AOPA Online Members Only -- AOPA ePilot Custom Content -- Vol. 8, Issue 29

The following stories from the July 21, 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
IS YOUR FBO BARE?
It’s surprising how many FBOs out there might be renting airplanes to pilots without providing insurance for renters. In other words, can you afford to have an aircraft accident? Read the recent article from AOPA Flight Training to find out more. Also, the AOPA Insurance Agency provides renter’s insurance policies. See the Web site.

My ePilot - Student Interest, Training Tips
TRAINING ON NEW TURF
The July 7, 2006 and July 14, 2006 Training Tips focused on issues that arise after the unexpected departure of your flight instructor. Sometimes it's the student who departs and must piece together a training program in new territory. A job change, a transfer to a different region, or even just shifting business fortunes at your original airport are common examples.

Now, in addition to getting back to work with a brand-new flight instructor, a new locale for training may require you to adjust to entirely new conditions for your flying. Say you went from the flatlands to the mountains, or from a small nontowered airport to a bustling hub in stringently controlled airspace. Don't be discouraged by the differences-your horizons are expanding, and you will gain valuable experience in the new flight environment as described in the January 2001 AOPA Flight Training feature "Turf for Training: The Towered Non-Towered Debate."

You may also find yourself continuing your training program in an unfamiliar make and model aircraft. Not ideal, but it does have a positive side in giving you diversity of experience. Take time to become thoroughly familiar with the new machine's characteristics, even if that means a little backtracking. That's especially advisable if, for example, you had just begun intensive solo practice in the previous make and model. And speaking of soloing a new make and model, this requires both a new pre-solo knowledge test and an endorsement of your student pilot certificate by your new instructor, according to the Federal Aviation Regulations. Keep an eye on those required 90-day solo endorsements in your logbook, too.

Don't forget one last detail of getting back to flying after a move. Your student pilot certificate may not be exercised for more than 30 days, unless you notify the FAA's Airman Certification Branch in writing of your new address. Download this convenient form to satisfy that requirement. Don't let the small details that crop up during periods of change slow you down!

My ePilot - Training Product
ANYAWOS ADDS TERMINAL AREA FORECASTS TO PREMIUM SERVICE
Back in February, anyAWOS discontinued free access to its service, which permits pilots to access any automated weather observation system outlet in the continental United States via a toll-free number. The company moved to a subscription service, promising to beef up the features of anyAWOS and remove some or all of the advertising. A recent enhancement is the addition of terminal area forecasts, or TAFs, to the premium level of service, available for $65 per year. Once an airport is selected, the forecast is obtained from the National Weather Service, then interpreted and voiced to your telephone. Premium subscribers also get unlimited calls and can contact multiple airports per call, and they don't have to listen to advertisements. Basic service, available for $30 per year, limits the subscriber to an average of five calls per month, one airport per call, and may include some local advertisements.

My ePilot - Student Interest, Final Exam
Question: I'm planning on starting my flight training for my private certificate. Is it required that my instructor keep a copy of my proof of U.S. citizenship?

Answer: The TSA alien flight training/citizenship validation rule requires a flight school, which includes independent flight instructors, to maintain a copy of a student's citizenship documentation for at least five years. As an alternative to keeping a copy of the documents used to prove citizenship, your instructor can make an endorsement in his/her own logbook and in your logbook certifying that you have presented to him/her your proof of citizenship. You will want to check your instructor's or flight school's policy to determine if any additional record-keeping requirements apply. To find a sample endorsement and what documents a student may use as evidence of U.S. citizenship, view "AOPA's Guide to TSA's Alien Flight Training/Citizenship Validation Rule."