March 20, 2015 - VOL 15, ISSUE 12

Flight Training News

Flight Training magazine

Did you forget something?

Do you and your instructor discuss these 10 things almost every time you fly? Maybe you should. Read more...  

Article

Air racing revs up in 2015

Want to participate in an air race in 2015? You don't need to be a Red Bull pilot to race in these upcoming events. Read more...  

Article

FlightSimCon set for June 13, 14

Pilots, aviation enthusiasts, and flight simulator fanatics are invited to attend FlightSimCon 2015, to be held June 13 and 14 at the New England Air Museum in Windsor Locks, Connecticut. Read more...  

TRU Simulation + Training Inc. receives 737 MAX orders

TRU Simulation + Training Inc. announced March 9 that it had received purchase orders for three full flight simulator training suites for the Boeing 737 MAX to be used at Boeing training centers. The order, part of a 10-year agreement with Boeing, includes three full flight simulators and three desktop trainers "for use as a classroom virtual cockpit instructional tool," the company said.

Pilot Safety Announcement

Wake up from the daze

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...  

Scholarships

Article

Scholarship to fund teenage musicians' initial training

The Flying Musicians Association has created a scholarship program to fund flight training for four juniors or seniors in high school through their first solo. Read more...  

Article

Able Flight announces 2015 scholarship recipients

Seven individuals with disabilities will earn pilot certificates or receive advanced training in 2015 thanks to Able Flight's scholarship program. Read more...  

Training Resources

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Yes/no, should I go?

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 so it can 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...

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

Airlines, labor allege unfair Gulf competition

American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and United Airlines, along with several unions, said on March 5 that they had documented $42 billion in government subsidies and unfair benefits provided to Persian Gulf carriers Qatar Airways, Etihad Airways, and Emirates in violation of the U.S. Open Skies policy. At the same time, the airlines and labor organizations launched the Partnership for Open & Fair Skies, which asked the Obama administration "to open consultations under the Open Skies agreements with Qatar and the United Arab Emirates to address the flow of subsidized capacity to the United States," and requested a freeze on new passenger service during those talks.

Sporty's adds capacity for new multiengine ATP course

Sporty's is expanding capacity for its airline transport pilot certified training program provided by ABX Air, the company announced March 11. The Sporty's course was among the first ATP CTPs to be approved after the program became required for airplane multiengine ATP applicants in 2014. The six-day course includes 30 hours of classroom instruction and 10 hours of simulator training, and costs $4,500.

Webinar

Be the instructor your student needs

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...  

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

Plane Spotter

A Trojan (work)horse

It takes but a glance at a North American T-28 Trojan's big radial engine and canopied cockpit atop the sturdy fuselage to sense this aircraft's size and power. Spotting one taxiing among the fleet on a typical general aviation ramp amplifies the impression, as does a spec check: A 1,425-horsepower T-28D has an 8,500-pound maximum takeoff weight. The tricycle-geared military trainer emerged in the 1950s to succeed the tailwheel-equipped T-6/SNJ, and it also flew combat missions. T-28s remain popular attractions at airshows. A restored privately owned aircraft also draws admiring onlookers.

Training Products

'Soaring Pilot's Handbook' covers glider training

In A Soaring Pilot's Handbook, glider instructor and designated pilot examiner Dick Eckels covers the process of learning to fly gliders with close to 200 pictures and diagrams and an easy-to-understand style. The book covers topics from basic aerodynamics to advanced soaring techniques, and is appropriate for student pilots starting in gliders and powered pilots transitioning to soaring. It is available from Sporty's as a coil-bound paperback for $39.95 or a PDF e-book for $29.95.

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

Members only

The federal tax man cometh

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...  

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Showdown voting continues

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...

Blogs

Follow the evidence

The Dec. 28 crash of an AirAsia jet into the Java Sea led to rampant speculation about the cause of the accident—from theories that seemed to come from left field to more plausible explanations. In any accident, however, it's important to allow the experts to go where the evidence leads them, writes blogger Chip Wright. Read more...  

One way to avoid the annual

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...  

How far is far enough?

With a range of 7,500 nautical miles, the Gulfstream G650ER recently laid claim to two records on a 13,511-nm flight around the world with a single fuel stop. Will business jet manufacturers continue to develop even longer-range airplanes, Opinion Leaders blogger Ron Rapp asks, or will future emphasis be placed on speed and comfort? Read more...  

Instrument Tip

Article

'Real World IFR': Fly into JFK

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...  

IFR Fix

Snowflake approaches

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...  

Final Exam

Question

As a challenge, your flight instructor has presented you with a text-based weather briefing. As you're reading the briefing you see a report that starts "UA/OV..." What type of report is this?

Answer

This is a pilot weather report, also known as a pirep. Pireps provide information about actual weather conditions, including the height of bases and tops of clouds, location of wind shear or turbulence, and the presence of icing. (Source: Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge 12-8.)

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

Career Opportunities

Aviation job board

Job of the week: Certificated flight instructor, TransPac Academy

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

Join the AOPA team

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.