April 24, 2015 - VOL 15, ISSUE 17

Flight Training News

One Week Ready to Solo takes off

Three students in the One Week Ready to Solo program have completely immersed themselves in learning to fly, working in Redbird simulators and flying RedHawk Cessna 172s. They've chased toilet paper rolls through the air, flown with airshow performers, tackled landings and stalls, and learned to embrace the heat and thermals at the Sun 'n Fun International Fly-In and Expo in Lakeland, Florida. Follow their progress and see how their lessons are going!

First flights

Stalls, thermals, and fun

Ribbon cuts and celebrity CFIs

Getting comfortable: Practice makes a pilot

Article

ASU integrates PilotEdge into King Air training

Arizona State University's Polytechnic School has integrated PilotEdge communications into its simulator training for two advanced flight courses, the university announced April 13. Read more...  

Cessna, Ohio State announce long-term agreement

A long-term agreement between Cessna Aircraft Co. and The Ohio State University's Flight Education program includes an initial order of five Cessna Skyhawk 172 training aircraft and support, Cessna parent company Textron Aviation announced at the Sun 'n Fun International Fly-In and Expo in Lakeland, Florida. Deliveries begin in May, and the agreement runs through 2022. The new four-seaters will give students access to more advanced avionics and systems that are compatible with the satellite-based NextGen Air Transportation System, according to Ohio State Director of Flight Education Brandon Mann.

Article

Jeppesen to supply Purdue with training materials

Jeppesen will supply Purdue University aviation program students with professional pilot training kits as part of an agreement announced April 23 at the Sun 'n Fun International Fly-In and Expo in Lakeland, Florida. Read more...  

Article

Textron teams with schools

Textron Aviation launched the "Top Hawk" program at Sun 'n Fun, teaming with four university aviation programs to offer brand-new, specially branded Skyhawks for 2015. Read more...  

UND orders three Seminoles

The University of North Dakota's aviation program will add three new twin-engine Piper Seminoles to the fleet, Piper Aircraft CEO Simon Caldecott announced at the Sun 'n Fun International Fly-In and Expo. The UND Aerospace Foundation, which provides aircraft for the school's John D. Odegard School of Aerospace Sciences, placed the order for delivery in July. The school operates 120 aircraft and logs more than 130,000 flight training hours each year.

Article

Continental, Chinese university partner on GA training

Continental Motors Group and the Civil Aviation University of China have signed a memorandum of understanding to support growing demand for general aviation in China, Continental announced April 15. Read more...  

Aerospace academy launches in Tulsa

The Tulsa Tech Aerospace Academy for area high school juniors and seniors will begin in the fall at the Tulsa Tech Riverside Campus in Oklahoma, the city announced April 15. The program was created "to support the workforce needs of the aerospace and technology job sectors," according to a news release. Offerings include private pilot ground school and aviation maintenance. The first class will have 40 students.

Air Camp applications close April 30

Air Camp, a summer program for middle school students to learn how flight works, is accepting applications for three weeklong sessions at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio, through April 30. Students attending the sessions, which are June 14 through 19, July 5 through 10, and July 12 through 17, will learn about the science, technology, engineering, and math behind flight and fly a general aviation aircraft, according to Air Camp. They also will visit aviation sites in the area, including Dayton International Airport, the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base and National Museum of the U.S. Air Force, and the Dayton History park.

Training Resources

Safety Spotlight

Spotlight on student pilots

Whether you are ready to venture solo into the practice area or are cramming for your written test, the Air Safety Institute can help. From quizzes to online courses to how-to videos, find what you need in a snap with the institute's Student Pilot Safety Spotlight. Learn more...  

Airport directory aids in flight planning

Available in print, online, and mobile formats, AOPA Airports™ provides pilots with official FAA airport information, as well as unique detailed information about airport FBOs and other businesses; aviation fuel prices; airport manager comments and information; and AOPA member comments. Information is updated daily and also includes satellite images, runway diagrams, kneeboard print-outs, and more.

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

GoJet to offer tuition assistance at ATP

GoJet Airlines will offer financial assistance as part of ATP Flight School's new Tuition Reimbursement Program, the airline announced April 17. Eligible ATP flight instructors may commit to flying for GoJet after earning the required number of hours, and in return the program mitigates their ATP loan repayment obligations or rebates a portion of ATP tuition costs. GoJet also offers a signing bonus and referral and mentor bonuses, the company said.

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

Plane Spotter

Furiously fast

With a design heritage rooted in World War II, and its working life truncated by the jet age, an aircraft as specialized as a carrier-based fighter-bomber might seem likely to recede quickly from the scene. Not so concerning the swift-flying Hawker Sea Fury, which still graces museum static displays. It also flies on as a formidable competitor in unlimited air racing—sometimes highly modified, and equipped with other engines in place of the Bristol Centaurus 2,480-horsepower radial that powered the many 400-knot Sea Fury FB.11s that served with numerous nations' navies.

Training Products

Sporty's Flight Review app available for Android

Sporty's has released its Flight Review app for Android devices. The app divides topics such as aeromedical factors, airspace, publications, regulations, airport signs and markings, and weather into six segments and 42 topics, and includes interactive quizzes to review and reinforce important concepts. It is $29.99 on sportys.com or Google Play.

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

Pilot Protection Services

Magic in the numbers

It is common for pilots with a cardiac history to be asked to provide a lipid profile and fasting blood glucose as part of their special issuance evaluations. Find out more about what the FAA will look for...  

Article

Aircraft loans now offered to AOPA members in Alaska, Hawaii

AOPA Aviation Finance Co. now offers members in Alaska and Hawaii competitive aircraft loans that were previously difficult to acquire. Read more...  

Blogs

Videos of traffic patterns? Yes, please

Flying to a new airport is great fun, but it poses its own set of challenges. You can study the sectional chart, the airport diagram, and the airport/facility directory for an hour, but when you're up in the air 10 miles out searching for that strip of asphalt, sometimes it's tough to put those pieces together and pick out your destination. A new website aims to help you. Read more...  

'It was worth it'

Branden Blackford recently shared his solo photo from September 2013 on the Flight Training Facebook page. As the student pilot approaches his checkride, he details the path that led him to this moment—from watching airshows before he could walk to saving up weeks of paychecks for flight instruction. Read more...  

Blog

Instructors to remember ... and forget

Being trapped in a dark Link trainer was difficult enough for Opinion Leaders blogger Rob Mark, who is "a bit claustrophobic," but suffering through lessons with a flight instructor who yelled at him was enough to make him decide he wasn't cut out for flying. A few years later, an encouraging CFI took Mark under his wing, leading to what has become a prosperous career in aviation. Like Mark, many pilots probably have had some CFIs they want to remember or forget. Read more...  

Instrument Tip

Login required

IFR quiz: Into a black hole

Sometimes our eyes play tricks on us when we fly. Let's see what happens on the localizer approach to Runway 33 at Griffiss International Airport in Rome, New York. Flying this approach after dark provides an opportunity to experience several optical illusions at once. Can you keep yourself from falling victim to them? Take this safety quiz from the Air Safety Institute...

Final Exam

Question

An ATC transponder test and inspection are required under 14 CFR 91.413 to operate in certain types of airspace. How frequently must this test and inspection be performed?

Answer

This test and inspection is required to be completed within the 24 calendar months preceding the flight. (Source: FAR 91.413.)

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

Career Opportunities

Aviation job board

Job of the week: CFI, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University is accepting applications for certificated flight instructors to provide training within Part 141 programs. Opportunities are available at two locations: Fly over the mountains and high desert of Prescott, Arizona (elevation 5,000 feet), or over the sandy beaches of Daytona Beach, Florida. Courses include private, instrument, commercial, and flight instructor; training will be provided in a fleet of aircraft including the Cessna 172S and Diamond DA-42 with Garmin G1000 avionics. Apply today for this exciting career opportunity!

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 senior director of government affairs (airport advocacy); director of government affairs (airspace/air traffic); aviation technical specialist; 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 executive. To learn more about other AOPA career opportunities, visit AOPA Online.