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Top Stories
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Article
Nosing into a shallow dive to build speed, a pair of Marchetti SF.260s approach head-on, and the instant the wingtips pass, the fight is on. The pilot who stays within the limits of this highly loaded wing and conserves more energy will emerge victorious in roughly a minute. For retired fighter pilots in the right seat working for Air Combat USA, it's just another day at the office. For general aviation pilots inclined to splurge, it might be so much fun you forget you're learning a thing or two.
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Article
A small group of guests of Fly Advanced, the FBO and flight school at Wings Field near Philadelphia, celebrated AOPA's seventy-fifth anniversary on June 11. Former presidents Phil Boyer and Craig Fuller joined current president Mark Baker, and AOPA brought in from Atlanta a special guest, 98-year-old charter member Earle Blomeyer.
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AOPA Live This Week
Join AOPA Editor in Chief Tom Haines as he hosts the show from Wings Field, the birthplace of AOPA, where current and former AOPA presidents, a charter member, and others gathered to celebrate the association's seventy-fifth anniversary. Plus, fly a TBM 900 across the Atlantic, and find out how a glider club is soaring to new heights as an airport owner.
AOPA Live This Week®, June 12...
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AOPA Fly-Ins
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Article
Plymouth Municipal Airport in Plymouth, Mass., home of the AOPA Fly-In July 12, has a long history of unusual attitudes. The skills long taught and honed at the airport by the likes of Mike Goulian and Bill Crawford might just save your bacon one day.
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Technique and Safety
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Storm Week
Racing a storm to a landing site can be an extremely perilous business. On March 25, 2010, all three crewmembers of a Eurocopter AS350 B3 medevac helicopter were killed when the aircraft tried to make it back to base ahead of a converging storm front. The wreckage was found two and a half miles short of the destination airport.
Read more in this special report from the Air Safety Institute.
Storm Week
When sizing up a thunderstorm from a distance, what are the most important visual aspects?
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Storm Week
Convective season is here, which means thunderstorms are a potential hazard on every flight. Test your real-world knowledge of thunderstorms and how to safely avoid them with the Air Safety Institute's new safety quiz.
Log in to take the quiz...
Storm Week
Every year, general aviation loses a few aircraft and their precious human cargo to nature's equivalent of a thermonuclear bomb. Looking back 20 years, there were about five GA thunderstorm accidents per year, on average. That hasn't changed much in two decades.
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Storm Week
To steer clear of nasty weather, use every resource you have to paint a complete picture of what you're up against. Watch as AOPA President Mark Baker and AOPA Foundation President Bruce Landsberg discuss what they used to keep themselves safe on a recent flight.
Watch the video...
Article
PilotWorkshops is offering a new series of personal training sessions for instrument-rated pilots who want to knock off rust or build confidence.
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Members only
According to FAR 91.183, pilots operating under IFR in controlled airspace must ensure that a continuous watch is maintained on the appropriate frequency. If radio contact is lost for a length of time, you can expect to hear from an FAA inspector.
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Advocacy
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Advocacy
The FAA should leverage existing cockpit technologies to move NextGen forward before mandating new equipment, Bob Hepp, owner of Aviation Adventures flight schools and a longtime AOPA member, testified at a hearing of the House Small Business Committee.
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Advocacy
The House of Representatives on June 10 voted to give the FAA $15.7 billion for the 2015 fiscal year. The measure includes several GA-friendly provisions and represents a small increase over the agency’s $15.6 billion 2014 budget.
Read more...
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Advocacy
More than 15,500 signatures were filed with the Santa Monica City Clerk on June 10 in support of a charter amendment that would let voters decide the future of Santa Monica Municipal Airport property.
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Take the FAA's annual GA survey
AOPA members are being reminded to take the FAA's thirty-sixth annual General Aviation Survey. It serves as the only source of information on the general aviation fleet, the number of hours flown, and the ways people use general aviation aircraft. The data will be used to determine funding for infrastructure and service needs, assess the impact of regulatory changes, measure aviation safety, and calculate fatal accident rates for general aviation and Part 135 aircraft.
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Health
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Pilot Protection Services participants only
Join two of AOPA's medical certification experts for an exclusive webinar open to AOPA Pilot Protection Services participants. AOPA Medical Certification Director Gary Crump and Dr. Warren Silberman, AOPA's Pilot Protection Services aeromedical consultant, will go over the origins of the FAA special issuance authorization, AME-assisted authorization for special issuances, and the new conditions that AMEs can issue.
Register now...
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Technology
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Article
The FAA has granted approval for the first commercial unmanned aircraft system (UAS) flights over land. The Puma AE, a hand-launched aircraft with a wingspan of nine feet, will survey Alaskan roads and infrastructure for energy corporation BP.
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Opinion
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Blog
Maintenance has a dark side that isn't usually discussed in polite company: It sometimes breaks aircraft instead of fixing them.
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Blog
The FAA prohibits the use of personal electronic devices on the flight deck to help keep airline pilots focused on flying. But could the ban create the very hazard it is supposed to prevent?
Read more...
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Gear
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Apps of the week
During the summer, pilots need to pay special attention to the season's unique weather changes that can affect flying. Just in time for the Air Safety Institute's Storm Week, here's a look at five weather apps.
Read more...
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Travel
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AOPA Lifestyles Member Discounts
What's better than staying in a great hotel? Staying in a great hotel for 55 percent less. AOPA members get free memberships to Last Minute Travel Club. With the world's lowest travel rates, Last Minute Travel Club members can access exclusive prices on hotels, vacation homes, flights, activities, and cruises.
Visit the AOPA Lifestyles website for details and to sign up.
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Financial
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Article
John Morrical wasted no time asking the burning question of the day. "We got some lift?" he asked as soon as he walked in the door of the Central Indiana Soaring Society's clubhouse at Alexandria Airport June 1. When the privately owned field's future was in question years ago, the club stepped in to buy it—and keep it operating as an airport.
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Member benefits
A program available through AOPA Insurance Services can get you the help you need if you take a trip and have a medical emergency.
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Article
Those seeking jobs and companies looking for the best candidates can use the AOPA Aviation Job Board to post a job, search open positions, and upload or view a résumé.
Read more...
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News and Notes
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Article
Attendees who took a free flight as part of AOPA's Learn To Fly Day said they enjoyed the experience in a general aviation aircraft.
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Article
Keaton Meltvedt-Snow, winner of the AOPA Foundation 2013 Richard Santori Memorial Scholarship, went from barely being able to hover a helicopter to training others how to fly them in less than a year.
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Poll
The Aerostar 600 must have been an AOPA favorite in 1970, as it graced the cover of AOPA Pilot magazine twice that year. Will one of the Aerostar covers be your favorite, or will you pick the French-built Rallye, Cessna 310, Beech Travel Air, Piper Navajo, or Windecker Eagle?
Take the poll...
Article
Some AOPA Pilot Protection Services participants and their families tell stories of their favorite pilots—their fathers.
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Article
AOPA is asking pilots to share feedback about their flight training experiences to recognize outstanding schools and instructors and help identify areas for improvement in training.
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Article
Flight schools around the nation will host summer day camps to allow young people to explore aviation and aerospace.
Read more...
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Career Opportunities
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Aviation job board
The city of Arlington, Wash., is seeking an airport manager. The successful candidate will apply a thorough knowledge of aviation principles, property management, lease management, and general aviation operations.
Read the full job description...
AOPA career opportunities
Ever dream of turning your passion for aviation into a career? We're looking for an aviation technical specialist, Air Safety Institute intern, aircraft finance 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
What are the three "P"s of the 3P model for aeronautical decision making?
Answer
Perceive, process, and perform. For more information on how to use aeronautical decision making to maintain the safety of your flights, check out this interactive course by the Air Safety Institute. Source: FAA Risk Management Handbook.
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 an aircraft with prior damage history?
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Education and Seminars
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Flight Instructor Refresher Courses
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.
July 19-20 - Jacksonville, Fla.; and Newark, N.J.
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 14 - Portage Des Sioux, Mo.; Cleveland, Tenn.; and Gaithersburg, Md.
June 19 - Lembertville, Mich.
June 20 - Lititz, Pa.
June 21 - Romeoville, Ill.; and San Jose, Calif.
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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