|
|
Top Stories
|
|
Article
Just 400 feet after takeoff on a solo cross-country, 17-year-old student pilot Sierra Lund was faced with a situation that pilots hope will never happen to them: engine failure. The Georgia student's training and quick action to land on a nearby golf course has earned praise.
Read more...
 
Slideshow
One by one, airplanes started touching down at West Virginia's Greenbrier Valley Airport July 2. But the aircraft weren't carrying passengers for the PGA tour's Greenbrier Classic that had been scheduled for July 7 through 10. Three Cessna 172s, a V-tail Beechcraft Bonanza, and a Piper Cherokee PA-28-180 filled with disaster-relief supplies from generous donors flew in from North Carolina and Maryland.
Read more...
AOPA Live This Week
AOPA Editor in Chief Tom Haines takes the new HondaJet up and says it's best in its class but a bit late to the market. General aviation pilots are rallying to help West Virginians who have been devastated by floods; see how you can make a difference when disaster strikes. And learn how wounded warrior Adam Kisielewski tackles the odds (again) to earn his instrument ticket.
Watch AOPA Live This Week®, July 7...
|
|
Technique and Safety
|
|
Video
It can't get any better: flying general aviation to your vacation destination. You get to do something enjoyable and avoid standing barefoot in long TSA lines. But beware of the ills that can befall the careless or unwary vacation flier. Recite this AOPA Air Safety Institute Vacation rhyme and
make sure your name isn't next on the list...
Aircraft Maintenance
Even the simplest of maintenance tasks, such as tire changes, can get complicated. Pilot and A&P mechanic Jeff Simon explains the importance of following the proper procedures and checking parts for manufacturing defects.
Read more...
Video
Taking up family and friends for some sightseeing is a great way to share the fun of flying. No doubt you feel responsible for their safety, so give them a first-rate briefing before taking off. No problem if you're a bit rusty on the drill required by the federal aviation regulations: The AOPA Air Safety Institute's Critical Information: The Passenger Safety Briefing has you covered.
Watch the video...
Pilot Protection Services
If you are flying an aircraft with an IFR-certified GPS, do you still need to perform and log VOR checks within the preceding 30 days in order to fly IFR? The answer isn't a simple yes or no.
Read more...
Genesys Aerosystems created content
Whether you're flying on a sunny Sunday or in hard IFR, when properly used, your autopilot can reduce the workload and increase the safety of every flight.
Read more...
Blog
A U.S. senator is pressing the FAA to ramp up ramp checks, citing a need to prevent accidents. Ramp inspections and FAA staff have declined in the past decade, but will more inspections stop trouble before it starts? AOPA Air Safety Institute Senior Safety Advisor Bruce Landsberg would like to hear your thoughts.
Read more…
|
Advocacy
|
|
Advocacy
House and Senate negotiators have agreed on an FAA extension deal that includes third class medical reforms and will keep the agency operating through September 2017.
Read more...
Advocacy
Any pilot who has ever planned to fly over remote areas with few weather reporting stations during marginal conditions knows the value of pilot reports. Hearing what another pilot flying through the same area experienced can better inform the go/no-go decision. Too often, there are no pireps to provide that extra glimpse into the weather. To address the submission, collection, and dissemination of pireps, the National Transportation Safety Board convened a forum June 21 and 22 in Washington, D.C.
Read more...
|
|
Advocacy
AOPA is backing proposed reforms to Part 23 and urging swift implementation while addressing the National Transportation Safety Board's concerns about changes designed to make it easier to bring new and innovative aircraft to the general aviation market.
Read more...
Advocacy
The FAA has released flight advisories for the Republican and Democratic National Conventions in July, reminding pilots that temporary flight restrictions will be in effect in Cleveland and Philadelphia where the conventions will take place.
Read more...
|
|
|
Opinion
|
|
Blog
Opinion Leaders blogger Jolie Lucas offers an inside glimpse of the family behind the West Coast Skytypers.
Read more...
|
Gear
|
Article
Are you concerned about getting Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast equipment installed in your aircraft before the FAA's Jan. 1, 2020, mandate? Still trying to determine the best ADS-B solution for you? Do you wish you could reserve an installation slot at an avionics shop now, so you can take your time deciding on the hardware? Well, you can. The number of shops offering reserved ADS-B installation slots is increasing.
Read more...
Article
Appareo's panel-mount Stratus ESG transponder, which provides Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast Out compliance, has received TSO authorization. The lead STC, covering the Cessna 172 through the 172S model, is expected this week; popular Cessna, Piper, Beech, and Mooney models will be added to the AML STC soon.
Read more...
Webinar
AOPA Pilot Technical Editor Mike Collins and Lancaster Avionics Manager Todd Adams will explain a systematic approach that you can follow to sort through options to equip your aircraft with Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast Out before the FAA's 2020 mandate. Join them for a free webinar July 13 at 8 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time.
Register today...
Lightspeed Aviation offers summer deals
Lightspeed Aviation announced a summer promotion for Tango wireless, Zulu PFX, Zulu.2, or Sierra active noise reduction headsets until Aug. 15. Customers purchasing one of these models will receive a 16,800-mAh multifunction, portable power bank and jump-starter kit in a vinyl case that is valued at $100 and "can charge just about any common portable electronic device."
|
Travel
|
Pilot Getaways
Located less than 20 miles north of Oshkosh, Wisconsin, Appleton International Airport, formerly Outagamie County Regional Airport, in Appleton is a popular stop for EAA AirVenture-bound pilots.
Read more...
|
News and Notes
|
Slideshow
Few among us get the chance to be at one with the sky in an open-cockpit biplane, motoring low and slow above the terrain in an aircraft recognizable to aviation's pioneers. The annual Round Engine Round-Up hosted by Idaho Falls Regional Airport's FBO Aero Mark is one of those places where pure aviation mixes with a welcoming community that fosters friendships.
Read more...
Article
While U.S. and other operators around the world have been using single-engine turboprops for night and IFR passenger and cargo flights for years, it has been a different story in Europe. But that may be about to change. The General Aviation Manufacturers Association has reported some encouraging signs from a regulatory committee in the European Aviation Safety Agency.
Read more...
|
|
Article
Jack Taylor, founder of AOPA partner Enterprise Holdings, died July 2 in St. Louis. He well represented the American dream of the self-made man, an entrepreneur largely responsible for his own tremendous success that greatly benefited not only himself but his community. He was 94.
Read more...
Blog
Wires are being pulled as Yingling Aviation works on your Sweepstakes Cessna 172, but what exactly they're up to and where those wires lead is under wraps until your new aircraft arrives at EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. A fresh set of photos in this blog might help you solve the puzzle before the show.
Read more...
PDF download
AOPA has an action-packed lineup planned for pilots who visit the association's campus at EAA AirVenture July 25 through 31. Seminars range from the educational to the hilarious, led by some of the biggest names in the industry, including Rod Machado. You won't want to miss the AOPA Air Safety Institute's seminars that will help make you a better pilot. Also, join AOPA President Mark Baker for coffee and doughnuts or ice cream to get the latest on AOPA's initiatives.
Download the schedule...
|
Career Opportunities
|
|
AOPA career opportunities
Ever dream of turning your passion for aviation into a career? AOPA is looking for an administrative coordinator, New York You Can Fly ambassador, aviation technical specialist, fundraising specialist, government affairs federal and state vice president, member services representative, 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.
|
Question of the Week
|
Question
You are doing your first solo oil change on your aircraft. After changing the oil, you realize you are not clear on how to complete the logbook entry for return to service. You know you can make the entry and sign it off, but otherwise you're lost. Where can you find this information?
Answer
FAA Advisory Circular 43-12A outlines the answer to this question and many more you may have about preventive maintenance. It elaborates on the requirements for record keeping required by 14 CFR 43.9. You also can check this AOPA subject report.
Got a question for our technical services staff? Contact AOPA.
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
Education and Seminars
|
Flight Instructor Refresher Courses
Jul 9-10 - Coraopolis, Pennsylvania; and Elizabeth, New Jersey
Jul 23-24 - Jacksonville, Florida; and Memphis, Tennessee
Aug 6-7 - Atlanta, Georgia; Fort Worth, Texas; and Long Beach, California
Aug 20-21 - Bethlehem, Pennsylvania; and Reno, Nevada
For a complete schedule, see AOPA Online. Can't make it in person? Sign up for the Air Safety Institute's Online eFIRC.
|
Air Safety Institute Safety Seminars
Jul 9 - Alpine, Wyoming
Jul 27-30 - Oshkosh, Wisconsin
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.
|
Rusty Pilots Seminars
Jul 9 - Savannah, Georgia
Jul 16 - San Marcos, Texas; and West Mifflin, Pennsylvania
Jul 27 - Oshkosh, Wisconsin
Aug 13 - Fort Worth, Texas
For a complete schedule, see AOPA Online.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
ePilot Editors:
Alyssa Miller
Jim Moore
David Tulis
Production Assistant:
Melissa Whitehouse
|
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
|
|
|
|
|
|
