mailing new Airport Watch signs to nearly 5,300 public-use airports across the country for display at prominent entry points to the facilities. The signs encourage pilots to report suspicious activity through 866/GA-SECUR[E], a toll-free hotline answered by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). "Now more than ever, it is important for GA pilots to incorporate the commonsense security tips of Airport Watch into their flying routine," said Rob Hackman, AOPA director of security and regulatory policy. "Every time we finish flying, we must make sure we lock our aircraft and hangar, and look out for anything or anyone that seems out of place." See AOPA's Airport Watch Web page to view a security DVD or order Airport Watch brochures or decals.

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.

KING SCHOOLS CD-ROM COURSE DELVES INTO GARMIN 430/530
How well do you know the Garmin 430/530? This widely utilized nav/com system is installed in the panels of numerous training aircraft. King Schools Inc.'s new interactive video course, Flying the Garmin 430/530, includes hundreds of video lessons to demonstrate how to use the 430/530, along with interactive questions so that you can practice what you just learned. The course covers all aspects of the system, including best practices, moving maps, flight plans, "Direct To" usage, page groups, nearest airport, navigation aids, what to do when there is an in-flight problem, approaches, course reversals, holding, missed approaches, terrain features, system customization, and how to handle possible malfunctions. The course provides seven CD-ROMs and runs about four hours before the interactive questions. It sells for $249. 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.

Question: When flying in the traffic pattern, my flight instructor recommends that I fly 1,000 feet agl, but I've heard other instructors teaching their students to fly at a lower traffic pattern altitude. I'm a bit confused on this issue and want to know if AOPA can help straighten this out.

Answer: Chapter 4 of the Aeronautical Information Manual recommends using a 1,000-foot-agl altitude above the airport elevation. On a case-by-case basis, the airport management may implement a different traffic pattern altitude because of noise abatement concerns and/or ground obstacle clearance safety. Traffic pattern altitudes for propeller-driven aircraft can range from 600 to 1,500 feet agl; if a traffic pattern altitude is not listed for a particular airport, the 1,000-foot-agl altitude would apply. When planning a flight, if you are in doubt as to what traffic pattern altitude to use, we recommend calling the airport before you depart. Review the AOPA Pilot article "Pattern Perfection" as well download the AOPA Air Safety Foundation's Operations at Nontowered Airports Safety Advisor for more information.

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.

St. Louis, MO. The Midwest Aviation Conference and Trade Show takes place January 19 through 21 at St. Louis University Busch Student Center. There's something for everyone interested in aviation, seminars, trade show, and more! Contact Jeff Edwards, 636/532-5638, 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 Jackson, MS, and Sevierville, TN, January 20 and 21. Clinics are also scheduled in Baltimore; Charlotte, NC; and Seattle, January 27 and 28. 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 Mesa, AZ, and Fort Worth, TX, January 22; Tucson, AZ, and Houston, January 23; Kearny, NE, El Paso, TX, and San Antonio, January 24; and Albuquerque, NM, and Austin, TX, January 25. The topic is "Say it Right! Radio Communications in Today's Airspace." For details and a complete schedule, see AOPA Online.