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Top Stories
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Advocacy
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."
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Online resource
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.
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AOPA Live This Week
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...
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Technique and Safety
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Login required
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
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
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
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...
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Advocacy
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Article
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.
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Advocacy
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.
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Health
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Pilot Protection Services
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.
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Technology
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Article
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.
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Opinion
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Blog
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.
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Blog
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.
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Gear
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Article
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.
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Travel
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Article
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.
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Financial
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Member benefit
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.
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AOPA Aviation Finance
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.
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News and Notes
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Article
The FAA has issued a production certificate to Honda Aircraft Co. for the HondaJet, citing the manufacturer's "continuing commitment to quality and safety."
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Article
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.
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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, 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.
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Question of the Week
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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.
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Education and Seminars
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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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