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Top Stories
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Advocacy
Although Congress is about to break for its August recess, AOPA members should keep contacting their elected officials and asking them to co-sponsor the Pilot's Bill of Rights 2, said AOPA Senior Vice President of Government Affairs Jim Coon.
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Advocacy
Ill-considered opposition will only make AOPA more determined to get pilots the relief they need from the cumbersome and costly third class medical process, AOPA President Mark Baker said in the wake of the Air Line Pilots Association International's renewed opposition to legislation that would have added medical reform to the Senate highway bill.
Read more...
AOPA Live This Week
AOPA continues to push hard for medical reform, working through some unexpected roadblocks. The advocacy team provides a briefing on the latest developments from Washington, D.C. Also this week, the painstaking re-creation of a vintage Junkers F-13, considered the world's first airliner, along with a crowd-pleasing demonstration of a much more modern airliner as AOPA Live® wraps up its coverage of EAA AirVenture from Oshkosh, Wisconsin.
Watch AOPA Live This Week, July 30...
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EAA AirVenture
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Slideshow
As the last of the airshow performers flew over Wittman Regional Airport, EAA Chairman Jack Pelton said EAA AirVenture 2015 was a smashing success with record attendance early in the week.
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Article
Ten young aviators learning about aviation from the Lakeland AeroClub in Florida flew two Pipers and three Cessnas to EAA AirVenture from their home base at Central Florida Aerospace Academy on the grounds of Lakeland Linder Regional Airport.
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Slideshow
The EAA AirVenture seaplane base, about five miles southeast of Wittman Regional Airport, is a little-known treasure that few Oshkosh visitors experience.
Read more and view the slideshow...
Article
Mark Scheuer was tired of yelling at his wife across the noisy cockpit of their Grumman Yankee, and he thought there had to be a better way of communicating. PS Engineering Inc., born out of that imperative, is now celebrating its third decade of forging new ground in cockpit communication technology.
Read more...
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Technique and Safety
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Article
Aerobatic competition teaches many things, including the mastery of techniques and precision rarely required in other types of flying. Developing the mental discipline required to score well is arguably both the greatest challenge and the greatest reward.
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Article
The idea for IMC Club arose about five years ago as a way to exchange real-world instrument flight rules discussions and possible outcomes to instrument scenarios. Now the group, with its popular monthly meetings that feature a video lesson, is on the verge of merging with the Experimental Aircraft Association.
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Accident Case Study
After a local flight on Feb. 29, 2012, the pilot and two passengers on board Cirrus N544SR rejoined the traffic pattern at Melbourne, Florida. Sadly, three minutes later, the airplane impacted terrain just off the approach end of the runway. Accident Case Study: Communication Breakdown holds many lessons, including the importance to clear the final approach path visually when cleared to land.
Learn more...
Flash-based, login required
Can you fly through a prohibited area if air traffic control clears you to "proceed on course" or assigns a heading that would take you through the area?
Test your knowledge on special-use airspace operations with this Air Safety Institute quiz...
Video
Flight following can be a huge benefit in helping pilots see and avoid. But when air traffic controllers are busy, pilots may hesitate to request it. Learn why you should not be afraid to key the mic in this installment of the Air Safety Institute's popular Ask ATC series.
Watch the video...
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Advocacy
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Survey
After the FAA announced that it would stop producing world aeronautical charts in September, AOPA met with FAA officials to convince them to continue to publish charts set to expire this year and to revisit the decision to discontinue the product after reviewing input from pilots. "Pilots flying to and from the Caribbean, Alaska, and Mexico would see gaps in chart coverage that the sectionals would not make up, creating an adverse impact on safety," said Rune Duke, AOPA director of government affairs, airspace and air traffic. AOPA is gathering data on the use of the charts and is seeking member feedback through a survey.
Take the short survey now…
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Health
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Pilot Protection Services
A diagnosis of multiple sclerosis raises many questions for a pilot. If you have this condition, what does the FAA want and what treatments are acceptable?
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Technology
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Article
July may well prove to be a seminal month in the development of unmanned aircraft. The first sanctioned drone delivery was celebrated in Virginia, and retail giant Amazon unveiled a proposal for making it routine.
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Article
Private pilot Trevor McKeeman says many of the world's record-breaking aviation feats were fueled by visions of winning financial prizes—and he hopes his Hidden Genius idea will inspire technology buffs to create tools to combat color vision deficiency for pilots.
Read more...
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Opinion
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Blog
EAA AirVenture gives attendees a chance to intersect and study a broad cross-section of the aviation industry. There are ultralights and sailplanes, balloons and blimps, military and commercial jets, and helicopters and fixed-wing general aviation aircraft. Opinion Leaders blogger Amy Laboda reflects on the 2015 show.
Read more and share your thoughts on AirVenture...
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Gear
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Article
Hartzell Engine Technology and Hartzell Propeller announced a number of new products at EAA AirVenture 2015, including a propeller and several alternators.
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Travel
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Article
A tale of flying adventure, severe injuries, international political maneuvering, and an emergency at sea comes to life in Floatplane Odyssey, a book that commemorates the twenty-fifth anniversary of Tom Casey's 1990 around-the-world flight in a Cessna 206 on floats.
Read more...
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Financial
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AOPA Foundation focus
Sarah Wilson, the former corporate pilot turned open-cockpit barnstormer, initiated the $5,000 Jimmie Allen Flying Club Scholarship to encourage future pilots who also are looking for something different from their flying. The deadline to apply for this scholarship and others is Aug. 9.
Read more...
Facebook chat
Get club resources at August 'Flight Training' chat
Flying clubs can be an affordable—and fun—way to get your aviation fix. Kelby Ferwerda, manager of AOPA's flying club initiative, will be the guest at the August Flight Training chat to talk about joining a club, starting your own, and much more. Join the discussion at 3 p.m. Eastern time on Aug. 4. One chatter will receive a $50 Aircraft Spruce & Specialty gift card. Set an email reminder here. Flight Training Facebook chats are underwritten by Aircraft Spruce & Specialty.
Article
Wipaire now offers the Aurora interior for Cessna Caravans to include divans and cabinets. The company also announced a seaplane scholarship.
Read more...
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News and Notes
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Article
Textron Aviation is planning a 280-knot turboprop, first announced by the former Hawker Beechcraft in 2012 as part of a new family of piston and turboprop aircraft.
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Webinar
Do you understand your rights if you find yourself the subject of an FAA investigation? Join AOPA for a webinar on FAA enforcement Aug. 12 at 8 p.m. Eastern time. Ray Speciale, a lawyer, CPA, and CFII, will give an overview of FAA enforcement, including the FAA Compliance and Enforcement Program, FAA investigations, FAA options, FAA records and expunction policy, and ways you can protect yourself.
Register online...
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Article
As performers crisscrossed the Oshkosh, Wisconsin, night sky with sparks streaming from their wings, the crowd was treated to a tradition with surprisingly deep roots. Custom launchers, careful planning, and expert technique are all key ingredients, along with comparatively ordinary fireworks.
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Video
Follow the One Week Ready to Solo students through their training in episodes three and four of AOPA's five-part series. In these installments, Harley-Davidson engineer Chris Graves learns a mischievous trick involving toilet paper that has a serious purpose in building confidence and control. Former Navy corpsman Nik Oekerman gets a lesson from an airshow legend, and General Motors global advertising executive Sherry Rosenkranz learns how to handle an engine out.
Watch the episodes...
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Career Opportunities
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AOPA career opportunities
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.
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Question of the Week
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Question
Your last flight review was accomplished Aug. 4, 2013, in a Cessna 172. You plan to rent a multiengine airplane from the local FBO to visit family, departing the morning of Aug. 8. Round-trip distance is going to be about 700 nautical miles. Is your flight review from 2013 still valid? If so, does it matter that it wasn't in a multiengine aircraft?
Answer
The flight review from August 2013 is still valid for your flight, and will be valid until the end of August 2015. The fact that it was done in a single-engine airplane does not matter. The flight review must be done in an aircraft for which you're rated, not all aircraft for which you're rated, as required by 14 CFR 61.56. It doesn’t matter what aircraft you use as long as you're rated in it and the review is done by an authorized instructor. However, if it's been some time since you flew a multiengine aircraft, it would be a good idea to get some instructional flight time in one before you attempt this flight. Legal doesn't always mean safe or smart.
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
Aug 1-2 - Long Beach, California
Aug 8-9 - Atlanta, Georgia; and Allentown, Pennsylvania
Aug 15-16 - Reno, Nevada; and Fort Worth, Texas
Sep 12-13 - Colorado, Springs, Colorado; Elkridge, Maryland; and Sandston, Virginia
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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Rusty Pilot Seminars
Aug 1 - Bulverde, Texas
Aug 8 - Apopka, Florida; Gainesville, Florida; and Chesterfield, Missouri
Aug 15 - Fort Wayne, Indiana; Penn Yan, New York; and Lakeland, Florida
Aug 22 - Blaine, Minnesota; Mitchellville, Maryland; Tucson, Arizona; and Lebanon, Ohio
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
David Tulis
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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