AOPA Online Members Only -- AOPA ePilot Custom Content --Vol. 6, Issue 21

The following stories from the May 21, 2004, 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 - Piston Single-Engine Interest
COMPANY GETS FAA NOD FOR SUPERCHARGER SYSTEM
A Denver company has come up with a solution to boost power in older airplanes. Following nine years of research, Forced Aeromotive Technologies has obtained an FAA supplemental type certificate (STC) to install its supercharger system on aircraft. So far, it's available for Cessna 182s, Models E through P. The company claims the system yields a 17-knot increase in true airspeed and that it will provide takeoff manifold pressure to 7,000 feet. The product list price is $19,600. For more, see the company's Web site.

FLYING IN MOUNTAIN TURBULENCE HAS ITS PERILS
Flight in mountainous terrain requires special attention to the weather, especially when it involves turbulence. In the mountains even moderate turbulence can prove devastating. On April 9, 1994, a CFI and his instrument student learned this firsthand when the Cessna 172 they were flying crashed in California. The CFI was killed and the student seriously injured. Read about what went wrong in this report prepared by the AOPA Air Safety Foundation, exclusively for ePilot readers.

My ePilot - Other Interest
INTERNET RADIO SHOW TALKS LIGHT AVIATION
UltraFlight Radio, an Internet radio show that began in May 2002, targets light-aviation enthusiasts interested in fixed-wing ultralights, rotorcraft, hang gliders, parachutes, and more. Special guests include record-setting pilots, instructors, manufacturers, political figures, and members of aviation organizations who talk about subjects ranging from navigation to aircraft maintenance. Hosts Roy Beisswenger and Michael Purdy chat with guests and callers on Tuesdays from 10 a.m. to noon EST. For those who cannot listen live, the site archives its shows for four to six weeks. To listen to the show or for more information, visit the Web site.

My ePilot - Student Interest, Training Tips
A DISQUALIFYING DEFICIENCY
"Show me a 360-degree steep turn to the left," the flight instructor says.

You comply eagerly-it is your favorite maneuver. Rolling into the turn, you add just enough back-pressure to hold altitude while coordinating your control pressures to avoid overbanking (aileron) and keep the maneuver coordinated (rudder). As you near your original heading, you lead your rollout exactly as taught, decrease pitch to avoid climbing, and complete a perfect steep turn.

"That was unsatisfactory," the flight instructor says. "The turn was fine. But you failed to clear the area before starting the maneuver. On a flight test that would be disqualifying. In real life-dangerous."

This situation occurs frequently. Pilot trainees regularly hear the terms collision avoidance, see and avoid, and visual flight rules. But it usually takes a conscious effort-or a nagging fight instructor-to make vigilance a constant focus. That's one reason collision avoidance is one of 11 special emphasis areas on the private pilot flight test, as explained in the Practical Test Standards. Download the PTS from AOPA Online. "Throughout the applicant's training, the flight instructor is responsible for emphasizing the performance of effective visual scanning and collision avoidance procedures," the PTS states.

Show your examiner that you really mean it when you look around during maneuvers and in cruise flight. This includes keeping track of what's happening in your aircraft's blind spots before changing your flight path.

Those blind spots are...where? "In high-wing aircraft, the blind spots are above the wings. Conversely, in a low-wing aircraft, the blind spots are below the wings. Most aircraft have limited visibility directly above and below the fuselage," explains Christopher Parker in "Beyond See and Avoid," in the March 2002 AOPA Flight Training.

In the January 2002 AOPA Flight Training Instructor Report, Richard Hiner, retired vice president of training for the AOPA Air Safety Foundation, reminds pilots of another time when it is tempting to relax vigilance: when an air traffic controller is directing your movements, such as when taxiing onto the runway for takeoff. Don't give in.

So what makes a good clearing maneuver before beginning that steep turn? See David Montoya's "The Art of Airwork" in the January 2002 AOPA Flight Training for some ideas. And remember, "see and avoid" is more than a slogan-it's safe flying!

My ePilot - Student Interest, Training Products
SIGHT LEVEL PRODUCT PROVIDES WAY TO KEEP CLEAR OF CLOUDS
Have you ever spotted another aircraft on your flight path or noticed some clouds ahead and wondered if they were at the same altitude as you? Sight Level can help-just aim the 4.75-inch-long tube at the object and level the bubble to tell if it is on, above, or below your course. Sporty's has brought back the Sight Level for $19.95. You can order online or call 800/SPORTYS.

My ePilot - Student Interest, Final Exam
Question: I've been taking flying lessons for a couple of months and have recently experienced some motion sickness. I'm very discouraged by this and am wondering if there is a way to get over it.

Answer: Here's some encouraging news: Some surveys indicate that more than 25 percent of airline pilots have experienced motion sickness. The symptoms most likely occur because of conflicting stimuli in the inner ear (the semicircular canals) where the balance mechanisms reside and the resulting visual cues that send information to the brain. You're not alone-during the early stages of flight training when student pilots are introduced to shallow banked turns, these strange new sensory inputs often trigger at least the milder symptoms of motion sickness. There are several steps that you can take to minimize the effects of motion sickness, both before and during the flight. And except in rare circumstances, most people can eventually overcome the annoying symptoms. Read more about motion sickness in "Let's Change the Subject," from the June 2004 AOPA Flight Training.