Cust (6)

The following stories from the February 6, 2009, edition of AOPA ePilot were provided to AOPA members who expressed an interest in the particular subject areas. Any AOPA member can receive information tailored to their areas of interest by updating their preferences online.

piston-MULTIENGINE interest

- My ePilot-- Piston-Multiengine Interest -

ATP lowers prices, opens new flight training centers

ATP will open five new training centers across the country and drastically reduce its pricing for certain courses, the nationwide flight training provider said Feb. 2. According to the company, prices for the accelerated multiengine courses will be reduced by as much as 20 percent. Read more >>

Helicopter interest

- My ePilot-- Helicopter Interest -

Telluride airport closing for seven months, helo ops OK

Telluride Regional Airport, in Telluride, Colo., has received funding to fill the dip in the center of the runway. The airport administration has announced the airport will be closed from April 7 through Nov. 2. All airport staff will remain employed, either working on the project itself or maintaining the airport. Read more >>

Turbine interest

- My ePilot-- Turbine Interest -

Bombardier gets WAAS for Lear 40s, 45s

Universal Avionics Systems Corporation has secured a supplemental type certificate allowing in-service Learjet 40, Learjet 40XR, Learjet 45, and Learjet 45XR airplanes to be fitted out with WAAS (Wide Area Augmentation System) capability. New aircraft can order WAAS as an option. Read more >>

Bombardier Global jets get Euro-Evs nod

Certain Bombardier Global 5000 and Global Express XRS airplanes have been approved by the European Aviation Safety Agency to fly approaches to minimums as low as 100 feet agl. If equipped with the Bombardier enhanced vision system (BEVS), which provides a forward view using infrared-enhanced imagery, the Global 5000 and Global Express XRS meets EU-OPS rule 1.43(h) at a much lower height above the touchdown zone. Read more >>

TRAINING TIPs

Staying alert after landing

The traffic pattern was busy, the wind challenging. You stayed ahead of the aircraft, as discussed in the Jan. 30 "Training Tip," landed, and are taxiing clear. Job well done—but don’t relax or you could find yourself behind the aircraft. A complicated taxi clearance or keeping track of your position on a large airport demands your full attention.

Now, your knowledge of airport signs and markings will protect you from straying off your assigned taxi route into a potential runway incursion. For example, what sign has white letters on a red background and contains the numbers of one or more runways? The answer: a runway holding-position sign, one of several white-on-red mandatory instruction signs you are likely to encounter between the runway and the ramp. As explained in Chapter Two of the Aeronautical Information Manual , mandatory instruction signs denote:

1. An entrance to a runway or critical area and;
   
2. Areas where an aircraft is prohibited from entering. See the chapter for examples, illustrations, and how they may be combined with other types of signs

Preparation counts; did you study an airport diagram before your flight? Taxiing is a time for situational awareness and knowing where you are going. As Sue Critz wrote in the December 2004 AOPA Flight Training feature “Tackling Taxiing.” “This will also allow you to watch for airport signs and pavement markings that tell you where you are, where you're heading, and—most important—where the taxiway ends and the runway begins. This can be especially important if you are taxiing at a bigger airport with more than one runway and associated taxiways. If there is a control tower on the airport and you feel unsure about which way to go, you can ask for help by telling ground control that you would like progressive taxi instructions. The controller will watch your progress and tell you which way to go as you approach taxiway intersections and other areas of the airport surface.”

A study tip: Review the AOPA Air Safety Foundation’s Runway Incursion Analysis, then take its online Runway Safety course. They’ll boost your skill and confidence for that training flight to a large airport.

TRAINING PRODUCTS

King Schools’ ‘VFR Cross-Country Flying’ online course

Cross-country flights contain some of the purest joys of aviation: new sights, new airports, new adventures. Yet many pilots fall into a rut in which they don’t venture beyond the pattern or farther than the closest airport. If it’s been awhile since you planned a flight of more than 50 nautical miles—or perhaps you’re a student pilot who is wondering how you put the pieces together—King Schools’ online course, VFR Cross-Country Flying, can help. The course includes tips to make navigation easy, ways to obtain and evaluate weather on the fly, and more. It sells for $49, which includes lifetime free updates; a DVD version for personal computers is available for the same price. Purchase online or call 800/854-1001.

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: What is an enhanced taxiway centerline marking?

Answer: An enhanced taxiway centerline marking is a parallel line of yellow dashes on either side of the taxiway centerline that extends 150 feet from a runway hold-short line. These markings are seen mostly at large commercial service airports. View an illustration from the Aeronautical Information Manual. The purpose of the enhanced markings is to alert pilots that they are approaching a runway hold-short line and should be prepared to stop. To learn more about airport markings, take the AOPA Air Safety Foundation’s free, interactive Runway Safety online course.

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.