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Top Stories
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Article
As part of AOPA's ongoing efforts to build the pilot community, the association is updating its brand, including a new logo and tag line—"Your freedom to fly." The evolution in AOPA's logo and the design of its materials represent a renewed focus on the fun of flying and on connecting with current and future pilots of all ages and interests.
Read more...
 
AOPA Live This Week
Ride along with AOPA Editor at Large Dave Hirschman in a de Havilland DHC-1 Super Chipmunk and get the story behind this trainer, crop duster, aerobat, and award-winning aircraft. Also, AOPA's brand has a fresh look for 2016; a new film follows rusty pilots (including Ariel Tweto of Flying Wild Alaska fame) in Flying Again; and Breitling unveils a new watch designed with pilots in mind.
Watch AOPA Live This Week®, Jan. 7...
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Technique and Safety
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Fly like a fighter
An Air Force pilot on his first training dogfight in an F-16 struggled to keep up and pull off a shot. He managed to "tree" his opponent four times and later learned that he had a brief window when he could have taken a kill shot.
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Video
Accident Case Study: Communication Breakdown holds many important lessons. The most critical point, however, is that you should be visually and mentally aware of others in the traffic pattern, regardless of whether the airport has an operating control tower.
Watch the video...
Video
One of the AOPA Air Safety Institute's major roles is accident analysis—learning from real-world mistakes. In this fifth video in the popular Weather Wise series, AOPA Air Safety Institute statistician David Kenny talks about what types of weather are most dangerous for pilots and if the Internet, better forecasts, cockpit weather, etc. have lowered the accident rate.
Watch the video...
Safety seminar
The AOPA Air Safety Institute's new seminar, "Emergency! Getting it Right when Things Go Wrong," offers expert advice on how to keep abnormal situations from becoming emergencies. Share your thoughts with fellow pilots and knowledgeable instructors, and learn about best practices for off-airport landings during this in-person safety seminar.
Check the schedule for a fly-in or unique aviation location near you...
Aircraft Maintenance
Rigging and control system issues are often discovered during a test flight. Here are some tips to repair or adjust the rigging and control system to get the aircraft back in line with the manufacturer's design.
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Advocacy
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Advocacy
The FAA is preparing to implement changes to its Traffic Information Services-Broadcast, which provides traffic information to aircraft using Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast Out and In.
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Advocacy
The FAA will publish special flight operation procedures, notams, temporary flight restrictions, and more in advance of the NFL's fiftieth annual Super Bowl Feb. 7 in Santa Clara, California, home of the San Francisco 49ers.
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Advocacy
The FAA has issued updated guidance for flight instructors conducting flight reviews and instrument proficiency checks, and AOPA is urging instructors to look closely at the changes.
Read more...
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Health
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Pilot Protection Services
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy may have no symptoms, or very mild symptoms that include shortness of breath, fatigue, and palpitations in the chest; however, the condition also can have serious escalating symptoms.
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Technology
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Article
Carter Aviation Technologies is seeking joint venture partners to build small-scale versions of the CarterCopter as it talks with manufacturers about producing large machines.
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Opinion
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Blog
Aircraft care, safety techniques top Opinion Leaders blog
When it comes to aircraft and engine maintenance, pilots sought advice in 2015 from Opinion Leaders bloggers about protecting their engines and when to say "no" to maintenance, as well as learning how piston engines perform better at higher altitudes. On the technique front, readers were captivated by a debate about when to speak up to a controller after a disagreement and the critical implications of normalizing nonstandard safety practices.
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Travel
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Pilot Getaways feature
Ask a recreational pilot in central North Carolina about his favorite daytrip, and he'll likely tell you about a little private airport right in the center of the Sandhills where you can get the finest hickory-smoked barbecue around.
Read more...
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News and Notes
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Article
The FAA, model aircraft enthusiasts, and drone pilots are locked in a litigious fight that could affect regulation of manned and unmanned aircraft alike.
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Article
Registration for the Air Race Classic—the annual all-women's cross-country air race—opened Jan. 5.
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Online resource
Night flying has both benefit and beauty—there is usually less air traffic to contend with, and a clear night offers beautiful star-studded skies. However, the limitations that darkness puts on human vision, along with the effects of pilot fatigue at day's end, raise the risk of night flying. AOPA's subject report on night flying discusses the limitations of night vision, night illusions, lighting and night blindness, weather minimums, regulations, and tips for making your night flight pleasurable and safe.
Learn 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 a marketing copywriter; Web project manager; AOPA Aviation Finance account executive, analyst I, and loan processor; High School Aviation Initiative senior director; member services representative; Legal Services Plan attorney; major gift officer; and insurance 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
While looking through your logbook, you notice some abnormalities in how you have been logging simulator time. Some of the entries were recorded under the "total duration of flight" column and others were not. Which entries are correct?
Answer
The answer can be found in FAR 1.1 "Definitions and Abbreviations." Flight time is defined as:
"(1) Pilot time that commences when an aircraft moves under its own power for the purpose of flight and ends when the aircraft comes to rest after landing; or
(2) For a glider without self-launch capability, pilot time that commences when the glider is towed for the purpose of flight and ends when the glider comes to rest after landing." Flight time cannot be logged outside of an actual aircraft, so time in a simulator should not be logged in the "total duration of flight" column. AOPA offers more information in a subject report about logbooks and logging time.
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
Jan 9-10 - Spokane, Washington; Charlotte, North Carolina; San Antonio, Texas; Santa Clara, California; and Ridgeland, Mississippi
Jan 16-17 - Portland, Oregon; Bellevue, Washington; and Elkridge, Maryland
Jan 23-24 - Rockford, Tennessee; Long Beach, California; and Ypsilanti, Michigan
Feb 6-7 - Las Vegas, Nevada; and Louisville, Kentucky
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
Jan 11 - Reno, Nevada; and The Woodlands, Texas
Jan 12 - Sacramento, California; and Houston, Texas
Jan 13 - Milpitas, California; and San Antonio, Texas
Jan 14 - Santa Rosa, California; and Austin, Texas
Topics vary—for details and a complete schedule, see AOPA Online.
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Rusty Pilot Seminars
Jan 9 - Stevensville, Maryland; and Lawrenceville, Georgia
Jan 16 - Lebanon, Tennessee
Jan 20 - Racine, Wisconsin
Jan 21 - Sebring, Florida
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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