June 28, 2013, issue of 'AOPA ePilot' newsletter

A grief-stricken father's mission
Air Safety Institute tops 8,000 'likes'
AOPA building case against customs
Quiz Me: Jet-propelled bomber

Pardon our dust ...

AOPA Membership Services is taking advantage of new technology that will allow it to serve members more effectively. The transition will be done during the month of July. Read more >>   

Featured

A grief-stricken father's mission

A Wyoming man has a plea for all pilots: Make sure you take steps to be found if the unthinkable happens. Shyann Lenz, 9, her mother, Trista Meyer, and pilot Matthew Ahrens were lost in the Utah mountains in November, after Ahrens' Piper Archer crashed near a peak. Lenz may have survived as long as five days, a medical examiner told her grieving father. Rescue crews searched for the missing aircraft for a week. "She ended up freezing to death out there," her father, Mark Lenz, said, anguish coming clearly through the line in a telephone interview with AOPA. Read more >>   

GA News

Wing walker, airshow pilot killed during Ohio performance

Wing walker Jane Wicker and airshow pilot Charlie Schwenker were killed June 22 during their performance at the Vectren Dayton Air Show near Dayton, Ohio. Wicker, also an accomplished competition aerobatic pilot, was the owner-operator of Jane Wicker Airshows. Her love of aviation and wing walking was captured in the November 2011 AOPA Pilot feature "Walking back on." According to the Jane Wicker Airshows website, Schwenker started flying gliders in the mid-1970s and began competing in aerobatics in 1990. Read more >>   

Connecticut recognizes Whitehead as first to fly

Connecticut Gov. Dannel P. Malloy has sided with those who believe Gustave Whitehead flew more than two years before the Wright brothers, signing into law a bill that officially recognizes Whitehead's 1901 flight as the first by a powered, heavier-than-air machine. The long-running historical debate flared up in recent months when the publishers of Jane's All the World's Aircraft, citing research by John Brown, recognized Whitehead as first to fly in the publication's centennial edition. Read more >>   

Teams finish Air Race Classic despite weather

Despite weather issues that moved the course of the Air Race Challenge to begin at its planned second stop, Mountain Palm, Idaho, 42 teams managed to finish the 2013 race. Read more >>   

20-year-old wins free aviation trip to France

Jennifer Guetterman beat out 79 applicants vying for the chance to take the trip of a lifetime. She is the winner of an AOPA contest to participate in France's Tour Aérien Des Jeunes Pilotes race. Read more >>   

AOPA wins EXCEL association publishing awards

The media and outreach departments of AOPA were recognized at the thirty-third annual Association Media and Publishing EXCEL Awards Gala on June 10 in Washington, D.C. Read more >>   

Knoxville Flyers: A phoenix rising from the ashes

The Knoxville Flyers flying club is back after nearly going under after 30 years. The club was plagued by the recession, an aging aircraft fleet, and a declining membership. Read more >>   

Piper lands certification for G1000 in Seminole

Piper Aircraft has secured a type certificate to incorporate the fully integrated Garmin G1000 avionics suite in the Seminole, making the G1000 panel standard on nearly all new Piper models. The company, based in Vero Beach, Fla., announced the FAA approval June 25, touting glass cockpit advantages for the four-seat twin that has seen widespread use as an advanced trainer for more than 20 years. The Seminole was previously equipped with Garmin G500 avionics. "The G1000's design brings enhanced levels of pilot situational awareness and simplicity to the Seminole cockpit," said Piper President and CEO Simon Caldecott in a news release. AOPA got an exclusive first look at the G1000-equipped Seneca in February.

Electric aircraft poised to reach market

An ultralight design with an electric motor may be the first battery-powered aircraft to land at a field near you. GreenWing International, a company created to market and support the single-seater powered by a Chinese-made motor, plans to bring the eSpyder to EAA AirVenture 2013 in Oshkosh, Wis., and will first produce it as an experimental kit. A consultant hired to help develop the production plan said a two-seater is also in the works, pending revision of light sport aircraft regulations. Read more >>   

Aircraft maintenance: Propeller care

Here's a quiz: What travels at speeds in excess of 500 miles per hour, endures 10 to 20 tons of force trying to rip it apart and gets so little respect that the average pilot equates it to a tow bar? It's your old pal the propeller. Learn how to take proper care of your propeller. Read more >>   

Tap your inner mechanic with five aviation maintenance apps

The digital revolution in aviation makes its way into the maintenance arena with these five apps. Read more >>   

Pilots help open children's home in Bahamas

Abused or neglected children on Current Island, Eleuthera, in the Bahamas now have a safe place to go—Zion Children's Home. Two new houses, dedicated June 23, can accommodate eight boys and eight girls, along with a house parent in each. Women on Current Island envisioned the project, and pilots through Bahamas Habitat worked with other organizations to bring the project to fruition. Read more >>   

HAI moves to new headquarters

Thanks to a move into a new headquarters building, Helicopter Association International now has enough space to grow for the next 20 years. Read more >>   

Reporting Points: Strange but true general aviation news

A prom takes off, flying and drinking don't mix, and a bad location for an aerial business. Read more >>   

AOPA, Seattle Avionics to hold FlyQ EFB live demo

Join AOPA Director of FlyQ Products Andrew Ross and Seattle Avionics CEO Steve Podradchik for a live demonstration of FlyQ EFB. Podradchik, the creator of FlyQ, will demo the FlyQ app and answer your questions live at 3 p.m. Eastern on Friday, June 28. Watch the live demonstration >>   

Behind the scenes of 'Planes,' remembering a wing walker

Watch an exclusive interview with the director of the new Disney film Planes. AOPA continues to press U.S. Customs and Border Protection about pilot stops and aircraft searches. What you should drink and eat while flying, according to Dr. Jonathan Sackier. And remembering wing walker Jane Wicker, who was killed during a performance June 22. AOPA Live This Week, June 27 >>   

For daily news updates, see AOPA Online.

Safety & Proficiency

Air Safety Institute soars past 8,000 'likes'

Become an air safety activist and join the ever-expanding Air Safety Institute Facebook fan page. Over the past year, the Air Safety Institute Facebook community has more than doubled in size thanks to the support from pilots like you. By "liking" the page, you can learn more about new Air Safety Institute products as soon as they are released, submit suggestions for improvement directly to the institute, and connect and discuss safety-related topics with pilots from around the world. "Like" today >>   

IFR Fix: No tops reports

Slipping into the cloud bases on an IFR departure, you recoil at the sight of ice forming on leading edges as you trim for the climb and turn to the assigned heading. For most instrument pilots, two questions will immediately cry out for any attention that can be spared from the high workload of a departure climb into immediate IMC: "What's the outside air temperature?" and "Where are the tops?" Read more >>   

Support safety efforts by donating to AOPA Foundation

The Air Safety Institute is the world's No. 1 leader in general aviation safety. Over the past 60 years, general aviation accident rates have dropped by a remarkable 85 percent—and the fatal accident rate is down by a full 90 percent. The institute is constantly working to provide new safety products and essential updates to existing programs to keep pace with changes in technology. Visit the Air Safety Institute website for the latest interactive courses, safety quizzes, Real Pilot Stories, safety announcements, and more. Remember, membership dues alone can't cover the cost of developing these cutting-edge programs. Only donations to the AOPA Foundation make these possible. Please consider donating today.   

Wrong place, wrong time

"November nine zero tango, I show you headed right into heavy weather ... suggest you turn back right to about a two-two-zero heading." ... "Okay, yeah, we're turning right. We're in some bad weather here. I'm going to try to get out of it." It was the last transmission from N3590T. Come along on the Air Safety Institute's Accident Case Study: Time Lapse to see how the pilot might not have fully understood important and often overlooked limitations of datalink radar. View the video for lessons learned from this tragic accident >>   

More than just a flight plan

Summer has arrived, and aerial adventures await. For pilots who partake in international travel to America's neighbors, there is the potential for long waits to receive clearance from U.S. Customs and Border Protection. The electronic Advance Passenger Information System, or eAPIS, is available to expedite your way through the process when flying general aviation. It is not only a good idea—it is the law. Learn more about this system, and how to use it in your flying, by taking the Air Safety Institute's Understanding eAPIS: A Pilot's Guide to Customs Reporting online course. Log in to take the course >>   

Leading Edge: SWAP

According to the National Weather Service, a severe weather avoidance plan "is implemented when a significant number of routes are either closed or forecast to close, thus lowering the capacity of the National Airspace System (NAS)." Read more >>   

Advocacy

AOPA building case against CBP

The Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) have responded to AOPA with a call from the Freedom of Information Office, promising to explore the delay in responding to AOPA's letter to acting Customs Commissioner Thomas S. Winkowski. AOPA had demanded answers as to why law-abiding pilots flying within the United States are being stopped, detained, and sometimes their aircraft searched—all without any explanation. AOPA isn't waiting for answers and is building a case against CBP to take the issue to the next level. Read more >>   

Senate confirms Anthony Foxx as transportation secretary

The Senate has confirmed Charlotte, N.C., Mayor Anthony Foxx as the next U.S. Secretary of Transportation. Read more >>   

FAA agrees to drop dated material from knowledge tests

The FAA has agreed to remove questions that focus on obsolete terms and technologies from airman knowledge tests in response to a request from the co-chairs of an industry/government group that is drafting revisions to training and testing standards. AOPA is calling it a positive step on the road to updated certification standards. Read more >>   

AOPA Now: Winning in the states

The recession has hit this country hard. With federal dollars growing scarce and the tax base shrinking, states have been looking for new revenue sources, and it should come as no surprise that they've been looking to general aviation to help fill in the gaps. With that in mind, AOPA President Craig Fuller shares a number that would be impressive in the best of times: $0. That's how much state taxes on GA have gone up in the past five years. Read more >>   

Member Benefits

Are you really good to go if it doesn't say so?

Why do we keep hearing stories about pilots picking up their aircraft after having maintenance done and not verifying the proper maintenance log entry? Owners, pilots, and mechanics all share in the blame. Log in to read more >>   

Obtaining quotes to insure your aircraft

AOPA Insurance Services offers helpful tips in requesting quotes to insure your aircraft, with questions including who will fly the aircraft, if it is for personal use only, and if you will be refinancing soon. Read more >>   

AOPA Career Opportunities

Ever dream of turning your passion for aviation into a career? We’re looking for a new business account manager II, renewal account manager II, aircraft analyst, director of corporate partnerships, marketing specialist, human resources assistant, software test and quality assurance analyst, and AOPA Live editor/graphic artist. To learn more about other AOPA career opportunities, visit AOPA Online.   

Community

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