FEBRUARY 6, 2015 - VOL 17, ISSUE 6

Technique and Safety

IFR Fix

One hour to burn

What would you choose to work on if offered a complimentary hour to tackle the IFR proficiency challenge of your choice? Read more...  

Login required

Don't just push the buttons

Is your GPS "direct to" knob worn out from overuse or your aircraft's pilot's operating handbook still wrapped up, tucked in the back seat? Perhaps a quick refresher is in order with the Air Safety Institute's "Aircraft Systems and Avionics" Safety Spotlight. Crack the code and navigate your aircraft systems like a pro...  

Article

Cirrus accident highlights rotor wash risk

A rare but potentially deadly convergence of a landing Cirrus and the wake of a departing helicopter in Colorado was caught on video. The accident injured the fixed-wing pilot, destroyed the SR20, and offers a lesson for all in the power of what helicopters leave in their wake. Read more...  

Accident analysis

Brownout

Snow, sand, or dust kicked up by rotor wash of a helicopter can transform unlimited visibility into instant IMC, blinding the pilot to everything nearby. A Robinson R44 II on a short sightseeing flight on Aug. 31, 2013, was enveloped in a cloud of dust before striking power lines. Read more in this special report from the Air Safety Institute.  

Advocacy

Advocacy

No user fees in White House budget

For the first time in years, President Barack Obama's new budget proposal does not include any new user fees for general aviation. Past budgets from the Obama administration have proposed a $100-per-flight fee for GA, but that idea has met with strong opposition from AOPA and others, including GA supporters in Congress. Read more...  

Advocacy

Canada seeks eAPIS-style requirement

The Canadian Border Services Agency is working to implement a border-crossing requirement similar to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection's Electronic Advance Passenger Information Service. The Canadian Owners and Pilots Association and AOPA are working together to try to make any new Canadian requirements as seamless as possible, and are asking pilots to provide feedback on how a new requirement would impact their cross-border operations. Read more...  

Advocacy

FAA explains deletion of EFAS questions from a knowledge test

Although questions about the En Route Flight Advisory Service (EFAS) are being dropped from the private pilot knowledge test, the service remains available, the FAA said. Read more...  

Health

Members only

Medical conditions that don't require special issuance, part 1

There are many medical conditions for which the FAA expects the airman to provide some documentation at the time of the physical exam, but that will not lead to a special issuance. Warren Silberman, former manager of FAA Aerospace Medical Certification, discusses what documentation you should provide if you have had a skin lesion or tumor removed, a hernia, problems with a spinal disc, or joint replacement surgery, and in what cases you may not need a special issuance. Read more...  

Technology

Article

Latitude rolls out

Cessna Aircraft staff gathered around the first production Citation Latitude to celebrate another step toward certification of an aircraft important to the firm's future. Read more...  

Article

FAA approves UAS applications

If your address is Van Nuys and you have anything to do with the movie industry, chances are you can get FAA approval to fly unmanned aircraft systems. Oil company execs are in luck, too. Read more...  

Gear

Article

Scimitar prop approved for Cessna 172RG Cutlass

Hartzell Propeller has gained FAA approval to install a new, lightweight, swept-tip propeller on the Cessna 172RG Cutlass. Read more...  

Travel

Article

Get to hard-to-reach places by air

You can't take a major airline to see the swimming pigs in Staniel Cay in the Bahamas, or the natural hot springs at a remote corner of Death Valley National Park. With your pilot certificate and some preflight planning, however, you can enjoy the hidden treasures of out-of-the-way places that are hard to reach by other means. Read more...  

Financial

Article

Fuel sales expected to climb

A majority of the nation's fixed-base operators surveyed by analysts expect to post an increase in fuel sales for 2015. The annual survey by Aviation Business Strategies Group found "cautious optimism" despite another lackluster year for the industry in 2014. Read more...  

Member benefits

Trip insurance vs. EA+

The Emergency Assistance Plus program from AOPA Insurance Services provides more than 20 different types of valuable and affordable travel benefits that help you pay for emergencies your health and travel insurance generally will not cover. Read more...  

News and Notes

Article

Field of seven vies for Collier

Seven aviation and aerospace endeavors are in the running for the 2014 Robert J. Collier Trophy, awarded annually by the National Aeronautic Association. Read more...  

Article

Balloonists claim records

Two balloonists who flew a helium-filled craft across the Pacific Ocean have staked their claim to new distance and endurance records. Read more...  

Article

A flight for Summer

A Florida pilot helped to coordinate a general aviation flight to carry a young dolphin to its permanent home at a research facility. Read more...  

Article

Remembering Doolittle Raider Saylor

Edward J. Saylor, an engineer with the Doolittle Raiders whose successful attack on Japan's mainland boosted American morale during World War II, died Jan. 28 at the age of 94. Read more...  

Article

Fresh Skyhawks for CAP

Search and rescue remains a core function of the Civil Air Patrol, although the 21 new Cessna 172s recently purchased have a different mission. Those new Skyhawks, all equipped to tow gliders, will help expand the organization's effort to inspire the next generation of aviators, and get them off to a flying start. Read more...  

Article

Warbird flyover of DC planned for May 8

Warbird organizations including the Commemorative Air Force will celebrate the seventieth anniversary of VE Day with a Washington, D.C., flyover. Read more...  

Webinar

Strengthen your club through member involvement

It's no secret that flying clubs have an unmatched camaraderie in aviation, but how does a club develop and strengthen that unity? From clubs just forming to those that have decades of growth experience, strengthening club bonds to promote an active pilot community and a thriving airport culture is essential. Join the AOPA ambassadors for an online webinar as they share the tips and tricks of their regions' thriving flying clubs. Register for the webinar...  

Poll

Vote for the best cover from the 1990s

The Beech Starship, Douglas DC-3, Cessna 172, Pitts S-2B, SuperSwift, Mooney Bravo, and Bellanca Viking square off against some unique covers that depict mountain flying and aerobatics. Vote for your favorite to advance to the finals for the best AOPA Pilot cover of all time. Vote now!  

Career Opportunities

Aviation job board

Job of the week: Multimedia producer, Redbird Flight Simulations

Redbird Flight Simulations is seeking a talented, creative, and driven individual to produce entertaining and informative videos for its products and flight training. The eligible candidate will handle all aspects of production including storyboards, writing/scripting, shooting, editing, and graphic animation. Independent judgment is required to plan, prioritize, and organize a diversified workload. Read the full job description now.

AOPA career opportunities

Join the AOPA team

Ever dream of turning your passion for aviation into a career? We're looking for a vice president for major and leadership gifts; Sitecore developer; director of studies, research, and analysis; administrative assistant, Air Safety Institute; Air Safety Institute intern; graphic designer; associate editor—Web/ePilot; senior advertising sales/account executive; online marketing manager; .Net applications developer; and account manager II. To learn more about other AOPA career opportunities, visit AOPA Online.