AOPA Online Members Only -- AOPA ePilot Custom Content --Vol. 5, Issue 17

The following stories from the April 25, 2003, edition of AOPA ePilot were provided to AOPA members who expressed an interest in the particular subject areas. Any AOPA member can receive information customized to their areas of interest by updating their member record file online.

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My ePilot - Jet Interest
HONEYWELL BEGINS TESTING ON NEW JET ENGINE
Honeywell last month completed the first run of its new TFE 731-50 turbofan engine. The engine is designed to deliver up to 4,900 pounds of takeoff thrust and will be offered with integrated nacelle and thrust reverser systems. A derivative of the -60 production engine, Honeywell said it is on track for certification in 2004. It will begin testing on Honeywell's Dassault Falcon 20 flying test bed later this year.

My ePilot - Student Interest, Training Tips
AIRSPACE IS FOR EVERYONE
When you practice takeoffs and landings at your airport, other aircraft come and go. You may observe that not all of them fly the traffic patterns that you are learning; it is explained to you that these are aircraft arriving on instrument flight plans or practicing instrument approach procedures. The pilots use terminology that you have not heard before on the radio, and they frequently make "low approaches," rather than landing, before leaving the pattern again.

You were assured that you have equal right to the airspace you share with them, but you may still feel uncertain. To understand these other citizens of your local airspace, review the Aeronautical Information Manual Section 4-3-21 on practice instrument approaches. Note that the AIM cautions pilots practicing instrument approaches to be "particularly alert for other aircraft operating in the local traffic pattern or in proximity to the airport."

A good way to learn what instrument procedures may be in use at your airport is to check AOPA's Airport Directory Online. Ask your instructor to interpret the information for you and explain what these operations will mean to your flying. Doing so will demystify all that activity around you-and you will see that the publications used in instrument flying contain information useful to all pilots.

Especially in conditions of marginal visibility, aircraft operating under instrument flight rules (IFR) and visual flight rules (VFR) need to be aware of each other, particularly in the least-controlled airspace ( click here to review airspace classes in Section 4 of AOPA's Handbook for Pilots. As Earl C. Downs notes in his feature article "IFR Without the Clouds" in the February 2003 AOPA Flight Training, "Class G airspace only requires VFR flyers to have one mile's visibility and to remain clear of clouds (daytime) to take off and land. IFR pilots on an instrument approach may be sharing the airspace with VFR pilots in what is pretty crummy weather. Class E airspace requires three miles' visibility and a ceiling of at least 1,000 feet for VFR pilots to operate. This adds safety at these nontowered Class E airports when IFR and VFR traffic mix."

Airspace was created to be shared. Know what others are doing, and share it with confidence!

My ePilot - Training Products
WINDSHIELD CLEANING KIT AVAILABLE FROM SPORTY'S
The federal aviation regulations permit aircraft owners to do some maintenance work on their airplanes, and keeping a windshield clean and scratch-free is one of those tasks. Sporty's Windshield Care Kit is endorsed by LP Aero Plastics, a leading manufacturer of training aircraft windshields and windows. The kit includes a 7.5 ounce container of antistatic/antifog cleaner and polish for normal cleaning and maintenance; a 7.5-ounce container of antistatic plastic scratch remover to clean off insects, haze, or minor blemishes, and 50 12-by-12-inch low-lint wipes. The kit is $21.95, and an optional bag to hold it is $12.95 (plus $8.50 to personalize with a pilot's initials). For more information or to order, call 800/SPORTY'S or visit the Web site.

My ePilot - Student Interest, Final Exam
Question: I'm just beginning to start training for my private pilot certificate. I have asthma and know that the FAA doesn't allow you to take certain medicines. Before I go and get my medical exam, where can I find a list of all the medicines that I might be able to take for my condition that are approved by the FAA?

Answer: AOPA has long provided a list of FAA-accepted medications. Using this list, you can look up a particular drug by name and see if it is acceptable to the FAA. This list of medications has now been enhanced. You can still look up a particular drug by name. But now, you may also search the list by a particular type of medication or the medical condition for which you are being treated. In your case, just look up "asthma" in the "what medical condition does this drug treat" listing and click on "search." The result should be a listing of medications currently acceptable to the FAA for the treatment of asthma. In addition, the medical certification section of AOPA Online provides a wide variety of subject reports on various medical conditions.