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Top Stories
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Article
Several days after his sixty-second surgery since he was wounded in an explosion in Afghanistan, Army Sgt. Jesse Murphree became the 10,000th veteran flown by volunteer pilots of the Veterans Airlift Command. Read more...
 
AOPA Live This Week
Thousands of pilots volunteer to fly America's wounded warriors through the Veterans Airlift Command. The program's 10,000th passenger offers his perspective on a vital service. Another aviator knocks the rust off to achieve a boyhood dream of flying a P-51 Mustang, and news helicopters watch a drone get too close for comfort. Watch AOPA Live This Week®, March 19...
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Technique and Safety
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Article
Geared toward instrument-rated pilots, PilotWorkshops' new "Real World IFR" video program features simulator scenarios and real flights from start to finish and offers practical tips for flying and dealing with air traffic control in actual instrument conditions. Read more...
Accident report
There are no easy answers as to why a Beech Debonair flown by three airline transport pilots crashed immediately after takeoff in February 2014. An Air Safety Institute report looks into potential failure points that can't conclusively be ruled out. Read more...
IFR Fix
An aircraft is flying at 10,000 feet msl. The outside air temperature is 5 degrees Celsius. Is the aircraft higher or lower than its altimeter indicates? Read more...
Flash-based, login required
Do you worry about making the right go/no-go decision? Let the Air Safety Institute's Flight Risk Evaluator offer you a systematic approach to risk management. You customize this nifty tool to consider your certificate level, flight experience, and environment to provide meaningful, objective feedback about the safety of a flight, without undue stress. Try it now...
Pilot Safety Announcement
If ground school is boring, you could doze off. But beware: What you don't know can hurt you. Come on a short ride for an interesting lesson with this amusing Air Safety Institute Pilot Safety Announcement. Watch School Daze...
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Advocacy
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Advocacy
Support continues to grow for the Pilot's Bill of Rights 2, which would reform the third class medical process and provide a wide range of protections for pilots. Read more...
Advocacy
Rep. Bill Shuster (R-Pa.) received the 2014 Joseph B. Hartranft Award from AOPA President Mark Baker during a March 18 presentation on Capitol Hill. Read more...
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Health
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AOPA Live
Heartburn may be a manifestation of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Dr. Jonathan Sackier discusses this condition, which may cause burning sensations in the chest or neck, bitter taste in the mouth, or difficulty swallowing, among other potential symptoms.
Watch the video...
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Technology
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Article
FreeFlight has announced its Equip-It 2020 program. The FDL-978-TXL lists for $1,995, including all necessary accessories.
Read more...
Article
Aspen Avionics has received FAA certification for its ATX100G Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast transceiver, which provides both ADS-B In and Out capabilities using a 978-MHz UAT datalink.
Read more...
Article
Garmin International Inc. announced March 12 the rebranding of various Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast devices designed for general aviation. The Garmin Vantage lineup includes a range of existing devices and solutions.
Read more...
Article
Researchers at Iowa State University have landed an FAA grant to research methods, including heated runways, for keeping runways clear in winter. Preliminary results are encouraging, and the research team hopes that one or more of their methods could ease the strain of clearing snow and ice, particularly at smaller airports.
Read more...
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Opinion
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Blog
Champion spark plugs have a new design that could cure a problem with the old design that caused bad mag drops, rough running, and hard starting. "It's still too early to tell whether Champion's quiet resistor redesign will cure the drifting resistance problem, but my best guess is that it will," writes Opinion Leaders blogger Mike Busch. "If I'm right, this is very good news indeed for users of Champion aviation spark plugs."
Read more...
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Gear
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Article
Users will soon be able to export flight plans from the AvPlan EFB into the Jeppesen Mobile FliteDeck app, Jeppesen announced March 17.
Read more...
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Travel
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Cruising through South America
AOPA Pilot Editor at Large Thomas A. Horne's latest wanderings have brought him from Puerto Montt, Chile, to Bariloche, Argentina, and beyond. He shares photographs of Puerto Varas at dawn and lenticular clouds over the mountains and discusses the challenges of familiarizing himself with the PC-12 NG's avionics, avoiding areas of widespread convection, and deciphering the faint and garbled transmissions from ATC.
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Financial
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Members only
As if filling out tax forms isn't challenging enough, it can get even more difficult to claim aviation-related expenses, depreciation, and other deductions. You must make an extra effort to document and justify a claimed deduction to be able to survive IRS scrutiny.
Learn more...
Webinar
Refurbishing webinar postponed to April 15
AOPA's webinar on aircraft refurbishing has been postponed to April 15 at 8 p.m. Eastern time. AOPA Editor in Chief Tom Haines and Editor at Large Dave Hirschman will share the expertise they've gained from multiple aircraft overhauls, rebuilds, upgrades, and refurbishments in the webinar.
Article
Seven individuals with disabilities will earn pilot certificates or receive advanced training in 2015 thanks to Able Flight's scholarship program.
Read more...
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News and Notes
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Article
The FAA sees a 'favorable' outlook for general aviation in its annual report, but fewer student and private pilots.
Read more...
Login required
Will the Cessna 182 best its cousin, the 206, in the battle for pilots' affections? Voting continues March 20 in the second round of the Best Aircraft Showdown bracket-style competition, presented by Aero-Space Reports. Cast your votes to decide which beloved aircraft move on to the Round of 16 March 24 and 25—then come back and vote again!
Vote...
Article
Three-time U.S. National Aerobatic Champion and three-time World Four-Minute Freestyle Champion Rob Holland will be among the pilots representing their countries at the World Air Games in Dubai. The Fédération Aéronautique Internationale expects the 2015 games, to be held in the United Arab Emirates in December, will be the biggest edition yet, with more than 1,000 athletes, crew members, and officials participating. Read more...
Article
Those who want to get an adrenaline rush from the speed, agility, and precision of the Red Bull Air Race World Championship pilots can purchase tickets for the tour's two race locations in the United States: Fort Worth, Texas, and Las Vegas.
Read more...
Webinar
Have you ever had a student who is having a hard time "getting it"? No two people learn in exactly the same way, and being a successful CFI means finding just the right way to teach each individual student. Tap into a wealth of experience and learn tips that will help you best serve your students' needs in a roundtable-style Flight School Business webinar March 24 at 8 p.m. Eastern time.
Read more...
Article
The Aero Club of New England announced that it will bestow its Godfrey L. Cabot Award on Abraham E. Karem, president of Karem Aircraft.
Read more...
Article
Legendary aircraft designer Burt Rutan dropped fresh hints about his final design, a work in progress called SkiGull, through a film production crew. The production company released few details about the new aircraft, promising more will come out in the film.
Read more...
PlaneSense orders Nextant 400XTis
Nextant Aerospace, maker of the 400XTi remanufactured Hawker 400, announced March 12 that it had solidified an order from fractional ownership company PlaneSense Inc. for five jets. The Nextant 400XTi jets will join PlaneSense's fleet of Pilatus PC-12 turboprops. PlaneSense President George Antoniadis said in a media release that his company has historically only inducted new aircraft into its fleet, but was impressed with the enhancements from the remanufacturing of the 400XTi.
Blog
Renowned aerobatic pilot Sean D. Tucker's primary airplane is stripped down, taken apart, and rebuilt every year. The job—including new fabric, paint, engine, and propeller—requires about 6,000 man-hours to complete. Overkill? No, especially when you consider the number of Gs, spins, and snap rolls the airframe endures in the course of a year.
Read more...
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Career Opportunities
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Aviation job board
As a full-time certificated flight instructor at TransPac, one of the largest ab initio flight academies in the world, you can expect 80 to 100 flight hours per month, a five-day work week, an annual salary, and benefits. Contribute to a structured professional environment in which cadets and instructors alike gain the aviation experience and flight hours necessary to further their aviation careers.
Learn more about this exciting opportunity.
AOPA career opportunities
Ever dream of turning your passion for aviation into a career? We're looking for part time, temporary digital product support; an outreach and events coordinator; aviation event and meeting planner; vice president for major and leadership gifts; Sitecore developer; director of studies, research, and analysis; associate editor—Web/ePilot; 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
For operators who must comply with a 100-hour inspection, the aircraft may be operated beyond 100 hours since the last inspection while en route to reach a place where a 100-hour inspection can be made. Is that also true in the case of an annual inspection?
Answer
No. At the end of the twelfth calendar month since the previous annual inspection the aircraft cannot be operated without a special flight permit. (Source: Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge, page 8-9.)
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
Mar 21-22 - King of Prussia, Pennsylvania; Ontario, California; and Virginia Beach, Virginia
Apr 11-12 - Salt Lake City, Utah; Hebron, Kentucky; Atlanta, Georgia; and Indianapolis, Indiana
Apr 18-19 - Needham, Massachusetts; Denver, Colorado; and Ashburn, Virginia
Apr 25-26 - Tampa, Florida; and San Diego, California
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
Mar 23 - Northbrook, Illinois; and Eugene, Oregon
Mar 24 - Portland, Oregon; and Lisle, Illinois
Mar 25 - Seattle, Washington; and Rockford, Illinois
Mar 26 - Springfield, Illinois
Topics vary—for details and a complete schedule, see AOPA Online.
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Rusty Pilot Seminars
Mar 21 - Frederick, Maryland; Spencer, Iowa; and Monterey, California
Mar 28 - Olathe, Kansas
Apr 4 - Palm Springs, California
Apr 11 - Savoy, Illinois; Boonville, Missouri; Carson City, Nevada; and Apopka, Florida
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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