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Top Stories
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Article
The Airbus Perlan 2, a pressurized glider known as "the world's first engineless aircraft designed to reach the edge of space," has accomplished a successful first test flight from Roberts Field in Redmond, Oregon. Read more...
 
Article
Diamond Aircraft reports that it has successfully demonstrated a fly-by-wire autoland system in its DA42 four-seat twin. Read more...
AOPA Live This Week
AOPA Editor in Chief Tom Haines flies CNN's aviation correspondent near the Washington, D.C., Special Flight Rules Area and explains what temporary flight restrictions for the Pope's visit mean for general aviation pilots. Plus, AOPA pits two Cessna 172s head to head, one with vortex generators and one without—see how they perform. Get a preview of the National Museum of World War II Aviation that you can tour during AOPA's Colorado Springs Fly-In Sept. 26. Watch AOPA Live This Week®, Sept. 24...
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AOPA Fly-Ins
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Article
Greg Koontz loves flying, and he loves flying American Champion aircraft. The award-winning airshow pilot is bringing his Decathlon Xtreme to the AOPA Fly-In at Tullahoma Regional Airport in Tennessee on Oct. 10 to share the love with attendees. Read more...
Article
Pilots flying in to AOPA's Colorado Springs Fly-In Sept. 26 will enjoy a visual treat of the majestic mountains plus the camaraderie of being around fellow aviators. But those aren't the only reasons to come—make a weekend of it and take in these 10 must-see sights, including Pikes Peak and Garden of the Gods Park. Read more...
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Technique and Safety
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Article
If you ask safety experts about the biggest problem facing the general aviation pilot community, they'll say it is loss of control—that aerodynamic stall we all were taught to avoid. USAIG is doing something about it in the turbine community by naming Aviation Performance Solutions as a partner. Read more...
Pilot Protection Services
A mechanical issue in flight or otherwise deserves careful attention. If air traffic controllers are aware of an in-flight equipment malfunction, make certain you attend to it before your next flight. Your certificate may depend on it. Read more...
Competition Aerobatics 101
Finding satisfaction, with or without a trophy, is one of the keys to making a long career in competition aerobatics. Setting a personal best at the U.S. National Aerobatic Championships helps a newcomer offset the feelings associated with placing at the back of the pack.
Read more...
Video
Selecting the correct transponder mode can help ATC keep track of your flight. But what happens when you're asked to change codes? Should you turn the transponder to "standby" first? See what ATC says...
Aircraft Maintenance
Loss of fluid and the introduction of air into the system are the two most common causes of failures in aircraft braking systems. Read more...
AOPA Premier Partner sponsored content
Many factors go into your decision making about whether to fly on any given day. Here's a notion that flies in the face of convention, yet can have a direct effect on your safety and your flying hours. Watch this three-minute video by AOPA Premier Partner PilotWorkshops...
Login required
What will be your game plan flying the LOC/DME approach to Runway 12 at Virginia Tech/Montgomery Executive Airport in Blacksburg? Prepare for the challenge and test your knowledge...
Blog
Propellers are the driving force for many general aviation pilots, but it's best to show them respect and a little tender-loving care unless you want them to bite back, writes Air Safety Institute Senior Safety Advisor Bruce Landsberg. Read more...
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Advocacy
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Advocacy
A new FAA policy statement will make it easier for aircraft owners to replace vacuum-driven attitude indicators with newer, more reliable electrically driven models. It's a change AOPA has long advocated as part of a larger effort to make it easier and more affordable to put modern safety equipment in the legacy fleet. Read more...
Advocacy
The Pilot's Bill of Rights 2 has achieved a potentially important milestone, with 62 senators signing on as co-sponsors of the bill to reform the third class medical process and provide legal protections for pilots facing FAA enforcement actions. Read more...
Advocacy
One year after four fuels were selected for testing as potential replacements for leaded avgas, progress remains steady and the first phase of testing should be completed on schedule in late 2015, according to members of the Piston Aviation Fuels Initiative. Read more...
Advocacy
The FAA has issued a special airworthiness information bulletin warning the owners of Beechcraft Debonairs, Bonanzas, and Barons about the potential for corrosion on the wing leading edge hinge pin. Read more...
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Technology
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Article
A Wisconsin engine manufacturer took the next step in a major development program for its new diesel aviation engine when it fired up a pre-production engine for the first time. Engineered Propulsion Systems started a new Graflight V-8 on a test stand near its New Richmond development facility on Sept. 20. Read more...
Article
A 40-year-old scrapped helicopter has a new life as a simulator for flight nurses at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland. The Sikorsky S-76 fuselage forms the first-of-its-kind motion simulator for graduate-level flight nurses. The simulator was developed and funded by Hartzell Propeller and Redbird Flight Simulations in response to the university's request for a training device for its flight nurse specialty program. Read more...
Article
Some say the market for drones will be huge and promises to change the way people live, while others say drones first must be integrated into an existing air traffic control system that was not created with pilotless aircraft in mind. A group of universities, regulators, and industry members is researching how to do that. Read more...
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Opinion
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Blog
If you have a disagreement with air traffic control at an airport, when should you follow up with a telephone call to the tower manager? Opinion Leaders blogger Rob Mark recounts two incidents and asks for your advice. Share your advice...
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Gear
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Pulitzer-prize-winning photographer Vincent Laforet documents several of the world's largest cities with stunning night aerial photography for his new book, AIR. Laforet strapped himself into general aviation aircraft to capture the images and says he has discovered "the world is smaller than we think." View the photos...
Article
The award-winning weekly TV series The Aviators enters its sixth season this fall.
Read more...
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Travel
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Article
Red Bull Air Race pilots, including U.S. competitors Michael Goulian and Kirby Chambliss, will talk to AOPA members during special behind-the-scenes tours offered at the Fort Worth, Texas, and Las Vegas races.
Read more...
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Financial
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Article
BBA Aviation, parent company to Signature Flight Support, has added Landmark Aviation to its network in a $2.065 billion deal. Read more...
AOPA Foundation focus
The AOPA Foundation has awarded $10,000 grants to Build A Plane, Hope Flight Foundation, and Sophie Gerson Healthy Youth to promote the groups' charitable work being done through general aviation. Read more...
More news
Switching jobs? Consider these tips
Aircraft give businesses competitive advantage
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News and Notes
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Slideshow
Robert "Hoot" Gibson won the Unlimited Gold Race at the Fifty-Second Annual National Championship Air Races in Reno, Nevada, Sept. 20, unseating six-time gold winner Steve Hinton Jr. Read more...
Article
For one family from the Deep South, a passion for aviation was born above the Arctic Circle in Alaska. Read more...
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Webinar
Want to know how to save fuel and flight time before you launch? Ever needed an easy way to determine whether departing just a few hours earlier or later could help you avoid adverse weather or flight restrictions? Learn about the advanced flight planning capabilities available at Lockheed Martin's www.1800wxbrief.com in a free webinar Oct. 8 at 8 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time. AOPA and Lockheed Martin staff will be on hand to answer your questions. Register today...
Article
For the first time in decades, Doc, a B-29 in restoration, started all four engines on Sept. 18, although engine No. 2 was a little reluctant. After engine No. 2's flooding problem was fixed, all engines ran smoothly in preparation for a first flight that could take place as early as mid-October. Read more...
Article
Pilots of Piper's M-series airplanes—the Meridian, Mirage, and Matrix—can now take advantage of new features at Legacy Flight Training's facility at the Scottsdale, Arizona, Municipal Airport. Read more...
More news
Tony Hawk hosts Sky Combat Ace premiere
Girls in Aviation Day kicks off Sept. 26
Bell Helicopter's new training facility lifts off
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Career Opportunities
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Aviation job board
The Transportation Department of the North Central Texas Council of Governments is seeking a mid- or senior-level transportation planner to support and carry out the development, implementation, and long-range planning related to general aviation airports in North Central Texas. This individual will work closely with regional airport managers, elected officials, FAA staff, and others to provide planning assistance for the regional GA system, including developing a robust aviation education network. Apply today...
AOPA career opportunities
Ever dream of turning your passion for aviation into a career? We're looking for a human resources coordinator; legal services plan specialist; payroll technician; database developer; aviation event planner; manager of aviation safety programs; ambassador—Texas; director of aviation security; graphic design intern; director of media relations; and director of regulatory affairs.To learn more about other AOPA career opportunities, visit AOPA Online.
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Question of the Week
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Question
You took the airline transport pilot knowledge test at the end of July 2014, with the hopes of meeting the minimums for the ATP practical test before your knowledge results expire at the end of July 2016. You took the test at that time to take advantage of a grandfather clause in the old rules that didn't require you to take the ATP Certification Training Program (ATP CTP). Unfortunately, it doesn't look like you're going to meet minimums for the practical test in time. What do you do now?
Answer
First, you have until the end of July 2016 to take the practical test, so you don't need to do anything immediately. However, it never hurts to have a contingency plan. If you don't meet the minimums required by FAR 61.159 or 61.160 before your knowledge test results expire, you will need to take the new multiengine ATP knowledge test. The ATP CTP is a prerequisite for taking this new test; you can see what is covered and required by this course in FAR 61.156. A list of providers approved to give this required instruction is available on the FAA's website. The good news is that if you have to take the ATP CTP and the ATP multiengine knowledge test again, the test results are good for 60 calendar months, unlike other test results, which expire after 24 months. (See FAR 61.39.) As a side note, the ATP CTP is a prerequisite for the multiengine ATP written test, not for the single.
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
Sep 26-27 - Sacramento, California
Oct 10-11 - Nashville, Tennessee; Indianapolis, Indiana; and Windsor Locks, Connecticut
Oct 17-18 - Wichita, Kansas; and Santa Clara, California
Oct 24-25 - Corpus Christi, Texas
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
Sep 26 - Colorado Springs, Colorado
Sep 28 - Mesa, Arizona; Duluth, Minnesota; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; and Hampton, Virginia
Sep 29 - Tucson, Arizona; Blaine, Minnesota; Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; and Fairfax, Virginia
Sep 30 - Rochester, Minnesota; Reading, Pennsylvania; El Paso, Texas; and Blacksburg, Virginia
Topics vary—for details and a complete schedule, see AOPA Online.
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Rusty Pilot Seminars
Sep 26 - Colorado Springs, Colorado; Smithfield, Rhode Island; Stevensville, Maryland; and Orlando, Florida
Oct 3 - Lakeland, Florida; and Prineville, Oregon
Oct 10 - Tullahoma, Tennessee; and Henderson, Nevada
Oct 11 - Middletown, Pennsylvania
For a complete schedule, see AOPA Online.
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This issue of ePilot was created for: &fname; &lname; at &*TO;
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ePilot Editors:
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
Sarah Deener
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