AOPA Online Members Only -- AOPA ePilot Custom Content --Vol. 6, Issue 22

The following stories from the May 28, 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 - Jet Interest
NEW FALCON TO ENTER BIZ JET WORLD
Dassault Aviation has introduced a new jet for its lineup. The Falcon 900DX is a large cabin tri-jet that fills the niche between the Falcon 2000EX and 900EX models, company officials said. The jet is powered by three Honeywell TFE-731-60 turbofan engines rated at 5,000 pounds of thrust each, giving it a 4,000-nautical-mile range. The operating costs for the 900DX are projected to be 5 percent lower than the 900C that it replaces. Dassault plans to certify the jet in December 2005.

My ePilot - Other Interest
SEARCH AND RESCUE HELICOPTER GOES HIGH-TECH
Skaggs Aviation in Salt Lake City is having the Chelton Flight Systems' Synthetic Vision EFIS installed on its Eurocopter AS355 N Twin Star helicopter for Salt Lake and Summit counties to use during search and rescue missions. Hillsboro Aviation in Oregon will install the system that uses 3-D technology to create a simple real-time picture of the terrain around the helicopter. The Chelton EFIS reduces pilot fatigue and instrument scanning by combining several instrument readings into one display. The system features primary flight instruments, GPS, moving map, terrain display, optional weather and traffic display, and more. Hillsboro Aviation was the first helicopter company to install the Chelton EFIS, according to Max Lyons, president of the company.

My ePilot - Student Interest, Training Tips
RCOs
The cross-country solo flight has been going well. Your flight planning proves accurate concerning winds and groundspeed, and you locate the unfamiliar airport. It's a good feeling, right? But as you prepare to head out on the second leg, it would be helpful to have fresh weather information and update your VFR flight plan.

But how? If the airport sits in a remote location, the usual frequencies for contacting flight service or flight watch may not be usable, nor may there be a telephone or wireless service. There may still be a way: an RCO. The abbreviation stands for remote communications outlet. "These outlets serve flight service stations and allow you to contact a flight service specialist by relaying your signal through the outlet when distance or obstacles would make direct radio communication impossible," explains Elizabeth A. Tennyson in "Aviation Speak" in the March 2001 AOPA Flight Training. If there is an RCO along your flight path or at the destination, you will see it depicted on aeronautical charts. Download the Aeronautical Chart User's Guide illustration of symbols, frequencies, and how to identify the flight service station to which the RCO relays your call. RCO frequencies are also noted in airport listings in AOPA's Airport Directory Online and the Airport/Facility Directory.

Some FSSs may operate more than one RCO on a particular frequency (such as 122.3 MHz), so make sure to include the name of the RCO in your call-up. Click here to see the example of correct phraseology for an RCO-based call to flight service in the Aeronautical Information Manual. Note that these RCOs are stand-alone installations designed for two-way communication. They are different from the remote transmitters co-located with VORs described in the April 4, 2003, "Training Tips" that allow you to transmit on a com channel (often 122.1 MHz) and monitor the response from the FSS on the VOR frequency. (Remember to turn up the nav volume when you use this method!)

RCO chart symbols can be obscure and easy to overlook, but when you need a way to communicate, knowing that one is available can make all the difference.

My ePilot - Student Interest, Training Products
NEW BOOK EXPLAINS IT ALL
Despite its title, Richie Lengel's Everything Explained for the Professional Pilot is neither a learn-to-fly manual nor a how-to book on landing an airline job. It's best characterized as a resource, addressing in outline style the flight-related subjects of airspace, airport operations, navigation, communication, weather, flight rules, and approach procedures. A significant amount of space is devoted to explanations of professional flying issues. Lengel also includes a convenient compilation of conversions, formulas, and aeronautical rules of thumb. The book sells for $59.95 and may be ordered online.

My ePilot - Student Interest, Final Exam
Question: I was studying a sectional chart recently and came across the letters "UC" next to a tower symbol. Can you tell me what this means?

Answer: Obstacles under construction are indicated by the letters "UC" immediately adjacent to the symbol. If available, the above ground level height of the obstruction is shown in parentheses. You'll find a great deal of detailed information on chart symbols online in the National Aeronautical Charting Office's Chart User's Guide, which you can download from AOPA Online.