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Top Stories
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Video
Pilots are trained to handle in-flight emergencies, but are you prepared to endure a forced landing? A little knowledge on what to do can go a long way. In Survive: Beyond the Forced Landing, the AOPA Air Safety Institute shares what actions you can take to keep yourself and your passengers safe until help arrives. You also can download the accompanying publication to carry with you.
Watch the video...
 
Article
As one family's tragedy in the Kentucky woods on Jan. 2 captured worldwide attention, air safety experts renewed a call for pilots to be prepared. Knowledge and clear thinking in a crisis save lives.
Read more...
AOPA Live This Week
AOPA President Mark Baker looks forward to a new year of AOPA Fly-Ins as the association aims to build on the success of 2014 events that drew thousands. Speaking of fun getaways, learn the ins and outs of flying to the Bahamas, and get a look at one very capable light sport aircraft.
AOPA Live This Week®, Jan. 8...
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AOPA Fly-Ins
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Article
AOPA's 2015 Fly-Ins are scheduled for California's Salinas Municipal Airport on May 16, Minnesota's Anoka County-Blaine Airport on Aug. 22, Colorado's Colorado Springs Municipal Airport on Sept. 26, and Tennessee's Tullahoma Regional Airport on Oct. 10. In addition, the AOPA Homecoming Fly-In will be held at Maryland's Frederick Municipal Airport on June 6. "We had a great time with the AOPA Fly-Ins last year and they put us in touch with thousands of members we'd never met before, so we can't wait to do it again," said AOPA President Mark Baker.
Read more and watch a video...
Blog
AOPA President Mark Baker tends to have pretty high expectations, so it's not often that he finds his expectations have been exceeded. "But last year's inaugural AOPA Fly-Ins were better than I could have hoped in just about every way," he writes.
He explains the association's plans to do it again in 2015.
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Technique and Safety
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Fly like a fighter
During a two-ship F-15 training sortie, one Air Force pilot experienced a complete radio failure in his jet while the other experienced a failure in one of his jet's hydraulic systems. Find out how they made it back to base, and how you can prepare for similar emergencies.
Read more...
Login required
Have some fun and brush up on safety with the Air Safety Institute's "Learn & Earn Safety Challenge." Each time you complete one of the institute's free online safety courses, Real Pilot Stories, and Accident Case Studies, you are entered for a chance to win a Stratus 2 Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) receiver, courtesy of Sporty's Pilot Shop.
Take more courses, get more chances...
Article
In an effort to remove obstacles to pilot participation in potentially lifesaving training, the American Bonanza Society will make its online Beechcraft Pilot Proficiency Program available to members free of charge.
Read more...
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Health
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Members only
Are you throwing money away on expensive and unproven vitamins, dietary supplements, and proprietary cures? Some people require vitamins or other supplements, and you should speak to your personal physician for advice. What about the majority of vitamins and supplements? All they do is make your urine expensive, according to AOPA Pilot Protection Services expert Dr. Jonathan Sackier.
Read more...
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Technology
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Article
Boston-based Terrafugia has asked the FAA for a weight increase to 1,800 pounds and a 9-knot increase in stall speed for its Transition flying car.
Read more...
Article
An Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) installation by Garmin has been certified for the Gulfstream G150 mid-sized business jet.
Read more...
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Gear
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Aircraft Maintenance
An in-depth exhaust system inspection should be done as part of the aircraft's annual inspection. Unless the system is particularly difficult to remove, it’s a good practice to completely remove the system from the aircraft for inspection.
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Advocacy
A proposed airworthiness directive would expand an existing AD by adding about 200 aircraft to those required to be inspected for wing lift strut corrosion.
Read more...
Article
The portable Stratus 2 Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) receiver has added several new features in recent months, and synthetic vision is the latest. Paired with ForeFlight, the $899 device has become an all-in-one situational awareness tool.
Read more...
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Travel
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Article
While we don't know yet who will be facing off in Super Bowl XLIX, it's not too early to make plans to fly in if you have tickets or if you want to watch the game from a Glendale, Arizona, establishment. The FAA released the Super Bowl flight advisory Jan. 2 to provide an advance look at what the notam will likely include.
Read more...
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Financial
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Podcast
If you're thinking of buying an aircraft in the new year, find helpful information in an AOPA podcast on the purchase process. In the podcast, AOPA Editor in Chief Tom Haines and AOPA Senior Aviation Technical Specialist Rodney Martz discuss aircraft purchasing details. Find more information on buying an aircraft on AOPA's website.
Listen to the podcast...
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News and Notes
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Article
The Antique Airplane Association has named its veteran executive director, Brent Taylor, its new president.
Read more...
Best Aircraft Showdown
It's that time of year again. AOPA is preparing for the Best Aircraft Showdown, sponsored by Aero-Space Reports, and is seeking nominations for aircraft that you think should be in the bracket challenge this year. Remember, past winners (de Havilland Beaver, P-51 Mustang, and Douglas DC-3) are not eligible. Nominations will be open through Feb. 15.
Nominate your favorite aircraft...
Article
A five-hour round-trip drive to the airfield makes scheduling lessons difficult, but the payoffs include an unobstructed view of Mount Fuji and the satisfaction of father and son accomplishing goals together. Jimmy Brown and his son Connor soloed on the same day in December at Yokota Air Base in Japan, where the two are training for their private pilot certificates through the Yokota Aero Club.
Read more...
Poll
Vote for your favorite 2010 'Pilot' cover
A Tecnam Twin, Ford Tri-Motor, Extra 330 LT, and hot air balloons earned coveted spots on the cover of AOPA Pilot in 2010. Which is your favorite? Cast your vote as AOPA members continue to narrow the covers to their favorite of all time.
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Career Opportunities
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Aviation job board
W.K. Dickson & Co. Inc., a civil engineering consulting firm, is seeking aviation project managers in its Atlanta and Charlotte, North Carolina, regional offices. Each individual will serve as project manager on air carrier, general aviation, and other airport assignments with expanding technical knowledge of airport engineering design and plan preparation techniques.
Read the full job descriptions and apply today!
AOPA career opportunities
Ever dream of turning your passion for aviation into a career? We're looking for a graphic designer, associate editor—Web/ePilot, program manager for flight training initiatives, senior advertising sales/account executive, online marketing manager, major gift officer, senior ambassador, .Net applications developer, 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
I just completed an online course that is eligible for FAA Wings credit. Have I met the requirements for a flight review?
Answer
No. FAR 61.56(e) allows for a pilot to complete a phase of the Wings program in lieu of a flight review. However, a phase of the Wings program consists of both knowledge activities and flight activities. Flight activities require flight with an instructor to accomplish certain tasks. Qualified online courses, such as Weather Wise: VFR into IMC, are knowledge activities, but without the corresponding flight activities, they are not sufficient to substitute for a flight review. (Source: FAA Wings Pilot Proficiency Program User's Guide.)
Got a question for our technical services staff? Contact AOPA.
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Education and Seminars
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Flight Instructor Refresher Courses
Jan 10-11 - San Antonio, Texas; Long Beach, California; Knoxville, Tennessee; and Bellevue, Washington
Jan 17-18 - Santa Clara, California; Ridgeland, Mississippi; and Baltimore, Maryland
Feb 7-8 - Sacramento, California; Nashua, New Hampshire; Louisville, Kentucky; Fairfax, Virginia; and New Orleans, Louisiana
Feb 21-22 - Fort Worth, Texas; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; North Las Vegas, Nevada; and Melbourne, Florida
For a complete schedule, see AOPA Online. Can't make it in person? Sign up for the Air Safety Institute's Online eFIRC.
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Air Safety Institute Safety Seminars
Jan 12 - San Diego, California; and Fort Worth, Texas
Jan 13 - Addison, Texas; and Long Beach, California
Jan 14 - Ontario, California
Jan 17 - Phoenix, Arizona
Topics vary—for details and a complete schedule, see AOPA Online.
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Rusty Pilot Seminars
Jan 10 - Farmingdale, New York
Jan 15 - Murrieta, California
Jan 17 - Keene, New Hampshire
Jan 24 - Wilmington, North Carolina
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 Editors:
Sarah Deener
Alyssa Miller
Jim Moore
Production Assistant:
Melissa Whitehouse
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Contributors:
Jill W. Tallman
Elizabeth Tennyson
Warren Morningstar
Alton K. Marsh
Dave Hirschman
Tom Horne
Ian J. Twombly
Dan Namowitz
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