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Top Stories
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Article
After a temporarily blinding green laser flashed into the cockpit of a Robinson R22 on a training flight at North Carolina's Cape Fear Regional Jetport on May 6, the CFI and student helped police track down the person shining the laser. Now, the FBI is offering to reward those who provide information on laser incidents that leads to an arrest.
Find out how the pilots tracked down the suspect...
 
Quiz
Pick the former president, big-city mayor, sports professional, and actor who count a pilot certificate among their accomplishments. AOPA has paired pilot and nonpilot celebrities side by side to test your aviation-related knowledge of pop culture in this quiz, brought to you by Pilot Insurance Center. Take the quiz...
Letter to members
In a letter to members, AOPA President Mark Baker explains why AOPA made the decision to increase member dues for only the second time in the past 24 years. Beginning Sept. 1, regular membership dues will be $59 a year.
Read more...
AOPA Live This Week
A father-son team brings the first Super Cub off the assembly line back to its full yellow glory; see the best of AOPA's recent Indianapolis Fly-In; and learn how to protect your eyes from a laser strike.
AOPA Live This Week®, June 5...
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AOPA Fly-Ins
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Article
Lifting external loads that can represent nearly a quarter of a helicopter's total weight is a tricky mission that requires pilots with special skills. Those skills are put to the test bringing cranberries to market. Helicopters hoist a share of the 210 million pounds of cranberries harvested annually from delicate Massachusetts bogs, including those that surround Plymouth Municipal Airport, home of the AOPA Fly-In July 12.
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Article
Thanks to perfect weather—clear skies, temperatures in the 80s, and a light breeze—more than 2,000 attended AOPA's Indianapolis Fly-In, including 160 volunteers. Some 475 aircraft flew in to Indianapolis Regional, and more than 60 to Indianapolis Metropolitan, the designated reliever. Attendees included current pilots, aspiring pilots, and lapsed pilots looking for a second chance.
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Article
More than a dozen general aviation aircraft filled the designated camping area for AOPA's Fly-In at Indianapolis Regional Airport. Pilots pitched their tents under wings and behind tails, and swapped stories in the shade of their birds.
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Article
Indianapolis Regional Airport, in the middle of America's heartland, played host to the second AOPA Regional Fly-In May 31. See the reaction of attendees at the event, via social media.
Read more...
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Technique and Safety
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IFR Fix
Technology in the cockpit is only as good as the pilot operating it. Are you managing your avionics, or letting the technology manage you?
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Rotorcraft Rookie
Of the hundreds of things one learns during a helicopter add-on course, these are 10 of the most important themes.
Read more...
Flash-based, login required
Do your vacation plans include flying your aircraft internationally into or out of the United States? Don't forget to submit passenger and crew manifests electronically at least 60 minutes before departure, using the electronic Advance Passenger Information System (eAPIS). Rusty on the process?
Take the course...
Air Safety Institute Storm Week
Safely circumnavigate threatening weather this convective season with the Air Safety Institute's Storm Week, which returns June 8 through 14. Join AOPA Foundation President Bruce Landsberg and datalink expert Dr. David Strahle in the "Datalink: Cockpit Weather Do's and Don'ts" live webinar June 11 at 7 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time for important safety considerations when flying with cockpit weather.
See what's in store and register for the live webinar...
Blog
On power-up one morning to check weather for a flight, AOPA Foundation President Bruce Landsberg's iPad displayed nothing but the iTunes logo and a power cord. The dreaded "iTunes reset" was in order. Was he in for a long wait on the ground, or would old-fashioned paper come to the rescue?
Read more...
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Health
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Members only
The hearing medical standard for all classes of medical certification requires that the airman be able to pass one of three different hearing tests. One is the conversational voice test.
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Technology
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Article
A NASA team is preparing to launch a rocket-powered, saucer-shaped test vehicle into near-space from a Navy facility in Hawaii to evaluate a technology that could help pave the way for human exploration of Mars.
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Article
Seven aerial photo and video production companies are asking the FAA for permission to use small unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) for television and movie filming. If the requests are granted, the companies would be permitted to operate aircraft less than 55 pounds without an airworthiness certificate or approved flight manual on board, among other exemptions.
Read more...
Article
The goal of an around-the-world flight powered only by solar energy seemed a bit closer to reality after the aircraft designed to accomplish the mission completed a first flight test in Switzerland on June 2.
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Opinion
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Blog
Could brain-controlled flight make learning to fly easier in the future? Opinion Leaders blogger John Petersen discusses research by scientists at the Institute for Flight System Dynamics of the Technische Universität München, and how the convergence of a number of breakthroughs could change the way we think of flying.
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Blog
Opinion Leaders blogger Jack Olcott is disappointed by the abuse that business aviation suffers from the media. Why did a prominent newspaper illustrate a column addressing loopholes in the rules governing corporate taxes with the image of a business jet?
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Blog
Some pilots have all the fun. Opinion Leaders blogger Jolie Lucas writes about how one group of pilots earned the name "Cheap Suits Flying Club," and are making a difference at their airport.
Read more...
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Gear
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Apps of the week
Five chart apps are ready to supplement paper products. Users can access details about the Caribbean, road maps, and more from apps that go beyond the information in a sectional.
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Travel
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Article
The 2015/16 AOPA Airports print directory is now available for pre-order. Order before June 30 to reserve your copy for only $19.95.
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Financial
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Article
Camaraderie and continuing education opportunities are two reasons why pilots join flying clubs. However, pilots told AOPA they also join because it makes sense financially: They get access to familiar aircraft at a lower cost.
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Member benefits
If you rent or borrow an aircraft and are counting on the fixed-base operator or owner's insurance policy to cover you in the case of an incident, you may want to consider your obligations. You may be responsible for paying a deductible.
Read more...
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News and Notes
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Article
Austria-based Diamond Aircraft has renamed the DA52 jet-fuel-powered piston twin to DA62, the company announced June 4.
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Poll
Visit South Caicos and the West Indies island of Nevis; see what the ramp at Washington National Airport looked like in 1969; and see a diverse mix of general aviation aircraft: Aztec Nomad, de Havilland Twin Otter, Teal amphibian, Schweizer glider, de Havilland Tiger Moth, V-tail Bonanza, Piper Cherokee and Cessna 180 on floats, and Cessna 150.
Pick your favorite cover from 1969...
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Career Opportunities
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Aviation job board
LightHawk is seeking an enthusiastic flight coordinator to provide logistical and technical support for its environmental aviation program in the Rockies region. It is a full-time, home-based position with benefits. This job is about implementing and managing flight logistics and resources in support of environmental campaigns, tracking key data for analysis of program outcomes, and providing support for LightHawk's volunteer pilot recruitment and retention efforts.
Learn more or apply now.
AOPA career opportunities
Ever dream of turning your passion for aviation into a career? We're looking for an Air Safety Institute intern, aircraft analyst I, member services representative, major gift officer, AOPA Live producer/videographer I, executive assistant for government affairs, and account manager II. To learn more about other AOPA career opportunities,
visit AOPA Online.
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Question of the Week
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Question
As altitude increases, at what rate do temperature and dew point converge?
Answer
Temperature and dew point converge at approximately 4.4 degrees Fahrenheit (2.5 degrees Celsius) per 1,000 feet of altitude. This rule of thumb can be useful for estimating the bases of clouds in an area. When temperature and dew point are the same, conditions are more favorable for cloud formation. (Source: FAA Advisory Circular 00-6A, Chapter 6, page 51.)
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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Would you buy a used aircraft that has missing logbooks?
Share your thoughts...
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Education and Seminars
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Flight Instructor Refresher Courses
June 7-8 - Santa Clara, Calif.; and Ashburn, Va.
June 21-22 - Charlotte, N.C.; Minneapolis, Minn.; and Orlando, Fla.
June 28-29 - Columbus, Ohio; and Phoenix, Ariz.
July 12-13 - Memphis, Tenn.; and Pittsburgh, Pa.
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
June 21 - Loveland, Colo.
June 28 - Groton, Conn.
July 31 - Oshkosh, Wis.
Aug 1 - Oshkosh, Wis.
Aug 2 - Oshkosh, Wis.
Topics vary—for details and a complete schedule, see AOPA Online.
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Rusty Pilot Seminars
June 7 - Cortland, N.Y.; Riverside, Calif.; Watkins, Colo.; Southbridge, Mass.; Aurora, Ore.; and Fredericksburg, Va.
June 14 - Portage Des Sioux, Mo.; Cleveland, Tenn.; and Gaithersburg, Md.
June 19 - Lembertville, Mich.
June 20 - Lititz, Pa.
For a complete schedule, see AOPA Online.
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Aviation Calendar
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Check out user-submitted events from your region. To include an event or to search all events in the calendar, visit AOPA Online. AOPA does not endorse the events listed below, nor have ePilot editors edited the submissions. AOPA assumes no responsibility for events listed.
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ePilot Editor:
Benét Wilson
Production Assistant:
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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