Training Tips
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Article
A flight need not be lengthy to demand quick thinking to resolve challenging questions. Those questions are of two types: Decisions you make in flight and grade yourself on later, and questions that must wait until after landing to be answered through discussion with your instructor, or with research. Often, you are faced with these decisions within the first five minutes of your flight. Read more...
 
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Flight Training News
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Article
Social media was ablaze with notes of congratulations after a 17-year-old Georgia student pilot on a solo cross-country made an engine-out landing on a golf course shortly after takeoff. Read more...
Article
Tuskegee University is on a roll. The National Science Foundation awarded the Alabama institution $1.2 million June 24 to bring drone technology to local high school students and teachers. Read more...
Video
Find out if Redbird pilot Brittney Miculka embarked on a simulated long cross-country flight with enough cushion for unplanned weather, headwinds, and fuel burn, or if she will have to declare an emergency during the eighth installment of her 10-part Winging It video series. Watch the video...
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Pan Am International Flight Academy on June 30 announced a partnership with Silver Airways to provide qualified pilot applicants to the airline. Pan Am Part 141 students and instructors who meet certain standards "will be given the opportunity to interview with one of the most dynamic and exciting international regional carriers in the world," the announcement said. Silver Airways operates a fleet of Saab 340B turboprops from gateways in Florida, the Bahamas, and Washington Dulles International Airport. Find out more...
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...
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Scholarships
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Women in Aviation International announced July 5 that it would award 98 scholarships totaling almost $500,000 for "nearly every interest in aviation and aerospace" including funds for academic scholarships, flight training, maintenance, and advanced ratings. WAI said most scholarships will be awarded at the organization's international conference in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, March 2 through 4, 2017, and "the total value of awarded scholarships typically reaches more than $600,000 annually." Applications may be submitted electronically or by mail. Find out more...
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AOPA Live
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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...
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Plane Spotter
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Enstrom's enduring endeavor
From serving as a training platform for military pilots to being used by law enforcement agencies and even private citizens, a piston-powered helicopter built in Menominee, Michigan, has found a wide variety of missions since receiving FAA certification in 1965. Enstrom Helicopter's F-28 model, most recently reissued as the variant F-28F, seats two or three in its cabin, and is powered by a turbocharged 225-horsepower Lycoming engine. Looking for a visual cue for identifying an Enstrom aircraft? The company touts its "unblocked tail rotor" design as providing "excellent control in high winds from any angle."
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Training Products and Resources
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2017 aircraft maintenance test guides available
Mechanics studying for the FAA general, airframe, and powerplant knowledge exams can boost their confidence with 2017 study guides from Aviation Supplies & Academics. The test guides include representative questions, answers, and explanations to thoroughly prepare prospective aviation maintenance technicians for the exams. The three books are available in a variety of formats, including softcover or e-book format for $14.95 and online prepware for $39.95.
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." Find out 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...
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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.
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Member Benefits
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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...
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Blogs
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In part one of a three-part series, Flight Training blogger Chip Wright says today's airline pilots receive most of their recurrent training outside of the airplane and on simulators because it's more cost-effective and safer than training in an aircraft. Read more...
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Instrument Tip
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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...
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Final Exam
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Question
Where can I find the regulation that applies to fuel requirements for VFR rotorcraft flights?
Answer
You can find this information in 14 CFR 91.151, "Fuel requirements for flight in VFR conditions." For rotorcraft, the minimum fuel requirement is to make it to the first point of intended landing with at least 20 minutes of fuel remaining to continue flying at normal cruising speed. This requirement is the same for day and night VFR flights. For more information on fuel management, read this Flight Training article. You also can check out the AOPA Air Safety Institute's Fuel Awareness Safety Advisor, Fuel Management Safety Spotlight, and Fuel Awareness safety quiz.
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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.
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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 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, AOPA Foundation communications director, and marketing copywriter. To learn more about these and other AOPA career opportunities, visit AOPA Online.
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Education and Seminars
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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.
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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.
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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.
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ePilot Flight Training 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
Ian J. Twombly
Julie Summers Walker
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