NOVEMBER 28, 2014 - VOL 16, ISSUE 48

Technique and Safety

IFR Fix

Why 'No SID'?

Your CFII usually follows up route-planning drilling with a review of appropriate regulations, and today's selection is 14 CFR 91.185, "IFR Operations: Two-way radio communications failure." Read more...  

Accident analysis

Don't wait to go around

For those who fly either airplanes or helicopters, the go-around is like Monopoly's Get-Out-of-Jail-Free card. The go-around is not a difficult maneuver, but it does get harder the longer you wait. Read more in this special report from the Air Safety Institute...  

Safety Spotlight

Spotlight on student pilots

You're eager to learn more, but how do you find the information appropriate for a particular stage of your flight training journey? Whether you're in need of a refresher on towered airport operations or proper radio etiquette, the Air Safety Institute has your back. Learn more...  

Pilot Safety Announcement

Combat 'get-there-itis' over the holidays

Before hopping into the airplane this season, be prepared to resist pressures to complete a trip no matter what. For a quick antidote, watch the Air Safety Institute's rhyme for the unwary flier—a darkly humorous reminder of ills that can befall the careless pilot. Make sure your name isn't next on the list. Watch the video...  

Advocacy

Advocacy

AOPA continues medical push

Although third class medical reform is taking too long and legislation is unlikely to pass this year, AOPA will keep advocating for change and the prospects for reform in 2015 are good, AOPA Senior Vice President of Government Affairs Jim Coon said during an AOPA Live interview. Read more...  

Join the Airport Support Network

Ensuring the health and vitality of your airport is up to you—incompatible development and economic and political pressures can restrict your flying. Every day, close to 2,500 Airport Support Network (ASN) volunteers work with AOPA headquarters to help save their airports, but we need more. To learn more and nominate yourself as a volunteer, visit the Airport Support Network online. See a list of airports that need and currently have volunteers.

Health

Members only

Tips for getting your medical back after a stroke

How do the FAA's medical certification folks look at airmen who have had a stroke? Current FAA policy denies medical certification for two years after such an event. Once that time has passed, pilots can apply for a medical but must supply the appropriate paperwork. Find out what kind of tests and reports you'll need to provide. Read more...  

Technology

Article

Flight made simple

Among the very first lessons a pilot learns is that a control yoke is not a steering wheel. Research underway in Europe could change that. Researchers hope to make aviation a transportation option for the masses in years to come by making future aircraft as simple and intuitive to operate as a car. Read more...  

Opinion

Blog

A self-evident solution

The banning of opposite-direction approaches at towered fields, delays in third class medical reform, strict hangar policies, a lack of field approvals, and slow approvals for RVSM for large aircraft are on Opinion Leaders blogger Ron Rapp's list of gripes with the FAA. His solution? "Less FAA oversight and more self-regulation." Do you agree? Read more and share your thoughts...  

Gear

Aircraft Maintenance

Heater health for your twin

All aircraft heating systems should be inspected prior to seasonal use. Learn considerations specific to the combustion-based heater systems found in most twin-engine aircraft. Read more...  

Travel

Pilot magazine article

Alaskan adventure

Flying in Alaska's towering Brooks Range, where moose and bears are more common than people, the margin for error is tiny and the consequences harsh. Find out how one pilot with little mountain flying experience tackled the five-hour journey from the Anchorage area to north of the Arctic Circle in a VFR-only Cessna 150. Read more...  

Financial

Article

Bell Sky Pilots mark a milestone

For a flying club in Reedley, California, right-sizing has been the answer for 50 years of affordable flying fun. Read more...  

Article

Support the AOPA Foundation this #GivingTuesday

The AOPA Foundation is taking part in #GivingTuesday on Dec. 2. Read more...  

News and Notes

Article

Chicago fire review released

The FAA is working to automate a contingency plan developed on the fly when Chicago Center was taken out by arson from within Sept. 26. The agency released a five-page report on the fire and its aftermath Nov. 24, following a review of security and the response to the sudden loss of a major air traffic control facility. Read more...  

Video

O'Brien shares path back to the sky

One of the first things CNN and PBS NewsHour TV personality Miles O'Brien thought about after his left arm had to be amputated was what he would do about flying. He's since gone up with an instructor and told AOPA Editor in Chief Tom Haines, "I know I can do it, and that was a really good feeling." Now he's trying to find the right airplane for him. Watch this exclusive AOPA Live video interview...  

Article

Turtle airlift

Pilots and aircraft owners have volunteered to transport hundreds of sea turtles rescued in Massachusetts to facilities equipped to care for them. Airlift organizer Leslie Weinstein is arranging turtle transportation to Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas, and return flights will also be needed. Read more...  

Article

NAA honors Bob Hoover

Tickets are available online for the Dec. 12 Wright Memorial Dinner in Washington, D.C., as the National Aeronautic Association honors R.A. "Bob" Hoover. Read more...  

Login required

Members receive 50 percent off Spot products

For a limited time, AOPA members will receive 50 percent off several Spot satellite tracker and communications products through AOPA's Lifestyles Member Discounts program. Spot Trace provides theft-alert tracking to allow protection of your aircraft. Spot Gen3 allows friends and family to track your flight and know you are okay during off-the-grid adventures. Spot Global Phone allows you to make calls virtually anywhere beyond the boundaries of cellular coverage. View this and other deals...  

Poll

Vote for your favorite 'Pilot' cover from the late '90s

The Mooney Bravo, Piper Malibu Mirage, American Champion, Aeronca C-3, and Piper Archer III were featured on the covers of AOPA Pilot magazine in 1998. Rounding out the end of the decade, Pilot featured the Cessna 206, Raytheon Beech Baron, North American Navion, and the Maule M-7-260C Orion. Vote for your favorite.

Career Opportunities

Aviation job board

Job of the week: Community manager, Cirrus Aircraft

Aviation is all about community, and Cirrus Aircraft is currently seeking a dynamic talent to lead the Cirrus brand community. The community manager will implement online community strategy, manage engagement and interactivity with the audience, and foster community spirit. This role coordinates with the internal marketing teams to support their respective missions, ensuring consistency in voice and cultivating a strong community around the brand. Learn more about this unique career opportunity.

AOPA career opportunities

Join the AOPA team

Ever dream of turning your passion for aviation into a career? We're looking for an associate editor— Web/ePilot, coordinator for pilot community development, program manager for flight training initiatives, senior advertising sales/account executive, senior financial analyst, digital marketing manager, major gift officer, senior ambassador, ambassador for Southern California, .Net applications developer, social media evangelist, legal services plan program manager, and account manager II. To learn more about other AOPA career opportunities, visit AOPA Online.