Sept. 30, 2011, issue of 'AOPA ePilot' newsletter

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Think you know spins?
Cessna offers Citation M2 jet
Ask ATC: Precipitation intensity
Quiz Me: Renters insurance

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Featured

Think you know spins?

Forget the airspeed indicator, airshow performer Mike Goulian urged attendees at AOPA Aviation Summit Sept. 23; stalls are all about angle of attack. The veteran performer and flight training professional joined 2011 flight instructor of the year Judy Phelps and AOPA Pilot Senior Editor Dave Hirschman to take aim at conventional wisdom in the seminar “Spin Myths.” Pilots should practice stalls and spins, they said, so they understand what conditions lead to spins—and know how to avoid them, especially in the most critical stages of flight. Goulian said he covers up the airspeed indicator in part of training to rid students of the belief that a particular number will keep them from stalls: In airshow routines, he stalls his airplane at about 140 knots to enter a snap roll, he said, nearly three times the aircraft’s power-off stall speed. Read more and watch AOPA Live ® >>

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GA News

Grassroots petition launched to kill user-fee threat

Thanks to AOPA member Kevin Mossey of Marion, Iowa, pilots can send a direct message to the White House: No user fees. Mossey, a systems engineer and private pilot, created a “take aviation user fees off the table” petition on Sept. 23 through the White House “We the People” website. “I wanted to do something,” Mossey said, adding that he also might send a handwritten letter to the White House. “My thought was more that the White House and members of Congress hear a lot from lobbyists. … It’s all coming from the same source over and over.” Read more >>

$100 per flight? ‘Just the tip of the iceberg’

How would the proposed $100-per-flight user fee affect a venerable American company that depends on business aviation to conduct business? In an interview with AOPA Editor in Chief Tom Haines, Manitoba Corp. CEO and Chief Pilot Richard Shine summed up the risks and warned that “it’s just the tip of the iceberg.” Watch AOPA Live >>

Cessna offers Citation M2 jet

Cessna Aircraft Co. has announced the $4.195 million Citation M2, a light business jet that fills the gap between the Mustang entry-level jet and the Citation CJ family. It can carry two crewmembers and up to six passengers at a maximum cruise speed of 400 knots true airspeed. It has a Garmin G3000 glass cockpit; synthetic vision is an option. The jet, a Cessna 525, is based on the Citation CJ1+, and will require Mustang pilots to get a new type rating. It is targeted to compete with the Embraer Phenom 100. Read more and watch AOPA Live >>

Travolta becomes bizjet brand ambassador

Actor and pilot John Travolta is starring in a new role as a brand ambassador for Bombardier Aerospace’s Learjet, Challenger, and Global jets. Not in a movie. It’s the latest real-life aviation part for Travolta, who is a well-known jet pilot and owner, and an advocate for general aviation, especially business aircraft. Read more >>

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NAA announces 2011 award recipients

The National Aeronautic Association (NAA) has announced the 2011 recipients of several prestigious awards. Four Wesley L. McDonald Elder Statesman of Aviation Awards will be conferred, among other awards. The award was established in 1954 to honor outstanding Americans who have made contributions of significant value to aeronautics, reflecting credit upon their country and themselves. Read more >>

Hightower looks to take EAA to next level

Sport Aviation and EAA AirVenture, commonly known as Oshkosh, will be getting makeovers to help move the Experimental Aircraft Association to the next level. Former Flying Editor in Chief Mac McClellan, the new EAA director of publications, and Adam Smith, who previously oversaw the association's publications and is now vice president of AirVenture features and attractions, will be leading the transformations. Smith said that the association is examining the content of its daily airshow and hopes to pull off a space shuttle arrival in 2012. Read more >>

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Hover Power: Translating tendency

If you have ever closely watched a hovering helicopter, you might have noticed that most times the skids are not level with the ground: One is lower than the other. Although wind and loading can cause this, the tail rotor thrust determines the baseline for either right skid low or left skid low. Tail rotor thrust tends to make the helicopter drift in the same direction and is called translating tendency. Read more >>

Reporting Points: The week in brief

Cessna denies single-engine turboprop … Moody’s downgrades Hawker Beechcraft … Icon shops for factory site.

AOPA Aviation Summit HIGHLIGHTS

Summit draws 7,000 to Hartford; 17,000 watch online

Rainy weather couldn’t keep 7,000 AOPA members and aviation enthusiasts from flocking to AOPA Aviation Summit Sept. 22 through 24 in Hartford, Conn., to participate in educational seminars, test and buy pilot products, and check out Airportfest. “The crowd was enthusiastic and ready to explore all things general aviation,” said AOPA President Craig Fuller. “We had a tremendous array of aircraft and exhibitors, great speakers for our keynotes and seminars, and lots of fun and camaraderie at social events. And AOPA Live drew in an audience from around the world. In short, it was a wonderful three days for any fan of GA.” Read more >>

GOP chair of House GA Caucus receives Hartranft award

AOPA on Sept. 24 presented Rep. Sam Graves (R-Mo.) with the Joseph B. “Doc” Hartranft Jr. Award—one of the association’s two highest honors—for his tireless work on behalf of general aviation in the U.S. Congress. Graves received the award at the conclusion of the U.S. Congress General Aviation Summit at AOPA Aviation Summit. Read more >>

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Rally rocks Airportfest

Persistent rain showers did not dampen the spirits of AOPA Aviation Summit guests attending Rock ‘n Rally at Connecticut’s Hartford-Brainard Airport on Sept. 23. The event was part of Summit’s Airportfest. Guests sampled a variety of cuisine from several Hartford restaurants, which served their specialties to pilots from around the country. The music of Connecticut band Out of Touch occasionally was accented by the sounds of aircraft departing the airport. View the slideshow >>

Flying couple honeymoons at Summit

A Pennsylvania couple, Gene and Laura Poppel, visited AOPA Aviation Summit—on their honeymoon. The Poppels were married less than a week earlier on Sept. 18 at Pottstown Municipal Airport where Gene is a flight instructor. Laura is a private pilot and a member of The Ninety-Nines. The couple, who own a share of a Cessna Cardinal, met at a Pottstown Aircraft Owners and Pilots dinner dance. Why AOPA Aviation Summit for their honeymoon? “We’re two pilots,” Laura said. “What else could we do?” After the show they planned to visit Montreal, Quebec, before returning to Pennsylvania, they said. Among other events at Summit, the couple enjoyed dinner and dancing at the Rock ’n Rally at Airportfest.

Award honors creator of international women’s aviation event

In late 2009, Mireille Goyer of Delta, B.C., searched for events marking the centennial of certificated women pilots in which she could participate in the coming year. She found none. Determined not to let this important milestone for women pilots go unnoticed, she launched a worldwide Centennial of Licensed Women Pilots campaign and encouraged pilots to introduce a girl or a woman to flying. AOPA honored Goyer with the 2011 Let’s Go Flying Award Sept. 24 for her worldwide efforts to draw women into aviation. Read more >>

Scholarship winners get dream of flight

Lisa Turecek’s dream of flight began on a sightseeing flight she arranged for herself and her husband on their fifth anniversary. She quickly realized that earning her certificate could be a great way for them to “get away.” She was in it for the fun. Sadly, cancer claimed her husband’s life before she could complete her training. Now her learning to fly has a more serious purpose. Turecek wants to fulfill one of her husband’s final wishes and scatter his ashes over the ocean from an airplane that she is piloting. Turecek was one of four students who received $5,000 scholarships during AOPA Aviation Summit. Read more >>

Lightspeed awards presented at AOPA Aviation Summit

The Lightspeed Aviation Foundation presented checks for $10,000 to each of five organizations that topped voting in the foundation’s 2011 Pilots’ Choice Awards at a ceremony during AOPA Aviation Summit in Hartford, Conn., Sept. 22. The winners included the Civil Air Patrol, Mission Aviation Fellowship, The Ninety-Nines Amelia Earhart Memorial Scholarship Fund, Recreational Aviation Foundation, and Wings of Hope. Read more >>

Chinese officials take a look at US GA technology

A delegation of high-level officials from the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) experienced American general aviation firsthand on a trip to AOPA Aviation Summit Sept. 24. The delegation, which was visiting the United States for the 2011 U.S.-China Aviation Summit in Washington, D.C., took a trip to Hartford, Conn., in Citation jets provided by AOPA and Cessna Aircraft. The officials toured the Connecticut Convention Center exhibit hall, where cutting-edge aircraft designs like the Sikorsky X2 high-speed technology demonstrator and Terrafugia Transition roadable aircraft were on display. Read more >> 

‘A woman in a man’s world’

Navy Capt. Linda Wackerman told pilots at AOPA Aviation Summit, “It’s all right to be a woman in a man’s world,” noting that women can bring sensitivity to the cockpit. Do a 200-percent job, and you’ll gain respect from your peers, she advised. Women in Aviation International President Peggy Chabrian moderated a panel, “Inspirational Women in Aviation,” that ranged from a Women Airforce Service Pilot (WASP) who paved the way for female military pilots during World War II to a young entrepreneur who grew up thinking that “The sky’s the limit” was aiming low. Read more >>

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New vision for Cessna

A new vision is driving big changes at an upbeat Cessna Aircraft. From production of the Skycatcher trainer to expending Cessna’s sales force to meet demand for jets, Cessna Regional Vice President of Sales Henry Yandle shared what’s new with Ian Twombly, deputy editor of Flight Training magazine, during AOPA Aviation Summit. Watch AOPA Live >>

Avidyne stack made simple

If you are a pilot who finds “toys for the cockpit” irresistible, you will find yourself drawn to reporter Paul Moses’ AOPA Aviation Summit interview with Avidyne Director of Marketing Tom Harper. See the latest in digital autopilot multi-touch capabilities, “pinch-zoom” technology, and other ways it is becoming easier for pilots to interact with the avionics stack. Watch AOPA Live >>

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Helicopters at the frontiers of speed and performance

From firefighting and emergency medical transport to surveys and air tours, helicopters serve the public in many ways that often go unnoticed. In a conversation with AOPA President Craig Fuller, Helicopter Association International President Matt Zuccaro gave an overview of how helicopter pilots work daily “for the betterment of the public.” Zuccaro shared the excitement of emerging rotary-wing aircraft technologies that are pushing back frontiers of speed and performance, as exemplified by the Sikorsky X2, which drew crowds for close-up inspection at AOPA Aviation Summit. Watch AOPA Live >>

Mountain peaks, space flight risks and rewards

When pilots imagine the effects of zero gravity in space, a case of “accelerated aging” is not what comes to mind. Retired astronaut and physician Scott Parazynski has flown five space shuttle missions, and he described the risks and rewards of space flight for AOPA’s medical counsel, Dr. Jonathan Sackier. Parazynski also knows something about hostile environments on earth, having climbed to the summit of Mount Everest. Watch AOPA Live >>

For daily news updates, see AOPA Online.

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Safety & Proficiency

Ask ATC: What can ATC tell you about precip intensity?

Many pilots assume ATC has advanced weather-reporting capabilities. However, ATC radar only displays certain types of precipitation. As cockpits in general aviation aircraft become more advanced, there may be a tendency for pilots to rely less and less upon ATC as a means of weather avoidance. But when the weather starts to deteriorate, ATC shouldn't be your last choice for information. In the latest segment of Ask ATC from the Air Safety Institute, controllers explain what they see and how they can help when you start seeing less green and more yellow on your cockpit weather display. Watch AOPA Live >>

Get the most from flight service

In this age of smartphones and datalink weather, flight service sometimes gets overlooked, but it’s still one of the more useful and versatile tools available to you as a pilot. Whether you’re new to the system or just a bit rusty, the Air Safety Institute’s online course, A Pilot’s Guide to Flight Service, will quickly get you up to speed on the basics, the not-so basics, and a few tricks for getting the best service. Take the course >>

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Don’t let fatigue drag you down

When we think about fatigue in the cockpit, most of us probably focus on the risk of dozing off at the controls—but that’s not the only issue. Fatigue can be insidious, and it can radically degrade your piloting performance in multiple ways long before you actually start to nod off. Learn more about it, and how you can avoid it, in the Air Safety Institute’s Fighting Fatigue Safety Brief.

Takeoffs, landings done your way

Do you ever struggle to make good takeoffs and landings? If not, would you like to share the secret of your success? Now’s your chance. The Air Safety Institute is bringing back its popular takeoffs and landings Webinar this fall, and we want to hear from you. What gives you the most trouble? What doesn’t make sense? What tips would you give your fellow pilots? Whether you’re eager to learn from others or share your expertise, email the institute.

Answers for Pilots: Are you special?

Healthy pilots, whose visits to their aviation medical examiners are routinely non-events, may never have heard of a special issuance authorization. But for more than 25,000 pilots, obtaining a special issuance medical certificate is the difference between flying and being grounded. Read more >>

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ADVOCACY

Was LightSquared waiver a political prize?

Opposition to the GPS-jamming mobile-satellite network planned by communications venture LightSquared moved forward on two fronts last week, with congressional critics pointing to possible political pressure on regulators during the Federal Communications Commission's process that resulted in conditional approval of the firm's application. Rep. Tom Petri (R-Wis.) and Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) raised questions about political interference and defended GPS users against a LightSquared media blitz in a Sept. 22 letter to FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski. Read more >>

BARR to get day in court

A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit announced that it will hear arguments on Dec. 2 in a case brought by the National Business Aviation Association and AOPA that seeks to overturn the restrictions that the government imposed on the Block Aircraft Registration Request program. Read more >>

Revised Piper twin AD removes baggage door light inspection

The FAA has released a revised airworthiness directive removing the requirement that the nose baggage door compartment interior light of some Piper twins be inspected. In June, AOPA supported the FAA’s proposal to cut the requirement from the AD.

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GA’s frontline volunteers honored at Summit

When an issue of concern to general aviation arises, it’s not unusual for a pilot community to find out that the local AOPA Airport Network (ASN) volunteer is already on the case. Keeping that critical network informed and inspired was on the agenda at AOPA Aviation Summit on Sept. 23, when volunteers had a chance to mingle with colleagues and meet with AOPA President Craig Fuller, ASN Director Joey Colleran, and other key advocacy staff members. Greg Pecoraro, AOPA vice president of airports and state advocacy, briefed the group on AOPA’s new commitment to state-level advocacy through its just-announced regional manager program. Read more >>

Las Vegas airspace redesign: Think outside the box

AOPA has submitted formal comments to the FAA on its proposed revisions of Class B airspace centered on McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas, Nev. Members are encouraged to comment on the proposal by Oct. 10. The association expressed appreciation for the FAA’s education and outreach efforts during the airspace review process but remains concerned with the impacts such an expansion will have. AOPA continues to urge the FAA to consider outside-of-the-box solutions. Read more >>

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Member Benefits

Signature waives handling fees for AOPA members

AOPA members flying in October could get a break on some handling fees. Signature Flight Support announced Sept. 20 that it is waiving handling fees for AOPA members flying piston aircraft. “Signature is dedicated to serving all aircraft and aviators, regardless of the size of the aircraft or the type of aviation fuel they use,” Signature Flight Support Chief Commercial Officer David Best said in the announcement. Read more >>

Orbitz fall sale: Save up to 40 percent on hotels

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When it's time for your written, check out CATS

Most pilots have heard about CATS, the computerized testing service for FAA knowledge tests, but you might not know that as an AOPA member you automatically receive a 10-percent discount off the price of taking the test at a CATS facility. The benefits of using a CATS facility for your knowledge test are many, including same-day registration and instant test results. You’ll also take that important knowledge test in a professional and distraction-free environment. Read more >>

Airports app: Pocket-sized directory

The AOPA Airports app for Apple iPhone and iPod touch gives pilots quick access to airport information on the go. Powered by ForeFlight, the app is free to AOPA members. Download it from the App Store >>

The FAA medical certification process can be a minefield for the unprepared—Don’t go it alone The AOPA Medical Services Program can provide you with personalized, in-depth assistance from experts who understand pilots, paperwork, and the FAA. Plus, receive access to important tools that can help keep you flying. Enroll today!

AOPA 2012 ‘Tougher than a Tornado’ Sweepstakes

Tornado Husky and the Big Apple

AOPA Senior Editor Dave Hirschman has long had a special reason to fly the Hudson River VFR corridor in New York, but for a variety of reasons—usually weather—it had never happened. Then, last week offered what seemed the perfect chance. He loaded his special cargo, a small engraved box, into the AOPA 2012 Tougher than a Tornado Sweepstakes Husky with other gear and studied the New York Terminal Area Chart. Hirschman wanted to honor his late step-father, a New York City native, former aerospace engineer, and the person who made so many of his family’s dreams of flight come true, by spreading his ashes near the Statue of Liberty. Read more >>

AOPA Career Opportunities

Ever dream of turning your passion for aviation into a career? We’re looking for a donor relations specialist, medical certification assistant, AOPA regional manager, associate editor–Web, associate editor–Web/ ePilot, production assistant–Web, application support engineer, .Net developer, aviation technical specialist, and manager of airspace and modernization. To learn more about other AOPA career opportunities, visit AOPA Online.

Community

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