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Top Stories
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Advocacy
The FAA has reduced the amount of simulator training a student can log, but AOPA is asking the agency to take a step back, allow more loggable sim time, and recognize the cost-effectiveness and efficiency of simulator time.
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Article
Keith Baird saw the flight of four geese about half a second before he had a hole in the windshield and goose parts all over. Unsure if he had been injured, or how badly damaged his aircraft was, Baird relied on training to keep cool and focus on the fundamentals, making sure the ill-fated goose was the only casualty that day.
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AOPA Live This Week
The NTSB's 2014 "Most Wanted" list of safety improvements calls for better distribution of hazardous weather information to pilots. Also, the AOPA Sweepstakes Debonair gets put through its paces, and Honeywell has technology that may one day directly link brain and aircraft.
AOPA Live This Week®, Jan. 16...
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Technique and Safety
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Article
The National Transportation Safety Board’s 2014 “Most Wanted” list of transportation safety concerns includes communicating hazardous weather to pilots and helicopter operations as two of 10 issues it says should get increased focus in the coming year.
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IFR Fix
Even if there is no automation in your cockpit yet, your day may come. Stay ahead of the curve by including this subject matter in your proficiency regimen.
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Rotorcraft Rookie
The unique capability of helicopters opens up a new world of places to explore that airplanes can't reach. Takeoffs and landings to many of these sites are called confined-area operations.
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Flash-based video, login required
You've probably heard of the term "mission mindset" within the context of aeronautical decision making. Witness the grip it had on a helicopter pilot's flight decision—a deadly mistake that holds lessons for all pilots.
Watch the Air Safety Institute's Accident Case Study video...
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Flash-based, login required
Find out what to expect when frontal boundaries collide: Brush up before your next flight with the Air Safety Institute's Weather Wise: Air Masses and Fronts online course—and qualify for AOPA Accident Forgiveness and FAA Wings, to boot.
Take the course...
Blog
An FAA-industry group, the GA Joint Steering Committee, which AOPA Foundation President Bruce Landsberg co-chairs, has been looking at the No. 1 cause of fatal accidents for several years. Not surprisingly, it's loss of control—and stalls play a big part.
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Advocacy
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Advocacy
Key general aviation programs are protected under an omnibus spending bill passed by the House and Senate. The legislation also prohibits new aviation user fees.
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Advocacy
The Senate has introduced legislation that would require the FAA to go through the rulemaking process before imposing any new requirements related to sleep disorders. The language of the measure mirrors that of a House bill introduced in late November that has gained strong bipartisan support.
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Advocacy
The FAA asked a federal judge to dismiss a lawsuit brought by the city of Santa Monica over use of Santa Monica Municipal Airport property. While the city wants clear title to the airport property, the FAA says the city is decades too late to challenge the property agreement.
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Advocacy
A new security rule for repair stations handling large aircraft reflects the concerns AOPA raised as far back as 2009 and opens the way for the FAA to resume certifying new repair stations after a five-year delay.
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Health
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Members only
There is the tendency to associate "dozing off" with a presumption that the operator has sleep apnea. Falling asleep at the wheel is a problem, but the reason may not be related to sleep apnea.
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Pilot magazine
There is good news regarding airman medical certification for those who have been diagnosed with arthritis.
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Technology
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Blog
AOPA's Debonair Sweepstakes airplane is going from 225 horsepower to 260 hp. That's a big step up in performance, and AOPA Editor at Large Tom Horne writes, "there's a good reason why we're taking this route."
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Article
Hinged flight control surfaces came along shortly after the wing-warping technology developed by the Wright Brothers, and remain the usual method of construction for flight control surfaces. Now, wing "morphing" may be emerging as an alternative approach that would replace jointed control surfaces on aircraft with seamless, deformable surfaces.
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Opinion
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Blog
Mike Busch, a well-known A&P/IA and owner of Savvy Aviator, a company that provides professional maintenance management for owner-flown aircraft, has joined Opinion Leaders in the New Year and will focus on aircraft ownership and maintenance. In this post, find out why he writes, "Maintenance isn't an inherently good thing (like exercise); it's a necessary evil (like surgery). We have to do it from time to time, but we sure don't want to do more than absolutely necessary to keep our aircraft safe and reliable."
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Blog
Eddie Rickenbacker was too old to be a military aviator when the United States entered WWI. "He obtained his chance to fly through the intervention of aviation pioneer Colonel (soon to be General) Billy Mitchell, the officer Eddie served as an enlisted man assigned to be Mitchell's personal driver during the initial US efforts in war," writes Opinion Leaders blogger Jack Olcott. Like Rickenbacker, "Those who wish to fly do not take no for an answer," he says.
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Blog
Could the reason that only 6 to 7 percent of the pilot population is female be the makeup of men and women's brains? Opinion Leaders blogger Jolie Lucas shares insights from a seminar on the differences in male and female brains, one possible reason why aviation is male-dominated, and how to ignite the female brain for aviation.
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Gear
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Apps of the week
Smartphone and tablet users have access to apps that help with chart functions. This week AOPA highlights EFB—Charts and Weather for Aviation, Flightwise Chart Explorer, Airports 4 Pilots Pro—World Edition, Reader Plates, AvCharts, and PilotsGuide.
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Article
Sporty's will transform solo video footage into a professional package.
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Travel
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Article
As AOPA continues to plan for six regional fly-ins and the AOPA Homecoming Fly-In in 2014, members are weighing in on the series of events that will replace the Aviation Summit.
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Article
Attention future space travelers: A glance at the board lists your flight as on time, for sometime later this year.
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Financial
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Article
The Aircraft Electronics Association and NEXA Capital Partners have jointly announced a new loan program for aircraft owners seeking compliance with the federal mandate for Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast Out (ADS-B Out) by 2020.
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AOPA Foundation focus
The Flight Training Excellence Awards, the AOPA Flying Club Network, and the AOPA Foundation's Giving Back program are among the programs that are funded via donations to the Hat in the Ring Society.
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Article
Edwards Aero Club has been serving the community at and around California's Edwards Air Force Base since 1957.
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Member benefits
AOPA Aviation Finance can secure a loan for members for engine overhauls, avionics upgrades, paint, and interior work—pretty much anything you want to do, including a glass panel or even a new engine.
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News and Notes
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Article
Check out Episode 2 of LiveAirShowTV's new series "Inside Airshows" as it takes a special look inside Goulian Aerosports to learn how it all came together for pilot Michael Goulian and his team during the 2013 Wings Over Houston Airshow.
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Article
The first semester of a new course to introduce youth to aviation, created by Michigan's Crosswinds Aviation and Howell High School, has finished, and some students have already started flight training.
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Poll
Take a look back at the AOPA Pilot covers of 2013 and vote for your favorite. The results will appear in an upcoming issue of the magazine.
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Blog
He played helicopter hockey; do the crime, do the time; and amazing aviation rescues.
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Career Opportunities
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AOPA career opportunities
Ever dream of turning your passion for aviation into a career? We're looking for an account manager II, event planner, aviation technical writer contractor, coordinator of pilot community and development, director of insurance business operations, and Web graphic designer I. To learn more about other AOPA career opportunities,
visit AOPA Online.
Article
Burlington Aviation is currently seeking a lead aircraft mechanic. The successful candidate will be a full-time, experienced A&P with IA responsible for maintaining six flight school piston aircraft, as well as customer aircraft. Salary is commensurate with experience. Burlington Aviation is open to creative compensation arrangements, including lease or incentives.
Learn more or search for other exciting career opportunities.
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Question of the Week
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Question
A minimum safe altitude (MSA) is published for emergency use on instrument approach charts. Flying at or above the MSA will guarantee how many feet of obstacle clearance?
Answer
The MSA provides at least 1,000 feet of clearance over all obstructions within the radius published on the chart. The radius is typically 25 nautical miles but may be expanded to 30 nm where appropriate. (Source: Instrument Procedures Handbook chapter 5, page 18.)
Got a question for our aviation services staff? The AOPA Pilot Information Center is a service available to all members as part of the annual dues. Contact AOPA. |
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Forums
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What is the best ADS-B receiver?
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Education and Seminars
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Flight Instructor Refresher Courses
Jan 25-26 - Baltimore, Md., and Long Beach, Calif.
Feb 8-9 - Fairfax, Va.; Nashua, N.H.; New Orleans, La.; and Louisville, Ky.
Feb 15-16 - Melbourne, Fla.; Oklahoma City, Okla.; Las Vegas, Nev.; and Fort Worth, Texas
Feb 22-23 - Sacramento, Calif.
For a complete schedule, see AOPA Online. Can't make it in person? Sign up for the Air Safety Institute's new Online eFIRC.
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Air Safety Institute Safety Seminars
Jan 21 - Addison, Texas
Jan 22 -Fort Worth, Texas
Jan 27 - San Diego, Calif.; and Houston, Texas
Jan 28 - San Antonio, Texas; and Costa Mesa, Calif.
Topics vary—for details and a complete schedule, see AOPA Online.
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ePilot Editor:
Benét Wilson
Production Team
Katie Richardson
Lezlie Ramsey
Melissa Whitehouse
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Contributors:
Sarah Deener
Alyssa Miller
Jim Moore
Jill W. Tallman
Elizabeth Tennyson
Warren Morningstar
Alton K. Marsh
Dave Hirschman
Tom Horne
Ian J. Twombly
Dan Namowitz
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