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Top Stories
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Real Pilot Story
Competent rescuers, and a little luck, saved a pilot and his family after his forced landing in the Idaho backcountry. But why were they necessary? Watch how poor decisions turn a four-hour flight into a 30-hour survival ordeal in the Air Safety Institute's new Real Pilot Story. Read more...
 
AOPA Live This Week
AOPA Live® takes you behind the scenes of the Arsenal of Democracy: World War II Victory Capitol Flyover. The Salinas, California, AOPA Fly-In will feature tours of Cal-Pacific Airmotive Inc., where vintage P-51 Mustangs are meticulously restored. Also this week, check out an eye-popping STOL competition in Alaska.
Watch AOPA Live This Week®, May 14...
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Technique and Safety
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Pilot Protection Services
Do you pay heed to pilot weather reports you can hear while en route? In at least one case, the FAA used the fact that pireps could be heard over the radio in the same sector as evidence that the airman should have known of the adverse weather conditions affecting his flight.
Read more...
IFR Fix
A pilot heads to the airport for an evening proficiency flight on the last valid day of current navigational charts. The plan is to meet the flight instructor at 8 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time, brief for the mission, and fly for two hours. Wait a minute—8 p.m. EDT translates to 0000Z the following day. How will the flight instructor react if the pilot shows up with expired charts? Is it a violation to launch anyway?
Read more...
AOPA Premier Partner sponsored content
In this free video tutorial, veteran IFR pilot Keith Smith takes you step by step through his process of briefing and preparing for an IFR flight. Smith shares his personal strategies for setting up your binder, organizing charts, and briefing the weather.
Watch this video provided by AOPA Premier Partner PilotWorkshops...
Safety Spotlight
Hopefully we'll never experience one, but when it comes to an in-flight emergency, preparedness is our friend. A good start: Grab your aircraft's emergency procedures checklist and commit critical action items to memory. Then, explore the Air Safety Institute's Emergency Procedures Safety Spotlight to bolster your knowledge with quizzes, videos, and lessons learned from pilots who have experienced a real in-flight emergency.
Learn more...
Article
The Delaware Aviation Museum Foundation received an exemption from the FAA to offer flight training in the North American B-25 Mitchell bomber Panchito and has already helped one pilot achieve her goal of becoming type rated in the historic warbird.
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Article
A new collaboration seeks to give medical helicopter pilots tools to balance urgent imperatives and flight safety, and to reduce accidents caused by inadvertent flight into IMC. The Enroute Decision Point Protocol will be tested in simulators.
Read more...
Blog
Will factors in a 2013 Alaska Department of Public Safety fatal helicopter accident be the catalyst that will spark changes in the industry?
Read more...
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AOPA Fly-Ins
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Article
Cal-Pacific Airmotive on Salinas Municipal Airport never set out to become a P-51 parts source and premier rebuilder of Mustangs. A reluctant rebuild led to growing demand, however, and today the company owns limited type certificates for the P-51C, -D, and -K, as well as templates and jigs for most Mustang models. Members attending AOPA's Salinas Fly-In May 16 can enjoy a rare opportunity to tour the facility.
Read more...
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Pilot magazine
Frederick Municipal Airport in Maryland has small-town charm with big-city operations. Come to your airport—the national headquarters of AOPA—for the association's annual Homecoming Fly-In June 6.
Read more...
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Advocacy
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Article
Lockheed Martin and CSC will provide direct user access terminal services (DUATS) II to pilots under new contracts announced by the FAA. Each company has been awarded a one-year, fixed-price contract with up to four one-year renewals. DUATS allows pilots to use the Internet to access weather and flight planning information and file and cancel flight plans.
Read more...
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Technology
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Article
The Pilatus PC-24 jet flew for the first time May 11 in Switzerland for nearly an hour. First deliveries are expected to take place in 2017.
Read more...
Article
GE Aviation built a miniature jet engine with a 3-D printer, and ran it up to 33,000 rpm. The point of the exercise was not, apparently, to prototype “a jet engine for the Oompa-Loompas,” as Michael Keller described it for GE Reports, but rather to demonstrate the potential for 3-D printing to produce parts able to withstand the forces and temperatures in a turbine environment.
Read more...
Article
Icon Aircraft announced May 7 the successful test flight of the first A5 amphibious light sport aircraft built for a customer, with delivery expected to follow in the summer.
Read more...
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Opinion
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Blog
The owner of a late-model, high-performance single-engine airplane took the aircraft for its annual inspection and was surprised with an estimate of more than $8,500. Learn how saying "no" to certain maintenance items saved him $3,000.
Read more...
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Gear
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Article
Trevor Simoneau is a kid with a plan. The 11-year-old aspiring pilot wants to attend Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and launched a business selling custom-printed T-shirts to pay for fuel for flight training.
Read more...
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Travel
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Pilot Getaways feature
Monterey is famous for its beaches and unsurpassed array of ocean wildlife. This gem of California's central coast sits just 100 miles south of San Francisco, yet feels like a world away. Check it out on your way to or from the AOPA Fly-In in Salinas on May 16.
Read more...
Article
A pilot from California is set to launch May 18 on an around-the-world flight to demonstrate that personal aviation is "truly available to everyone." Read more...
Article
A 3,030-foot runway on Staniel Cay in the Exuma Islands of the Bahamas is out of action, and a tour operator hopes to change that. Jim Parker, who runs Caribbean Flying Adventures, said Staniel Cay is a popular spot, and the loss of the airstrip is hurting tourism. Read more...
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Financial
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Article
First-quarter aircraft shipments slipped, and the General Aviation Manufacturers Association is urging U.S. lawmakers to alleviate some of the drag.
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News and Notes
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Article
Thousands of spectators from countries around the world gathered on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., May 8 for the much-anticipated Arsenal of Democracy: World War II Victory Capitol Flyover that included 56 World War II-era warbirds. Read more...
Article
Cessna Aircraft has confirmed no new purchase agreements are being accepted for the Cessna 182 JT-A diesel-engine Skylane, and numerous dealers have confirmed the project is on hold indefinitely. The company recently announced a return to production of Skylanes with gasoline-powered engines. Read more...
Article
The Civil Air Patrol ordered 17 gasoline-powered Cessna Skylane 182s in April as the diesel Skylane JT-A waits for certification. Read more...
Article
Nampa, Idaho-based Mission Aviation Fellowship has mobilized two helicopters and is providing logistical support for relief efforts in Nepal.
Read more...
Webinar
Flight instruction doesn't have to feel like teaching a list of items just to get ready for the checkride. Flight School Business will discuss an innovative approach to training in the webinar "Turning Flight Instruction on its Head: Innovating Aviation Curriculum for the 21st Century," May 26 at 8 p.m. Eastern time. Backwards planning, a method used by professional teachers nationwide, enables you to focus every lesson on your core goals. Register now...
Article
The FAA is reaching out to residents and tourists in the Washington, D.C., region to emphasize that the area is a "No Drone Zone," the agency announced May 13.
Read more...
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Article
Joe Nall Week at the Triple Tree Aerodrome in Woodruff, South Carolina, is the largest remote control fly-in in the world, typically attracting RC pilots from all 50 states and 11 countries.
Read more...
Article
The pilot who wrote messages of love and hope over the city in the closing days of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival moved many hearts while carrying forward a tradition nearly as old as airplanes.
Read more...
Article
Set in intermountain west soaring country, CloudStreet: Soaring the American West tells the story of four glider pilots in New Mexico, Idaho, Wyoming, and Colorado.
Read more...
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Career Opportunities
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Aviation job board
Here's your chance to make your mark on a rapidly expanding aviation department! SunEnergy1 is currently seeking a director of aviation. The successful candidate will provide leadership and development of policies and procedures for the department. This position will supervise all pilots and aircraft in this FAR Part 91 operation and be responsible for oversight and coordination of all aspects of flight operations—training, certification, and scheduling.
Apply for this exciting opportunity today.
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 account executive, AOPA corporate partnerships; editorial intern; manager, airport policy; graphic design intern; contractual marketing copywriter; videographer, Air Safety Institute; senior director of government affairs (airport advocacy); director of government affairs (airspace/air traffic); aviation technical specialist; director, pilot community development; vice president, information and technology; senior ambassador, You Can Fly; outreach and events coordinator; vice president for major and leadership gifts; Sitecore developer; director of studies, research, and analysis; and account executive. To learn more about other AOPA career opportunities,
visit AOPA Online.
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Question of the Week
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Question
When following the glidepath of a visual approach slope indicator (VASI) on final approach, you know that by staying on the extended centerline your path will be free from obstacles. Within how many degrees to either side of the extended centerline can you be assured of obstacle clearance?
Answer
A VASI provides obstacle clearance within 10 degrees of the extended centerline. (Source: Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge 13-7.)
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
May 16-17 - Dania Beach, Florida; Houston, Texas; Pensacola, Florida; and Albany, New York
Jun 13-14 - Orlando, Florida; Santa Clara, California; and Bloomington, Minnesota
Jun 20-21 - Sterling, Virginia
Jun 27-28 - Charlotte, North Carolina; Columbus, Ohio; and Phoenix, Arizona
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
Jun 6 - Frederick, Maryland
Topics vary—for details and a complete schedule, see AOPA Online.
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Rusty Pilot Seminars
May 16 - Salinas, California; and Wheeling, Illinois
May 23 - Paia, Hawaii; and Morristown, Tennessee
May 30 - Pasco, Washington; Englewood, Colorado; Newtown, Pennsylvania; and Goleta, California
Jun 6 - Frederick, Maryland
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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Photo Contest
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Who's your favorite co-pilot?
We want to find the best general aviation photos that show pilots sharing their passion for flying with their best flying friend. Submit a photo and vote for your favorite from the submissions. The photo with the most votes at 11:59 p.m. Eastern each Wednesday will win a prize from Sporty's and AOPA, and be featured in AOPA ePilot. An overall winner will be picked by Sporty's and AOPA on May 29 for a grand prize. This week's winning photo, "Sharrin," was submitted by James Sessoms.
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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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