AOPA Online Members Only -- AOPA ePilot Custom Content -- Vol. 9, Issue 8

The following stories from the February 23, 2007, 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.

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My ePilot – Piston Single-Engine Interest
COLUMBIA PAPERS GA INDUSTRY
Columbia Aircraft has added a white paper series to its Web site on subjects ranging from certification issues to damage histories to insurance quotes. The company says it launched the public education campaign, dubbed Columbia Aircraft University, to inform those who are in the market for a single-engine piston airplane. Although it might sound like marketing hype, Columbia officials say the papers are factual and that products are "used for example purposes where necessary to illustrate a point."

My ePilot – Piston Multiengine Interest
STEP UP TO A NEW FLIGHT LEVEL
As a multiengine-rated pilot, you might be wondering what's next. You've already climbed the ladder from a 50-hour private pilot to an accomplished piston multiengine-rated pilot. Perhaps you've also gotten several endorsements—like tailwheel or glider. But there is more. Have you thought about moving up to turbine aircraft? With the very light jet movement in full swing, now might be your ideal opportunity to move up. Check out Turbine pilot: Transitioning to turbine aircraft for articles from AOPA Pilot about transitioning to turbine aircraft.

My ePilot – Professional Pilot Interest
DELTA ACADEMY INKS DEAL FOR HIGH-ALTITUDE TRAINING
Delta Connection Academy and Southern Aero Medical Institute (SAMI) have teamed to develop and operate a high-altitude training program for flight attendants and pilots. The training will take place at the SAMI campus in Melbourne, Florida, and include physiological training associated with high-altitude operations and computer-based simulation training. It also will include air traffic control simulations. The program will first be offered exclusively to Delta Connection Academy students but is planned to expand to other regional and major airlines in the future.

My ePilot – Own/May Own Interest
SAY GOODBYE, THEN BUY
It's a tough decision, but if you decide to sell your aircraft, the specialists in AOPA's Pilot Information Center have some tips to ease the process. First of all, get your aircraft and its documents in order before putting it up for sale; set a competitive price using AOPA's valuation service, Vref. On the day of the sale, make sure you complete the bill of sale with an original signature on both copies, and give both copies to the buyer (make one for yourself). Remove your aircraft registration certificate, and give the records and logbooks to the buyer. After the sale is complete, call your insurance company to cancel coverage, complete the sale information on the back of the old registration, and mail it to the FAA. Once you're left wingless, you'll probably start itching to buy a new bird. Check out AOPA's tips on buying used aircraft. You'll be in a better position to buy, knowing exactly what needs to take place during an aircraft sale.

My ePilot – Student Interest, Training Tips
UP AND AWAY
Liftoff is an ever-so-brief moment that culminates a workload-intensive takeoff run. It is a dynamic phase in which the pilot's ability to focus on multiple tasks preserves safety and eases a smooth departure.

You'll be managing several tasks from the instant your aircraft begins to fly. One is making sure that you have achieved a positive liftoff—that your airspeed is high enough to ensure that your aircraft will climb away and accelerate to the desired climb speed—V _x or V _y—after exiting ground effect (see the January 31, 2003, Training Tips article "Ground effect: Playing the float").

Simultaneously you must be alert to and adjust for the effects of any crosswind by crabbing into the wind. Use only a slight bank angle, then keep the wings level on your adjusted heading once you are safely clear of the ground. Failing to make this important correction can result in your aircraft drifting downwind during the climb. "During the initial climb, it is important that the takeoff path remain aligned with the runway to avoid drifting into obstructions, or the path of another aircraft that may be taking off from a parallel runway," advises Chapter 5 of the Airplane Flying Handbook. See the chapter's list of the common errors encountered in the performance of takeoffs.

Coordinated flight, as in all other phases, must be managed during the liftoff and initial climb, when high power and low airspeed amplify the left-turning tendencies of a single-engine trainer. Combat an uncoordinated condition through sufficiently aggressive application of right rudder.

Resolve to lower the nose as your very first reaction to a loss of power immediately after takeoff. Then, depending on the length of your departure runway, the headwind component, and your altitude above the ground, activate your already-thought-out plan of emergency action. Richard Hiner explains how to consider the options for this task in his "Instructor Report" column in the December 1999 AOPA Flight Training .

The transition from ground to air is a brief moment in a flight, but executing it smoothly helps you to climb safely to your cruise altitude, intercept your course promptly, be ready to handle departure communications, and enjoy the thrill of your flight.

My ePilot – Training Product
GARMIN 396 ADAPTOR FROM SPORTY'S
If you own a Garmin 396 GPS receiver, chances are you never leave the ground without it. Now you can ensure that your view of the unit is unobstructed in the cockpit, thanks to a new accessory from Sporty's. The Garmin Horizontal Tilt Adaptor angles the GPS at a fixed angle of 15 degrees to provide you with a convenient viewing angle. It can be mounted in either direction, for pilots who fly from the right seat. The adaptor sells for $24.95 and can be ordered online.

Note: Products listed have not been evaluated by ePilot editors unless otherwise noted. AOPA assumes no responsibility for products or services listed or for claims or actions by manufacturers or vendors.

My ePilot – Student Interest, Final Exam
Question: What is the practical purpose of learning and practicing ground reference maneuvers?

Answer: Ground reference maneuvers are designed to teach you how to control the aircraft smoothly and safely, while adjusting your flight path to offset the effect wind is having on your ground track. This is important for staying on a straight course while tracking en route to your destination, as well as for flying a nicely squared traffic pattern. With practice it will become second nature to divide your attention between the mechanics of making the turn and the subtleties of adjusting the turn rate as needed to compensate for wind drift. Read more on this topic in the article, "Ground reference maneuvers: Understanding the wind's effect on aircraft ground track."