August 5, 2016 - VOL 16, ISSUE 32

Flight Training News

Article

Airline hiring agreements accelerate

By many indications, the regional airlines are hiring pilots as fast as they can. Prospects for students looking to make a career in the airlines have never been better, a fact verified by four recent announcements. Read more...  

Article

Boeing: Demand for pilots increasing

Boeing Flight Services Vice President Sherry Carbary said flight schools large and small will have a role to play as worldwide demand for pilots (along with technicians and cabin crews) ramps up steeply in the coming two decades, as long as they embrace technology. Read more...  

FAA to hire 1,400 controllers

The FAA announced Aug. 2 that the agency is accepting applications Aug. 8 through 15 for approximately 1,400 entry-level air traffic controller positions. The FAA's website says more than 15,000 controllers help pilots navigate U.S. airspace; successful applicants could look forward to "an exciting, challenging and rewarding aviation career." More information is available from the USAjobs.gov and FAA career websites.

Article

Piper injects life into Archer

Piper Aircraft is updating its venerable Archer trainer. The company announced at EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, that it is offering Lycoming's IO-360-B4M fuel-injected engine as a factory option. Read more...  

Article

College social fun, engaging

Aviation students packed themselves into a college social at Aviation Gateway Park during EAA AirVenture, where they learned about career opportunities while devouring free pizza and soft drinks. Read more...  

Webinar

Prepare like a Boy Scout

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...  

Get ready, have fun at 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.

Plane Spotter

Last of the Mars

"Earthshaking" is a word used to describe the mighty Martin Mars, a four-engine firefighting aircraft that claims the title of the largest flying boat ever flown operationally. With a 200-foot wingspan and a gross weight of 145,000 pounds, the airplane is powered by four 2,500-horsepower Wright R3350 radial engines. The Mars has no landing gear as its surface operations are limited to water. Only six were built toward the end of World War II, and the last surviving flyable example awed spectators during its appearance at EAA AirVenture in July.

Training Products and Resources

AOPA Premier Partner created content

Win a skill-building library

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...  

Insulated hot/cold beverage bottle perfect for cockpit

MyGoFlight has designed a 17-ounce, double-walled stainless steel bottle that keeps drinks hot for 12 hours or cold for 24 hours without breaking a sweat. AOPA tested the MGF Bottle in the cockpit during two steamy summer afternoon flights and for several hours in a car with temperatures near 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Beverages remained delightfully chilled in both instances, though it was too warm outside to test the cup filled with hot coffee. Insulation prevents outside condensation from dripping on your cockpit; the bottle fits inside many flight bags; and it's environmentally friendly. The bottle is available from MyGoFlight.com and other retailers for $35.

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

Pilot Protection Services

Practice maneuvers...with restraint

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...  

Blogs

Two airplanes in one

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...  

Instrument Tip

IFR Fix

'Conventional navigation' in NextGen

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, sampled flying satellite-based approaches, and could practice familiar ILS and VOR procedures with all the data-display capabilities technology has to offer. Read more...  

Final Exam

Question

What are some of the privileges and limitations of the sport pilot certificate?

Answer

For detailed information about the privileges and limitations of the sport pilot certificate, see 14 CFR 61.315. Sport pilots can carry one passenger; share the expenses of the flight; and fly without an FAA airman medical certificate, provided they have a current and valid U.S. driver's license and comply with all limitations on that license. Sport pilots can't fly at night; without visual contact with the ground; or in Class B, C, or D airspace without additional training and the appropriate logbook endorsements. Although sport pilots can fly across the country, they can't fly internationally. For more information on the sport pilot and light sport aircraft rule, read this AOPA subject report.

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

Career Opportunities

AOPA career opportunities

Join the AOPA team

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.