January 22, 2016 - VOL 16, ISSUE 4

Flight Training News

Article

Students propel Marion airport

A pair of Purdue University aviation students performing their internship duties helped Indiana's Marion Municipal Airport bring home the state's coveted 2015 "Airport of the Year" award. Read more...  

Podcast

Student certificate rule detailed

With a new procedure for obtaining a student pilot certificate set to go into effect April 1, AOPA's Pilot Information Center offers a breakdown of what the new rule means for students and instructors. Get the details in this 19-minute podcast. Listen to the podcast...  

Login required

The trouble with icing...

Airframe ice can accumulate quickly to the point where continued flight is impossible. How would you react if unexpected icing reared its head during a flight? Consider your answers carefully in this AOPA Air Safety Institute quiz. Take the quiz...

Flight Training magazine

Brush up on lost procedures

There's nothing quite like the realization that you may not be where you think you are on a cross-country flight. It doesn't happen all at once—more of a creeping sense of dread when the checkpoints you're scanning for outside don't match up to the ones on your sectional chart. Flight Training Technical Editor Jill W. Tallman offers tips for lost procedures to help you get back on course. Read more...  

Scholarships

Article

Aircraft resale trade group awards scholarships

Six university students majoring in aviation business- and management-related fields have been named recipients of 2016 scholarships from an aircraft sales and brokerage trade association. Read more...  

Plane Spotter

Planes of Pordenone

Whether a pilot is seeking a fixed-gear trainer, a retractable-gear sport aircraft, or an aerobatic airplane that can leave an admiring crowd applauding beneath its trail of smoke, the trek to find (or spot) the desired aircraft can be a global quest. A series of low-wing, bubble-canopied kit-built aircraft made to match each of those descriptions comes from Pordenone, in Italy's northeast. Alpi Aviation (think the Alps) produces the Pioneer family of two- and four-seat Rotax-engine-powered airplanes. The aerobatic Pioneer 330 derives from the 100-horsepower Pioneer 300 light sport aircraft.

Training Products and Resources

Digital publication

Acquire airspace knowledge in a flash

Are you allowed to fly through an active warning area without contacting air traffic control? How about a special flight rules area? Whether preparing for your checkride or a cross-country flight, review these airspace flashcards from the AOPA Air Safety Institute. The flashcards are optimized for mobile devices.

Rapid charger available for cockpit devices

Need a rapid charger with USB ports that can charge portable mapping devices in the airplane and car? MyGoFlight.com's DualMicro 28V DC charger has a pair of USB ports and works with an aircraft's 24-volt system. The difference between the DualMicro and other USB "cigarette lighter" chargers is the speed of charging. AOPA tried one in a Cessna 172, and it kept an iPad Mini charged while running multiple apps. The DualMicro 28V is available online for $29.99.

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

Member benefit

Tips for storing your airplane for the winter

Winter is in full swing, but there's still time to prepare your aircraft for winter storage to ensure that it's ready to go when the spring flying season starts. Your best guidance comes from your A&P, but here are some tasks to consider with the goal of keeping corrosion and other damage to a minimum. Read more...  

Pilot Protection Services

FAA determines 'congested' areas on case-by-case basis

The FAA doesn't define a congested area in its regulation about minimum safe altitudes; instead, the agency defines it on a case-by-case basis. In enforcement actions, the FAA has declared that a congested area includes a group of people on an airport ramp, sunbathers on a beach, a small subdivision covering less than a quarter mile, and traffic on an Interstate highway. Read more...  

Member benefit

Find the hidden costs before buying a turbine aircraft

No two airplanes are exactly alike, and neither are the costs to maintain them. For example, a low-priced Falcon 10 could cost more to operate per year than the purchase price. Read more...  

Blogs

When the company airplane is your airplane

One of the perks of flying for a living is taking advantage of the free travel while working, writes Flight Training blogger and airline pilot Chip Wright. During his career, Wright has bid for trip assignments that let him visit family and friends. Read more...  

Final Exam

Question

What speed provides the greatest gain in altitude over the shortest distance during a climb?

Answer

"The speed for V_x is that which will result in the greatest gain in altitude for a given distance over the ground. It is usually slightly less than V_y which provides the greatest gain in altitude per unit of time," according to page 5-8 of the Airplane Flying Handbook.

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 Flight Training Online or 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 a marketing copywriter; Web project manager; High School Aviation Initiative senior director; member services representative; Legal Services Plan attorney; and major gift officer. To learn more about other AOPA career opportunities, visit AOPA Online.