July 24, 2015 - VOL 15, ISSUE 30

Flight Training News

Advocacy

AOPA asks FAA to restore sim time

In formal comments filed with the FAA July 15, AOPA asked the agency to expedite publication of a final rule that would once again allow pilots to count more hours in an approved aviation training device (ATD) toward an instrument rating. Read more...  

Article

FlyThisSim targets flight schools with FM 210

FlyThisSim, a company known for producing affordable touchscreen desktop simulators, is stepping up. The TouchTrainer FM 210 is a high-fidelity skills trainer with a 210-degree panoramic visual system. Read more...  

Article

Embry-Riddle honors Baker with named airplane

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University is honoring AOPA President Mark Baker. The school is putting Baker's name and the AOPA logo on one airplane each at its Daytona Beach, Florida, and Prescott, Arizona, campuses as part of a new program to name an airplane and raise scholarship funds. Read more...  

Article

Tuskegee Airman flies again

World War II veteran and Tuskegee Airman Lt. Floyd Collins, a former P-51 pilot, was cool and confident when he returned to the cockpit in Maryland for a sightseeing flight near the nation's capital. Read more...  

Login required

Say again?

Do you know what to say before you press the push-to-talk switch? Brush up on proper radio etiquette and avoid communication blunders by perusing the Air Safety Institute's "Radio Communications and ATC" Safety Spotlight. Learn more...  

Slideshow

Big OSH

Big airplanes are drawing big crowds at EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, one of the aviation world's biggest events. Check out some of the show's scaled-up attractions in this slideshow...  

Kent State, UND order Pipers

Piper Aircraft will deliver a complex, single-engine Arrow to Kent State University and three piston twin-engine Seminoles to the University of North Dakota, the manufacturer announced at EAA AirVenture. The Arrow will operate from Kent State's Andrew Paton Field in Ohio; the IFR-equipped Seminoles will join UND's training fleet of more than 120 aircraft.

Aircraft Maintenance

Tips for cleaning your interior

When it's time to clean your airplane's interior, start with a clean slate: Take out all of those flashlights, batteries, pens, paper charts, and Foggles that are stuffed everywhere and put them in a box—and then get to work. Read more...  

Training Resources

Pilot Safety Announcement

Ignorant or reckless? You decide

While humorous in presentation, this Pilot Safety Announcement (PSA) tackles a serious problem: irresponsible behavior of pilots who are influenced by bad judgment and fail to understand the perils of hazardous maneuvering, or who deliberately take significant risks. Help prevent wannabe daredevils from attempting dangerous stunts, and avert a bad flight outcome for someone at risk. Watch and share this "Real Aviation Heroes" PSA...  

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

Article

Boeing details 20-year pilot, technician demand

The commercial aviation industry will demand 558,000 pilots and 609,000 technicians to fly and maintain the worldwide jet fleet that is projected to grow to 38,000 over the next 20 years, Boeing Flight Services Vice President Sherry Carbary said July 20 at EAA AirVenture. Read more...  

Airlines turn to biofuels

Faced with projected growth of passenger numbers that could be hampered by upcoming rules limiting commercial aircraft emissions, airlines have turned to converting trash into fuel even though making biofuels on a commercial scale is difficult, according to CBS News. As airlines invest in alternative fuels, they're encountering challenges, as the report notes: The logistics of securing a steady, inexpensive supply of fuel may take years; financing a plant is costly; and lower crude oil prices make it more difficult to compete with traditional fuels.

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

Plane Spotter

Diamond doubles up

Diamond Aircraft's single-engine models have become well integrated into the training, rental, and privately owned aircraft fleet. Recently the manufacturer's entry into the multiengine class has been making news with the DA42, a four-place, carbon-fiber, T-tailed twin with trim lines that trace back to its glider heritage. If the example you spot on the ramp bears the designation DA42-VI, it is the DA42's fourth iteration. Its three-bladed propellers are driven by a pair of electronically controlled Austro 168-horsepower diesel engines that can take the aircraft to a service ceiling of 18,000 feet msl.

Training Products

Piper, Garmin collaborate on custom app

Piper Aircraft is collaborating with Garmin on the development of Piper Pilot, a Piper-specific iPad/iPhone app based on Garmin Pilot, the aircraft manufacturer announced at EAA AirVenture. Piper said the app connects with the Garmin avionics suite in Piper aircraft and will evolve to include additional Piper-specific features. Phase 1 is expected to be completed in September.

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

NASA's potentially complicating caveat

Filing a NASA report can produce a waiver of sanction if the FAA seeks enforcement action against the reporting pilot. This benefit is subject to restrictions, however. Find out how the NTSB has ruled on cases in which the pilot claimed a violation was "inadvertent and not deliberate." Read more...  

Blogs

Can a mentor really help?

Almost everyone could use a good mentor. "There is simply no reason an aspiring mechanic, pilot, air traffic controller, or anyone else with a keen interest in aviation, should fall into the same dark holes the rest of us have over the decades," writes Opinion Leaders blogger Rob Mark. "Allow us to help you steer clear." Read more...  

Final Exam

Question

After a lesson, your instructor enters the normal logbook items for the training flight as well as a description of the training given, the length of the training lesson, his signature, and his CFI certificate number. What is he missing?
A. Nothing is missing
B. Medical certificate class
C. CFI issue date
D. CFI expiration date

Answer

D. The flight instructor must enter his CFI expiration date as required under FAR 61.51(h)(2)(ii).

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

Career Opportunities

AOPA career opportunities

Join the AOPA team

Ever dream of turning your passion for aviation into a career? We're looking for a graphic design intern; director of media relations; director of regulatory affairs; Northwest Mountain regional manager; AOPA National Aviation Community Center aviation event planner; marketing project coordinator; account executive, AOPA corporate partnerships; videographer, Air Safety Institute; and aviation technical specialist. To learn more about other AOPA career opportunities, visit AOPA Online.