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Top Stories
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Slideshow
The Martin Mars JRM-1 towers above visitors as they approach the giant seaplane in a motor launch. The four-engine seaplane—it has no landing gear—is 44 feet, 7 inches tall; measures 120 feet, 3 inches long; and has a wingspan of 200 feet—approximately that of a Boeing 747. Powered by four 2,500-horsepower Wright R3350 radial engines, the Mars has a maximum gross weight of 145,000 pounds. It draws about 5.5 feet of water. Read more and view the slideshow...
 
Slideshow
EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, closed with a flourish of activity July 31. The Canadian Snowbirds drew hearts in the sky over Wittman Regional Airport, and the Commemorative Air Force's B-29 bomber Fifi celebrated its seventy-first birthday. Read more and view the slideshow...
Article
Ah, yes. Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast. Do aircraft owners think it's time to buy? At EAA AirVenture, the answer was clear: A definite maybe. Read more...
AOPA Live This Week
EAA AirVenture 2016 proved to be the best Oshkosh in history, according to many. Medical reform has renewed aviator enthusiasm. Also this week, the Martin Mars makes news again, an aircraft straight out of Star Wars drops in, and learn the story of general aviation and Pearl Harbor. Plus, history comes alive with a World War II bomber squadron, and get a view of the night airshow very few get to see. Watch AOPA Live This Week®, Aug. 4...
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AOPA Fly-Ins
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Article
Carrying on a 1940s flying boat tradition, the modern Gweduck experimental category amphibian aircraft named after a Puget Sound clam will be available for a first-hand look during the AOPA Fly-In at Bremerton, Washington. Read more...
Fly in to Bremerton
The AOPA Fly-In at Bremerton, Washington, Aug. 19 and 20, is just around the corner! Get an eagle's-eye view of what to expect when flying to Bremerton National Airport, whether arriving from the south, southwest, north, or east. Watch the fly-in procedures video and download the pilot information packet for in-depth details.
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Technique and Safety
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Article
The University of North Dakota has earned what it believes is the first safety management system certification by a collegiate aviation program, and it only took six years to achieve. Read more...
AOPA Premier Partner created content
Five pilots will win a library of seven different proficiency training video programs worth $1,093. Created by AOPA Premier Partner PilotWorkshops, the programs include strategies, techniques, and tips you can bring to the cockpit to enhance your skills in VFR and IFR flying. Each winner will receive the entire library on seven USB flash drives. Winners will be selected Aug. 15. Learn more...
Webinar
If you had to land off-airport, would you be prepared to deal with the consequences? Join AOPA Air Safety Institute Manager of Aviation Safety Programs John Collins for a webinar Aug. 9 at 7 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time to discover how you can maximize survival and rescue opportunities. Register now...
Online resource
Whether preparing for an instrument flight lesson or proficiency check, immerse yourself in the AOPA Air Safety Institute's IFR Procedures Safety Spotlight. Brush up on instrument flight rules and regulations, boost your interpretation of IFR charts, and test your knowledge—all in one convenient place. Dive in...
IFR Fix
When a local flying club acquired a late-model, glass-cockpit Cessna 172, many members got their first look at the emerging air traffic system. Members sampled flying satellite-based approaches and practiced familiar ILS and VOR procedures with all the data-display capabilities technology has to offer. Read more...
Pilot Protection Services
Pilots should always practice emergency maneuvers safely while complying with the federal aviation regulations. Mike Yodice, director of Legal Services Plans at Yodice Associates, provides an example from his own recent simulated engine-out practice. Read more...
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Advocacy
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Advocacy
With third class medical reform now law, Sen. James M. Inhofe (R-Okla.) said he will push to get the proposed Pilot's Bill of Rights 2 enacted. Read more...
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Health
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Article
Many pilots whose last medical exam will expire before July 15, 2017, are "on the bubble" for one more airman medical exam before the FAA issues new regulations. These pilots basically have two choices: Either renew their medical certificate now or stay grounded as pilot in command until that time. Read more...
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Technology
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Article
Electric aircraft are viable, and for many, they are a key to general aviation's future. Read more...
Article
Imagine a nontowered airport with a single runway and three dozen aircraft in the pattern at once, a mix of rotorcraft and fixed-wing, some cruising with cameras, others doing amazing aerobatics. Now, take away the "pattern" part and you've got an idea of what it's like to fly by radio control at EAA AirVenture. Read more...
Article
The newest Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) transceiver on the market also is the smallest and lightest. uAvionix Corp. has been miniaturizing ADS-B hardware for use on drones and is now offering that technology in a non-technical standard order unit that could be used in experimental and potentially some light sport aircraft. Read more...
Article
NASA is building an X-plane around a stock Tecnam P2006T fuselage. It will become the all-electric X-57 Maxwell, a significant component of NASA's Scalable Convergent Electric Propulsion Technology and Operations Research (SCEPTOR) project—and the first manned X-plane to feature a distributed electric propulsion system. Read more...
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Opinion
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Blog
It's easy to get into a weight-and-balance rut flying the same profile every time, as general aviation pilots often do. That's why business jets present a unique challenge: flying legs that can be extremely short or right to maximum range, with the cabin and baggage hold ranging anywhere from empty to full. Opinion Leaders blogger Ron Rapp writes about the surprising changes in performance that result from using the entire center-of-gravity envelope. Read more...
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Gear
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Article
Electronic ignition can make starting easier, and reduce fuel burn and maintenance costs. But the FAA will only certify it for one side of the engine. Electroair is looking to bridge the gap with a new hybrid magneto. Read more...
Article
When most people think of Honeywell they think of engines and integrated panels, but the company is looking to expand more into software with a suite of new mobile applications. Read more...
Article
Lightspeed Aviation founder Allan Schrader celebrated 20 years of what he called "David versus Goliath" headset innovation during an appreciation breakfast and media briefing at EAA AirVenture July 28 where he hinted at future developments. Read more...
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Travel
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AOPA Pilot magazine
It's a sparkling morning in Anchorage, Alaska, when Cameron Lawson—an Alaska native, commercial pilot, mountaineer, and photographer—and AOPA Editor at Large Dave Hirschman take off to ferry a 2001 American Champion Citabria 7GCBC Explorer to Minnesota. Despite an idyllic start, before the day is over the two confront low fuel, worsening weather, and other challenges typical of this region. Read more...
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Financial
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Article
The creators of OpenAirplane, which enables pilots to rent private aircraft based in 97 locations around the country after a single checkout, have now given millions of nonpilots easy access to charter seats, tapping another vein of unused general aviation capacity. Read more...
Article
The DeltaHawk diesel engine is progressing, but deliveries once planned for late 2016 will be delayed while the company focuses on improving components and efficiency. Read more...
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News and Notes
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Article
Of the 14 questions that a startup flying club must answer when filling out the online application for AOPA's Flying Club 150 Giveaway, several are intended to help you think through the details of your club's organization and purpose, as well as ensure your club's eligibility to win a Reimagined Cessna 150. Read more...
Article
SocialFlight—the online community that helps pilots find fun, interesting, and new flying destinations—now allows experts to drop into community forums to monitor chats and help pilots with specific questions or problems. Read more...
Article
The Innovator, a kitplane with a blended-wing design, three lifting surfaces, a spacious cockpit 60 inches wide, and lines reminiscent of a manta ray with wheels, can be had at a discount offered to the first builders who travel to the Georgia factory to assemble their own. Read more...
Article
Aviation students packed themselves into a college social at Aviation Gateway Park during EAA AirVenture, where they learned about career opportunities. Read more...
Article
Piper Aircraft is updating its venerable Archer trainer. The company announced at EAA AirVenture that it is offering Lycoming's IO-360-B4M fuel-injected engine as a factory option. Read more...
Article
King Schools' Private Pilot Practical Test (Oral Exam & Flight Test) video course has been completely updated based on the FAA's new airmen certification standards (ACS), which went into effect June 15. Read more...
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Career Opportunities
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AOPA career opportunities
Ever dream of turning your passion for aviation into a career? AOPA is looking for an account executive, advertising-marketing coordinator, member services representative, Central Southwest regional manager, graphic designer, administrative coordinator, New York You Can Fly ambassador, aviation technical specialist, fundraising specialist, government affairs federal and state vice president, Great Lakes regional manager, communications director, donor relations director, and AOPA Foundation communications director. To learn more about these and other AOPA career opportunities, visit AOPA Online.
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Question of the Week
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Question
You've decided to pull your malfunctioning ELT out of your airplane and get it fixed. Can you operate the aircraft with the ELT removed? If so, what needs to be done to ensure you are operating the aircraft legally?
Answer
Yes, you can operate your aircraft with the ELT removed. (See 14 CFR 91.207.) To operate with the ELT removed, the aircraft records must have an entry that lists the details of the removal (including the date, make, model, serial number, and reason). Also, a placard within the view of the pilot must be added stating "ELT not installed." The aircraft cannot be operated in this way for more than 90 days after the initial removal date.
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 6-7 - Atlanta, Georgia; Fort Worth, Texas; and Long Beach, California
Aug 20-21 - Bethlehem, Pennsylvania; and Reno, Nevada
Sep 10-11 - Elkridge, Maryland
Sep 17-18 - Phoenix, Arizona; 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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Air Safety Institute Safety Seminars
Aug 20 - Bremerton, Washington
Aug 24 - Frederick, Maryland
Sep 6 - Wichita, Kansas; Madison, Wisconsin; and Seattle, Washington
Sep 7 - Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; and Portland, Oregon
Topics vary—for details and a complete schedule, see AOPA Online.
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Rusty Pilots Seminars
Aug 13 - Fort Worth, Texas
Aug 20 - Bremerton, Washington; Hayden, Idaho; and Fullerton, California
Aug 27 - Fort Wayne, Indiana; and Naples, Florida
Aug 31 - Racine, Wisconsin
For a complete schedule, see AOPA Online.
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ePilot Editors:
Alyssa Miller
Jim Moore
David Tulis
Production Assistant:
Melissa Whitehouse
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Contributors:
Mike Collins
Sarah Deener
Dave Hirschman
Tom Horne
Alton K. Marsh
Warren Morningstar
Dan Namowitz
Jill W. Tallman
Elizabeth Tennyson
Ian J. Twombly
Julie Summers Walker
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