AOPA Online Members Only -- AOPA ePilot Custom Content -- Vol. 8, Issue 26

The following stories from the June 30, 2006, 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.

---

My ePilot - Renter Interest
TIPS FOR FLYING FAMILY- AND PET-FRIENDLY
Even though flying is probably a relaxing hobby for you, your family members or the family pet might not view it the same way. Flying with your children, spouse, or pets can require some extra thought on your part to ease their nerves, protect them, and minimize your distractions. AOPA's Traveling with Children and Family subject report includes tips on using child-restraint systems for those young passengers, when and how to fly safely while pregnant, and how to protect your beloved pet that is along for the ride..

My ePilot - Professional Pilot Interest
AIRLINE PILOT JOB FAIR SET FOR JULY
As of the end of May, the airlines had hired more than 3,500 pilots, according to the airline pilot hiring summary released by AIR, Inc. on June 22. If you are looking for a job change or have built enough hours to apply for a first officer position, the AIR, Inc. job fair will take place Saturday, July 22, at the Sheraton Grand Hotel in Dallasand will include an airline pilot job market forecast for 2006 through 2016. Airlines already signed up to recruit at the event include AirTran, UPS, FedEx, Southwest, Comair, and more. Pilot workshops are scheduled for Friday, June 21, and Sunday, June 23, and will cover topics including interview techniques and making the military/airline pilot transition. For more information, visit the Web site.

My ePilot - Helicopter Interest
MINNESOTA COMPANY OFFERS SUMMER HELICOPTER INSTITUTE
Pilots can earn their helicopter rating or advance their rotary-wing training this summer during Northern Helicopter's Summer Helicopter Institute ( download the training information). The institute is being offered in conjunction with Vermilion Community College in Ely, Minnesota; however, those participating in the program do not need to enroll in the college. Pilots will train in a Robinson R22 and R44 at Ely Municipal or Chisholm-Hibbing airports.

My ePilot - Other Interest
GLASAIR QUICK-BUILD PROGRAM ADDS PANEL INSTALLATION
Want a ready-to-install instrument panel for your aircraft kit? Pacific Coast Avionics, in conjunction with Glasair, will provide Sportsman kit owners going through the Glasair Sportsman Two Weeks To Taxi Program with a finished panel. Aircraft owners can choose among five panel options, from VFR to deluxe IFR. Pacific Coast Avionics will have avionics and instruments already installed in the panel, along with the necessary engraved metal overlays.

My ePilot - Student Interest, Training Tips
THERMAL TURBULENCE
One of the most notable characteristics of fair-weather summer flying is the turbulence that seems to materialize out of nowhere on nice days, especially on days when wind, fronts, and stormy conditions of any kind are absent. Aside from being unpleasant and distracting, the first encounter with this roughness of the air, known simply as thermal turbulence, can instill in a pilot a sense of surprise and even betrayal. Whether or not it appears in the forecast, however, thermal turbulence is a perfectly normal, predictable result of the day's solar heating. That's why you are less likely to encounter it in the early hours than later on.

Thermal turbulence is also most likely encountered when high pressure is controlling the weather of an area and no other adverse conditions are in the forecast. "That daytime heating also causes heat to bubble up and form thermals. By midday this thermal activity can be enough to cause annoying turbulence and surface gusts as upward-moving air creates vacuums that are filled by neighboring air masses that rush in to fill them," Thomas A. Horne explained in " Wx Watch: History of a High" in the July 2004 AOPA Pilot. He added these tips that experienced pilots have learned for spotting and avoiding the worst of the bumpiness: "These vertical currents cool as they rise, and when they cool to the dew point, moisture condenses. That's how we get that 4,000-scattered layer so typical of high pressure. Want to avoid turbulence? Then fly above those scattered clouds, where there's much less thermal activity." See the February 18, 2005, Training Tips for an illustration of this effect on the air and a discussion of sources of turbulence.

Flying in "chop"-that is, continuously turbulent air-takes patience and restraint, if it can't be avoided. Don't overcontrol in response to every jolt or updraft; don't chase every vertical displacement displayed on the instrument panel, as described in the July 22, 2005, Training Tips article " Chasing the Needle." Doing so will only make the ride worse. Now that you know about thermal turbulence, keep it in mind when planning altitudes, and even times of departure, for cross-country flights. On a long trip under a blazing sun, comfort counts.

My ePilot - Training Product
INTERACTIVE SOFTWARE FOR ELECTRONIC E6B
Do you use a Sporty's electronic E6B flight computer when planning cross-country flights? Many pilots prefer the electronic version over the traditional "whiz wheel" device but may not be familiar with all of the functions. Sporty's introduces interactive software designed to help you go beyond the basics. Sporty's E6B Virtual Tips & Tricks interactive software shows each function's operation in detail and includes shortcuts and tips for everyday use. It runs on Windows and sells for $19.95. Order it online or call 800/SPORTYS.

My ePilot - Student Interest, Final Exam
Question: When am I required to use supplemental oxygen while flying?

Answer: Federal Aviation Regulation 91.211 outlines when supplemental oxygen is required and who has to use it. A required flight crewmember must use supplemental oxygen while flying at cabin pressure altitudes for longer than 30 minutes above 12,500 feet mean sea level up to and including 14,000 feet msl. A required flight crewmember must use supplemental oxygen for the entire time spent flying above 14,000 feet msl cabin pressure altitude. Above 15,000 feet msl, all occupants of the aircraft, other than required crewmembers, must at least be provided with supplemental oxygen. To learn more about high-altitude flying, see AOPA Online.