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Top Stories
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Article
A pilot and his teenage daughter walked away (briskly) with barely a scratch after their Cirrus SR22 lost power over Long Island. The sixty-third deployment of the Cirrus Airframe Parachute System was captured on camera.
Read more...
 
AOPA Live This Week
Diamond Aircraft's DA62 twin diesel is cleared for delivery, with FAA certification now in place. Find out what this new twin can do, and why it has people talking as AOPA puts it to a flight test. A Cirrus pilot acted quickly and pulled the parachute after losing the engine at low altitude over Long Island, and cameras captured the happy ending. Also this week, inspiring the next generation of aviators can start with a world record attempt for paper airplanes.
Watch AOPA Live This Week®, March 10...
Advocacy
The FAA has announced a proposed rule that would make it easier, faster, and less expensive to get modern safety equipment into general aviation aircraft. Read more...
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Technique and Safety
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Video
Reducing energy consumption may be a laudable goal, but skimping on fuel is not the best way to achieve it. Taking a cue from televised public service announcements, the AOPA Air Safety Institute's Hybrid Power Pilot Safety Announcement is meant to raise awareness of proper fuel planning.
Watch the video...
Safety Spotlight
Angle of attack is a fundamental aerodynamic principle, but do we understand how it applies? Find out how to be safe during critical phases of flight with the AOPA Air Safety Institute's Aerodynamics Safety Spotlight.
Fortify your knowledge...
Aircraft Maintenance
Regardless of the reason for an engine overhaul, it's a big job; making sure that the engine is properly overhauled and reinstalled in the aircraft is critical. Read more...
Fly like a fighter
If you want your flying to be really smooth, stable, and precise, just imagine that you are flying at night, in instrument meteorological conditions, with three aircraft in close formation on your wing. Retired U.S. Air Force pilot Larry Brown shares his experience leading a tanking operation on a cloudy night. Read more...
Blog
A healthy respect for mechanics and shops grows with each encounter, says AOPA Air Safety Institute Senior Safety Advisor Bruce Landsberg, who is in the midst of his second owner-assisted annual. He says diligent maintenance, a keen eye, and common sense are keys to keeping your aircraft safe for flight. Read more...
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Advocacy
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Advocacy
The Senate Commerce Committee has unveiled its own version of FAA reauthorization legislation, which it will mark up on March 16. Read more...
Advocacy
AOPA is asking the FAA to make it easier and safer for general aviation aircraft to operate in the busy airspace near Disneyland Park in Anaheim, California. Read more...
Survey
Your help needed: Annual GA survey
Keep an eye out for the thirty-eighth annual General Aviation and Part 135 Activity Survey. Be sure to complete the information requested because this important tool helps pinpoint where improvements in GA funding and safety can best be applied. Take a look at previous years' survey results.
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Technology
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Article
The Dawn spacecraft, a NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory mission to the distant reaches of our solar system, has won the 2015 Robert J. Collier Trophy. The National Aeronautic Association assembled a panel of 32 experts (including AOPA President Mark Baker) to choose the winner from a crowded field of nominees. Read more...
Article
The Red Bull Air Race World Championship returns to action with qualifying for the first race of 2016 on March 11. The two American teams in the Master Class return to Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, with fresh aircraft modifications and fresh determination to win. Read more...
Article
L-3 Aviation Products has added terrain warnings and an aural Traffic Advisory System to its Lynx NGT-9000 touchscreen Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast transponder. The upgrades are available to existing users through a software update. Read more...
Article
When he returned to Earth after spending a record 340 consecutive days in outer space (and 522 days in his career, another record), NASA astronaut Scott Kelly said he was a little bit taller, a wee bit wobbly, and longing for a fresh salad. Read more...
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Opinion
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Blog
After hearing motivational speaker Robert DeLaurentis caution against letting fear and self-doubt hold you back, Opinion Leaders blogger Jolie Lucas put the theory to the test in San Carlos, California. When she was unsure of a noise abatement procedure on departure, Lucas "did what a lot of pilots maybe don't do, I asked for clarification and help." Controllers even thanked her for it. Read more...
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Gear
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Article
Customers should see no changes to the general aviation product line of navigation and messaging company DeLorme resulting from the firm’s acquisition by Garmin. Read more...
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Travel
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AOPA Pilot magazine
The semicircular speck on the desert floor below could be a mirage. From 20 nautical miles, it's visible one moment, then partially obscured by shifting plumes of wind-driven dust the next. At 10 miles, however, the distinctive outline of Black Rock City and the Burning Man festival comes into focus. It's just one of the many exciting destinations featured in AOPA's new Getaways Web page.
Read more about Burning Man...
Webinar
Learn about great flying destinations
Looking for new flying adventures this year? Join AOPA Editor in Chief Tom Haines and George Kounis, publisher of Pilot Getaways, for a webinar on March 16 at 8 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time to learn about fabulous general aviation destinations across the country. Seats are limited, so register now.
Pilot Protection Services
Cross-border operations require careful preflight planning and preparation. Numerous considerations range from customs requirements and landing permits to equipment mandates and insurance liability minimums. What happens if you break an aviation regulation in a foreign country? Read more...
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Financial
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Member benefit
When financing an aircraft, the aircraft itself determines some of the conditions of the financing. Here are the top five factors that an aircraft financing company examines.
Read more...
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News and Notes
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Article
Aviation enthusiasts around the world had 15 minutes to test their paper airplane-folding skills for a record attempt helping celebrate Women of Aviation Worldwide Week and International Women's Day March 8. Read more...
Article
Top U.S. Air Force officials have told a House subcommittee that they won't make the FAA's 2020 deadline for installation of Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast position reporting equipment. Read more...
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Article
You can help AOPA in its efforts to grow the pilot population by inviting pilots and aviation enthusiasts to join the organization's worldwide community. Read more...
Article
Daher, the French manufacturer that builds the TBM 900 single-engine turboprop, announced several new safety enhancements to the airplane at the recent Singapore Airshow. Read more...
Article
The FAA begins the airworthiness certificate process March 14 in Wichita for Doc the B-29 bomber. The bomber could fly by May. Read more...
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Article
It was back to the drawing board for Piper engineers after the single-engine turboprop M600 failed to make speed goals that owners said they needed. The wing interior has been redesigned, allowing certification in the third quarter of 2016, one year late. Read more...
If you live in an area that observes daylight saving time, don't forget to move your clocks forward an hour March 13. Remember that the conversion to Zulu time will change, too. See the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's time conversion chart.
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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 aviation technical specialist, social media evangelist, Flying Clubs Initiative manager, marketing copywriter, Web project manager, and member services representative. To learn more about other AOPA career opportunities, visit AOPA Online.
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Question of the Week
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Question
While looking at an instrument approach plate for an airport to which you plan on flying in the next week or two, you notice that the final approach course is lined up with the runway heading, and the descent profile doesn't look too steep, but the approach is still designated as circling only (VOR-A instead of VOR-29). You may not end up shooting this approach, but your curiosity is piqued. Is there anyone you can contact to find out exactly why this approach is circling only?
Answer
Yes. The FAA's Instrument Flight Procedures Information Gateway allows users to look up an airport and view its procedures. Click the "email us" link on that particular procedure to send questions or comments to the FAA procedures team. This service is not limited to approach plates—it includes airport diagrams, hot spot diagrams, STARs, DPs, and minimums as well.
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
Mar 12-13 - Phoenix, Arizona; Burlingame, California; King of Prussia, Pennsylvania; and Virginia Beach, Virginia
Mar 19-20 - Orlando, Florida; and Elkridge, Maryland
Apr 2-3 - Denver, Colorado; Tampa, Florida; Needham, Massachusetts; and Dulles, Virginia
Apr 9-10 - Indianapolis, Indiana; and Salt Lake City, Utah
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
Mar 14 - Northbrook, Illinois; Fletcher, North Carolina; and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Mar 15 - Lisle, Illinois; Jamestown, North Carolina; and Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Mar 16 - East Peoria, Illinois; Morrisville, North Carolina; and Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
Mar 17 - Rockford, Illinois; and King of Prussia, Pennsylvania
Topics vary—for details and a complete schedule, see AOPA Online.
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Rusty Pilots Seminars
Mar 11 - Nashville, Tennessee
Mar 12 - Reading, Pennsylvania; El Cajon, California; and Bulverde, Texas
Mar 19 - Belleville, Michigan; West Lafayette, Indiana; and North Las Vegas, Nevada
Mar 23 - Riverside, California; La Porte, Indiana; and Middleton, Wisconsin
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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