JANUARY 30, 2015 - VOL 17, ISSUE 5

Technique and Safety

Article

Cirrus chute deployment taped

Late January wasn't a good month for aircraft flying to or around Hawaii. A Cirrus SR22 making a 2,102-nautical-mile ferry flight from Tracy, California, to Kahului, Maui, developed fuel system problems and deployed the airframe parachute 219 nm short of his goal. A Coast Guard C-130 in radio contact with the pilot captured the descent and splashdown with an infrared camera. A short time later that same C-130 was sent to aid in the ocean ditching of a Cessna 172 that ran out of fuel returning to Honolulu from Lihue 93 nm away. Read more and watch the video...  

Video

No room for a mistake

When air traffic control instructs you to exit the runway at a specific taxiway, they expect you to comply. Learn from the Air Safety Institute's Runway Safety: Allentown, Pennsylvania animation why it's important to communicate properly with ATC and stay vigilant while moving on any airport surface area. Watch the video...  

AOPA Premier Partner sponsored content

Tips for better takeoffs, landings

Master CFI, designated pilot examiner, and accomplished glider pilot and instructor Wally Moran explains his techniques for normal, crosswind, and short- and soft-field takeoffs and landings in this Takeoffs and Landings Refresher manual. Pilots of any experience level will find the refresher information helpful. The manual can be downloaded as a PDF on any PC, laptop, or iPad. Get the free manual from AOPA Premier Partner PilotWorkshops...  

Flash-based; login required

'Pilot report' appreciated

Are you ready to provide the pilot report (pirep) that flight service always asks for during a weather briefing? If you haven't provided one before or need to brush up on how to estimate and report actual conditions aloft, take the Air Safety Institute's SkySpotter: Pireps Made Easy online safety course. Don't hold back, take the course...

Blog

P-56 is prohibited for UAS too

How does the recent incident of a small unmanned aircraft crashing onto the White House grounds impact general aviation? AOPA Air Safety Institute Senior Safety Advisor Bruce Landsberg writes, "Finally, it may just be the wake-up call needed to get the UAS industry and the FAA to move more realistically on the challenges that the devices pose." Read more...  

Advocacy

Advocacy

New sleep apnea policy set

A new FAA policy on obstructive sleep apnea that addresses many of AOPA's concerns is scheduled to take effect March 2. The new policy closely follows draft guidelines released in April 2014 and will not disqualify pilots from receiving a medical certificate based solely on body mass index (BMI). Read more...  

Article

FAA urged to lower barriers to ADS-B

The general aviation community has banded together to urge the FAA to address critical barriers to ADS-B equipage, including high cost and lack of certified solutions for some types of aircraft. Read more...  

Advocacy

Brief filed in Santa Monica appeal

AOPA and the National Business Aviation Association have jointly filed an amicus, or friend of the court, brief in the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals as part of the ongoing legal battle over the future of Santa Monica Municipal Airport. Read more...  

Advocacy

Goodbye NDB, outdated test questions

The FAA announced that it will delete outdated questions, like those about NDBs, from the private pilot airplane knowledge test, effective Feb. 9. In addition, the agency released new draft airman certification standards, developed by industry and designed to become the foundation of the FAA's transition to a more integrated and systematic approach to pilot certification. Read more...  

Advocacy

CFI checkride problems clarified

AOPA worked with the flight training industry and the FAA to quickly resolve a problem that suddenly put many rating applications on hold. Read more...  

Advocacy

EPA denies avgas petition

The Environmental Protection Agency has denied the most recent petition from environmental groups that asked the agency to reconsider a 2012 decision not to immediately pursue an endangerment finding for leaded avgas. Read more...  

Advocacy

Graves and Veasey to lead House GA Caucus

The House General Aviation Caucus will have a mix of experienced and new leadership during the 114th Congress as Rep. Sam Graves (R-Mo.) and Rep. Marc Veasey (D-Texas) take on the role of bipartisan co-chairs. Read more...  

Article

NORAD talks TFRs

Super Bowl XLIX is set to kick off Feb. 1, and the crowd in Glendale, Arizona, will be under the protection of North American Aerospace Defense Commander Adm. Bill Gortney. With the game around the corner, Gortney sat down with AOPA Editor in Chief Tom Haines to talk safety—particularly the safety of GA operators who might be planning operations in the vicinity. Read more...  

Health

Members only

What's one of the top reasons for FAA enforcement actions?

Question 18(v) of the FAA's medical history and physical examination form, 8500-8, has caused airmen more aggravation than most other questions on the FAA medical history. An improper response results in the No. 1 enforcement action in the FAA legal realm. Read more...  

Technology

Advocacy

Pilots: What impact do airport LED systems have on ops?

What are the visual effects of looking at LEDs through a moving propeller? How do LEDs appear on rainy nights through a windscreen without wipers or blowers? AOPA is encouraging general aviation pilots who have operated at airports with LED systems to complete a short survey. Read more...  

Opinion

Blog

Black box comes to GA

New Opinion Leaders blogger Rob Mark writes, "Imagine watching your performance as if you'd been flying alongside as your own wingman." The technology to do that is already here, and you might already be flying with it. Read more...  

Blog

Flying when the big game is on, with a twist this year

If you will be flying to Phoenix for the Super Bowl, Opinion Leaders blogger Amy Laboda writes that you might want to brush up on your VOR navigation and pilotage skills. Read more...  

Gear

Article

Zulu PFX update released

Lightspeed Aviation's flagship headset, the Zulu PFX, stands apart in the market because it can be upgraded by the user, and the company announced the first such upgrades Jan. 22. Read more...  

Travel

Article

Balloonists cross Pacific in bid for distance record

Two veteran balloonists were aloft above the Pacific Ocean in a bid to break the world's distance record for a gas balloon flight. Read more...  

Financial

Article

AOPA offers flying club aircraft financing

AOPA is offering special aircraft financing for flying clubs as a way to help new flying clubs acquire quality aircraft while aiding existing clubs that want to expand their fleets. Read more...  

Article

Sporty's offers refurbished 172s

Sporty's has struck a chord with flight schools and others looking for an affordable, like-new aircraft. The first 172LITE will be available for delivery in February. Read more...  

AOPA Foundation focus

Foundation calendar supports GA

Reserve a 2015 full-sized 16-month wall calendar when you make a donation to the AOPA Foundation. Your donation helps to fund safety programs and safeguard the future of general aviation. Make a donation to receive your 2015 calendar!  

News and Notes

Article

Tecnam touts P2006T

A light twin introduced to the flight school and rental fleets by Italian aircraft maker Tecnam has gained certification in Russia as a commercial passenger-carrying aircraft. Read more...  

Article

Students soar

A California charter school has teamed up with a glider school to give students a potentially life-changing opportunity: They're learning science, math, and stick-and-rudder skills. On Jan. 26, a Glaser-Dirks DG-505 glider drew a crowd to the mall parking lot, with many curious onlookers watching as students took turns getting an up-close look at the aircraft they will soon fly themselves. Read more...  

Article

NGPA chief notes gains, goals

If only one person had been helped, it all would have been worthwhile. But much more than that has been accomplished over the 25-year life of the National Gay Pilots Association, said its executive director. Read more...  

Article

FltPlan, Angel Flight West partner

Commercial flight planning service FltPlan and Angel Flight West are integrating so that the nonprofit organization can match passenger needs with volunteer pilots' existing flight schedules. Read more...  

Poll

Pick the best 'Pilot' cover from the 1980s

Low-and-slow takes on the high-and-fast segment of general aviation on the covers of AOPA Pilot in the 1980s. Pick your favorite cover from that decade to move it on to the final competition for the best in Pilot's history. Vote for your favorite...  

CORRECTION: An article in the Jan. 23 edition of AOPA ePilot incorrectly reported the type of aircraft involved in a crash at Sebring Regional Airport in Florida. It was an amphibious kitplane. We regret the error.

Career Opportunities

Aviation job board

Job of the week: First officer, Enterprise Holdings

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AOPA career opportunities

Join the AOPA team

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