April 10, 2015 - VOL 15, ISSUE 15

Flight Training News

Article

NTSB safety alerts target GA

Transition training, mountain flying, and post-maintenance preflight inspections are among the topics of four National Transportation Safety Board Safety Alerts issued April 7. Read more...  

Article

First 'Learn & Earn' winner named

California pilot Michael Campolo is the first-quarter recipient of a Stratus 2 Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast receiver, courtesy of Sporty's Pilot Shop. Campolo, who has been actively participating in the Air Safety Institute's "Learn & Earn Safety Challenge," discovered his completion of Accident Case Study: Time Lapse landed him the prize. Learn more and enter to win...  

Virtual flights, real communications

Clouds, rain, and the threat of thunderstorms curbed operations at Leesburg Executive Airport in Virginia April 3—but inside the terminal, the frequency was alive with activity. Pilots at Internet-connected Redbird simulators in the National Capital Area Flight Simulation Network were practicing their communications skills in a virtual environment using software from Mindstar Aviation. Read more...  

Article

Commercial test prep, FAR/AIM apps released

New apps for iOS and Android help prepare pilots for the commercial pilot knowledge test and give users access to the federal aviation regulations and Aeronautical Information Manual. Read more...  

Fly like a fighter

Operation empty Sic-Sacs

After getting sick on his first five flights in a T-37 early in his training, an Air Force pilot made it his goal to create an experience in which none of his passengers would get sick, whether he was flying reporters or controllers in an F-15 or T-38 or friends in a Cessna 172. Could his method work for your passengers? Read more...  

Article

Tianxiang Flight School to add 16 diesel DA40s

Xinjiang Tianxiang Flight School in Xinjiang Province in northwest China will nearly double its fleet of 16 Continental Diesel CD-135-powered Diamond DA40 trainer aircraft, Continental Motors Group announced March 27. Read more...  

Article

ADS-B 101: Are you ready for Jan. 1, 2020?

One of the hot topics this airshow season will no doubt be the Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast Out equipage mandate set for Jan. 1, 2020. Learn about some of the products available during educational seminars at the AOPA Campus at Sun 'n Fun. Read more...  

Training Resources

Real Pilot Story

Avoid a fowled-up flight

What would you do if an unexpected feathered guest entered the cockpit? In Real Pilot Story: Bird Strike, learn how the pilot managed the commotion his uninvited passenger caused, and take away tips and an understanding of how to prepare and protect against bird encounters. Watch the video...  

Did you know that student pilots who join AOPA are three times more likely to complete their flight training? Membership includes unlimited access to aviation information by phone (800/USA-AOPA, weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern time) or from Flight Training Online or AOPA Online. If you're not already a member, join today and get the pilot's edge.

Career Pilot

Pilot supply summit to discuss staffing, demand

The Ohio State University will host a national summit April 28 for aviation industry and academic leaders to discuss the implications of professional pilot staffing in the United States, the university announced. Regional Airline Association, a conference partner, estimates that 498,000 professional pilots will be needed over the next 20 years. Organizers of the National Pilot Supply Summit expect 100 or more attendees and plan to produce a report from the day's discussion "as a catalyst for a comprehensive study of sustainable staffing models and the implications of inaction."

For more aviation career news, see the Flight Training website.

Plane Spotter

Owner-built acrobat

An open-cockpit biplane with tandem seats and an aerobatic allure has stopped in for a visit. If the compact craft you have spotted is of steel-tube construction, with wood-structured, fabric-covered wings; owner-built; and powered by an engine up to 200 horsepower, it may be an example of the Acro Sport II. Among the designs produced by the late Paul Poberezny, founder of the Experimental Aircraft Association, this 1,520-pound-gross-weight airplane is the enlarged follow-on to Poberezny's single-seat Acro Sport I. Aerobatic training is one of its main missions.

Training Products

Kings offer free crosswind landings video

King Schools' new online video course, Crosswind Landings Made Easy, features John and Martha King demonstrating techniques for crosswind landings and explaining the aerodynamics of the maneuver. The free course runs on PCs, Macs, or mobile devices, and can be downloaded and viewed on the King Companion App on the iPad and iPhone.

Cables interface handheld GPS with sims

Pilots may connect a flight simulator to Garmin 696 and 796 handheld GPS units with Elite Simulation Solutions' new GPS interface cables, the company announced March 30. The cables deliver live georeferenced position reporting of the simulator's position to the handheld so that pilots can train in the simulator using the same in-cockpit resources that they use in their actual flying; they are compatible with Elite, Microsoft Flight Simulator, Lockheed Martin Prepar3D, and X-Plane. Elite also offers cables for a number of other Garmin units.

Note: Products listed have not been evaluated by ePilot editors unless otherwise noted. AOPA assumes no responsibility for products or services listed or for claims or actions by manufacturers or vendors.

Member Benefits

Article

Corsair wins Showdown

The Vought F4U Corsair edged out the Piper J-3 Cub by 144 votes April 7 to be dubbed the 2015 champion of AOPA's Best Aircraft Showdown, brought to you by Aero-Space Reports. Read more...  

Blogs

Applying flying skills to life, and vice versa

Many of the skills that you develop while learning to fly are transferable to other endeavors. Likewise, skill sets from other hobbies may be transferred to flying. How has your background prepared you for flight training—and how will becoming a pilot make you more prepared in day-to-day life? Read more...  

Just say no to traffic patterns

Do the reasons for flying a traffic pattern in an airplane hold up for helicopters? Read more...  

Final Exam

Question

As you're preparing for a long solo cross-country flight, your CFI asks you how far away you can be from your altimeter setting source without updating your altimeter setting with a closer source. Is there such a requirement?

Answer

Yes. FAR 91.121 requires pilots operating below 18,000 feet mean sea level to use a current altimeter setting along their route of flight and within 100 nautical miles of the aircraft.

Got a question for our technical services staff? Contact AOPA.

Career Opportunities

Aviation job board

Job of the week: Vice president of marketing, ForeFlight

Are you a marketing guru with a passion for aviation? ForeFlight, a leading innovator in aviation technology, is currently seeking candidates for vice president of marketing. The successful candidate has a combination of traditional and digital marketing experience, a strong affinity for digital and mobile technology, and an innate ability to think "customer first." Apply today!

AOPA career opportunities

Join the AOPA team

Ever dream of turning your passion for aviation into a career? We're looking for part time, temporary digital product support; a director, pilot community development; vice president, information and technology; senior ambassador, You Can Fly; outreach and events coordinator; vice president for major and leadership gifts; Sitecore developer; director of studies, research, and analysis; and account manager II. To learn more about other AOPA career opportunities, visit AOPA Online.