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July 15, 2016, issue of 'AOPA ePilot' weekly newsletter

ePilot Newsletter
Pilots celebrate the passage of third class medical reform

JULY 15, 2016 - VOL 18, ISSUE 29

Top Stories

Advocacy

Obama to sign medical reform

President Barack Obama is expected to sign third class medical reform included in a short-term FAA funding extension into law July 15. The House- and Senate-passed legislation keeps the FAA running through September 2017, but the medical reforms are permanent. The FAA will have up to one year to develop and issue regulations to govern pilots flying under the reforms. "This is a moment to celebrate what we've achieved together," said AOPA President Mark Baker, "but we know our work isn't done." Read more...  

 

Online resource

What does medical reform mean for you?

It's been a long road, but third class medical reform has passed! Find out when it will go into effect and what it means for you on this frequently-asked-questions page. Learn more...  

 

AOPA Live This Week

Medical reform on final; Dreams take flight

Congressional approval of an FAA funding extension that includes third class medical reform brings a long fight for freedom to fly to the finish line. With the bill headed to the president, find out what this means for thousands of pilots. Also this week, watch the Civil Air Patrol train cadets two at a time during an intensive week of flight training. Plus David Clark Co. has completed its turn toward more comfortable and sophisticated headsets. Watch AOPA Live This Week®, July 14...

Technique and Safety

 

Login required

Ready to fly? Brush up on airspace

If you're planning to fly to your favorite vacation spot, or just starting your flying season, now is the time to polish your airspace knowledge in the AOPA Air Safety Institute's Know Before You Go: Navigating Today's Airspace online course optimized for mobile applications. Take the course...

 

Login required

Wake turbulence avoidance 101

Should you stay above or below a large aircraft's path and land beyond or before its touchdown point? Take the AOPA Air Safety Institute's Wake Turbulence Avoidance quiz to learn about this and other wake turbulence snags. Take the quiz...

 

AOPA Premier Partner sponsored content

Power up your ForeFlight

AOPA Premier Partner PilotWorkshops has released a new video training program called ForeFlight Power User. The program reveals little-known features and tips that make preflight planning and in-flight decisions even easier, leaving you more time to concentrate on flying the airplane. Watch a short video about advanced route planning...  

 

Video

Checkout cut short

The experienced pilot had just purchased an amateur-built aircraft, but he shortchanged himself when he elected to abbreviate the airplane's checkout before flying it home. He was familiar with the aircraft's engine type, but nuances in the fuel system and skimping on the checkout caught him off guard. Learn what happened in the AOPA Air Safety Institute's Accident Case Study, Transitioning to Other Airplanes: A Dangerous Detail. Watch the video...  

Advocacy

 

Article

ADS-B rebate double dip?

Could an enterprising aircraft owner double dip, pocketing both the recently announced $500 FAA rebate and a bridge rebate currently offered by one of several Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast hardware manufacturers to minimize their equipage cost? The short answer is yes. However, careful attention to the details of both rebates will be required. Read more...  

 

Advocacy

Certification changes highlighted

The aviation scene has rapidly evolved on many fronts and more changes are on the way. The July/August FAA Safety Briefing highlights a few of the changes, including new airman certification standards and new medical certificate application procedures for student pilots. Read more...  

Health

 

Pilot Protection Services

Eating healthy could help lower your fuel bill

The amount of avgas airplanes burn is related in part to the load on board. Dr. Jonathan Sackier writes that if you reduce your personal gross weight, you will burn less fuel. He offers healthy eating tips to help you keep your weight under control. Read more...  

Technology

 

Article

Solar Impulse 2 lands in Egypt

Solar Impulse 2's voyage around the world powered only by the sun is nearing completion. After André Borschberg landed in Cairo July 13, only one leg remains: Bertrand Piccard will fly the craft from Cairo to Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, where the adventure lifted off in March 2015. Read more...  

Opinion

 

Blog

German rules complicate GA

An American pilot with a Piper Cub in Germany finds that the country's aviation regulations make some basic maintenance tasks more complicated, never mind an engine overhaul. Opinion Leaders blogger Garrett Fisher ran into more than one Catch-22 with his PA-11. Read more...  

 

Blog

Deadlines and sticker shock

Aircraft owners can sabotage themselves by putting too much time pressure on a maintenance shop, and also by arguing about the bill, according to Opinion Leaders blogger Mike Busch. Deadlines, and debates about spending, can come back to bite an owner in the long run, or even sooner. Read more...  

Gear

 

Article

The quiet, comfortable ONE(-X)

David Clark is not messing around. The DC ONE-X aviation headset, which began shipping this year, offers a potent combination of comfort, connectivity, and quiet, completing a pivot away from decades of tough but hard-clamping headgear that the Worcester, Massachusetts, company was once known for making. Read more...  

Travel

 

Article

Sandy landing

The Cessna Caravan fought a stiff crosswind as the pilot aimed the nose at a narrow strip of sand. There was no room for error, with palm trees flanking the landing strip in Indonesia, AOPA Pilot Information Center specialist Ty Chaudhry recalled about his first job as a Caravan captain. "We needed to stop quickly without much reverse so we didn't create a sandstorm," Chaudhry said. Read more...  

Financial

 

Member benefit

Know the facts when it comes to accident insurance

Many families complement their life insurance with accident or AD&D insurance. AOPA offers members access to an AD&D insurance plan that does not have aviation exclusions for members, their spouses, and children. Read more...  

 

AOPA Aviation Finance

Storm 'clouds' when you're buying an airplane

Pilots deal with clouds their entire flying lives. But there's another kind of cloud you might experience that's not meteorological. You might face a "cloud" during the airplane purchase process. Read more...  

News and Notes

 

Article

Honda gains production certificate

The FAA has issued a production certificate to Honda Aircraft Co. for the HondaJet, citing the manufacturer's "continuing commitment to quality and safety." Read more...  

 

Article

Vote in flight training poll

Aviators who are ready to vote before November's general election can cast their ballots now in the 2016 AOPA Flight Training Poll. Previous winners of the annual contest shared key insider information that could power this year's contenders to the top of the pack before voting closes Aug. 22. Read more...  

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 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.

Question of the Week

Question

You've always been lucky to have a clearance delivery, tower, or communications outlet on the field when you've needed to depart IFR, but not this time. You're not a big fan of departing VFR and trying to stay VFR while you pick up an IFR clearance. Are other options easily accessible?

Answer

Yes. You can call National Clearance Delivery at 888/766-8267. Flight service personnel man the number and can facilitate your IFR clearance. To avoid delays, make sure you are ready to copy a clearance, have a realistic idea of how long it will take until you're ready to get airborne, and are prepared to wait for them to coordinate with ATC. Other useful phone numbers for flight service are available online.

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

 

Education and Seminars

Flight Instructor Refresher Courses

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

Sep 10 - Elkridge, Maryland

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 27-30 - Oshkosh, Wisconsin

Aug 24 - Frederick, Maryland

Sep 6 - Wichita, Kansas; Madison, Wisconsin; and Seattle, Washington

Sep 7 - Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; and Portland, Oregon

Sep 8 - Eugene, Oregon; Manitowoc, Wisconsin; and Bentonville, Arkansas

Topics vary—for details and a complete schedule, see AOPA Online.

Rusty Pilots Seminars

Jul 16 - San Marcos, Texas; and West Mifflin, Pennsylvania

Jul 27 - Oshkosh, Wisconsin

Aug 13 - Fort Worth, Texas

Aug 20 - Bremerton, Washington; Hayden, Idaho; and Fullerton, California

For a complete schedule, see AOPA Online.

 

Aviation Calendar

Want something to do this weekend? Planning an aviation getaway? See AOPA's enhanced calendar of events. You can filter events by date range, airport ID, state, or region. Before you take off on an adventure, make sure you check our current aviation weather provided by Jeppesen.

To include an event or to search all events in the calendar, visit AOPA Online. For airport details, including FBO fuel prices, see AOPA Airports. AOPA does not endorse or assume responsibility for the events submitted and listed in the calendar.

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

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