Training Tips
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Sponsored by Aircraft Spruce
In the United States, clocks will be turned back Nov. 6 as most states reset from daylight saving time to standard time in their time zones. That means student pilots who have been taking flight lessons at 4 p.m. local time, with the sessions concluding around dusk, will now get a taste of conditions bordering on true night flight at the end of their lessons. Also, pilots should take care to adjust for the switch-over when looking over weather forecasts based on Coordinated Universal Time and when filing flight plans. Read more...
 
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Flight Training News
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Video
The AOPA Air Safety Institute's Margins of Safety: Avoiding Power-On Stalls illustrates the difference between stall training and real-world scenarios. The video, brought to you by BendixKing by Honeywell, discusses techniques to recognize and prevent an accidental power-on stall. Watch the video...
Article
Weather Modification International of Fargo, North Dakota, announced the purchase of an atmospheric research aircraft from the University of North Dakota and the expansion of a collaboration to develop programs and educational opportunities for students. Read more...
Article
Flamingo Air's Airline Ground Schools and Pan Am International Flight Academy announced a partnership for FAA-approved aircraft dispatch training. The two companies teamed up Oct. 28 to offer long-distance online instruction to account for 152 of the required 200 hours needed to complete the dispatcher certification program. Read more...
Article
FAPA.aero, a company that provides career and financial advice to future and active professional pilots, will host a pilot job fair Dec. 2 and a future pilot forum Dec. 3 in Dallas. Read more...
Civil Air Patrol commanders go to school
Fifteen Civil Air Patrol commanders from Hawaii to Vermont attended educational and hands-on seminars Oct. 31 to Nov. 3 aimed at leadership, expectations, safety, and other topics at the organization's national headquarters at Maxwell Air Force Base in Alabama. Participants in the graduate-level Wing Commanders College learn about emergency services, aerospace education, logistics, and other topics important to leadership and skill building for Civil Air Patrol cadets.
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Scholarships
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Deadline nears for $600K in 2017 scholarships
The deadline for Women in Aviation International scholarships totaling $662,625 is Nov. 14, and applications may be submitted online. The organization offers a wide range of funding opportunities for WAI members of all ages and abilities, including students, instructors, mechanics, engineers, dispatchers, ag pilots, and more.
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AOPA Live
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AOPA Live This Week
Cirrus Aircraft told attendees at the National Business Aviation Association convention in Orlando, Florida, that the newly certificated, single-engine SF50 Vision Jet will be a game changer. New aircraft and aircraft upgrades were announced at the show, but the market outlook for business jets still looks tight. Renowned biographer David McCullough discusses what made the Wright brothers great as well as his views on the current race for president. Also this week, AOPA takes you to Texas as the Commemorative Air Force relocates and holds its first Wings Over Dallas airshow. Watch AOPA Live This Week®, Nov. 3...
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Plane Spotter
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When whales fly
Scroll through photos of de Havilland's 1950s-era DHC-3 Otter and you are likely to see the high-winged, 10-seat, 8,000-pound-gross-weight single-engine bush plane in many configurations on straight or amphibious floats, on skis, and perhaps even on its original conventional landing gear. The stock 600-horsepower radial engine is frequently replaced by a turboprop, as is the case on this member of the Seattle, Washington, area's Kenmore Air fleet, Wild Orca, painted and named for a nonprofit organization dedicated to whale conservation. The DHC-6 Twin Otter is a development of the single-engine model.
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Training Products and Resources
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Video
Before you get a complete weather picture at the Aviation Weather Center's revamped www.aviationweather.gov website, let the AOPA Air Safety Institute guide you through some of the excellent resources available. Weather Wise: The AWC Website is one installment in a video series focused on practical weather flying. Watch the video...
Solar chargers monitor, refresh aircraft battery power
BatteryMINDer solar chargers monitor an aircraft's battery while topping off its charge. The Model SCC-005-AA-S2 works with Gill and Concorde aviation batteries, and the Model SCC-005-AA-S3 is designed for absorbed glass mat sealed aviation batteries. A 5-watt solar panel provides maximum storage capacity and battery life when the sun is out. The devices are available from Aircraft Spruce and Specialty Co. for $163.99.
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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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Webinar
Want to know how to determine the most efficient route and save fuel as you plan your flight? Ever needed an easy way to determine whether departing just a few hours earlier or later could help you avoid adverse weather or flight restrictions? Join Leidos Flight Service and AOPA for a free webinar Nov. 9 at 8 p.m. Eastern Standard Time to learn about advanced flight planning capabilities available through www.1800wxbrief.com. Register today...
Pilot Protection Services
The carotid arteries are major vessels that deliver oxygen and nutrient-rich blood to the brain, so they are important conduits to keep open. AOPA Director of the Pilot Information Center's Medical Certification Section Gary Crump discusses how to prevent and treat carotid artery disease and the tests that the FAA will require to grant a special issuance authorization. Read more...
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Blogs
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Like most AOPA members, Brad Sunshine follows the AOPA Sweepstakes 172's restoration effort closely, but he has a different perspective: Sunshine, who now flies for a Fortune 50 corporate flight department, used to fly the airplane in the mid-1990s. "[A]ll these years later, the aircraft remains an enduring component of my flying passion and experiences," he said. "As an AOPA member, I take comfort knowing that I at least have a shot (albeit a very small one) at reuniting with N739HW." Read more...
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Instrument Tip
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IFR Fix
Airports in the Northeast braced for high winds and heavy precip from a late October storm. As the rain pounded down, this notice to airmen reported field conditions (FICON) on the longest runway at New Hampshire's Manchester Airport: "MHT 10/088 MHT RWY 35 FICON 5/5/5 100 PRCT WET OBSERVED AT 1610281100." If this notam's presentation appears different from FICON notams you are used to reviewing, that's because it is an example of the new format for FICON notams. Read more...
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Final Exam
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Question
I didn't pass the color plate test when I went for my FAA medical exam, and the AME issued my medical certificate with this limitation: "Not valid for night flying or color signal control." I'd like to be able to fly at night. How can I have this limitation removed?
Answer
There are a few other FAA-approved alternative color plate tests, which are less sensitive to mild color vision deficiency. The Dvorine 2nd edition 15-plate test is a popular one that your optometrist or ophthalmologist may have available. For more information about other tests and color restriction removal, see AOPA's website.
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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 a government affairs federal and state vice president, Central Southwest regional manager, Great Lakes regional manager, account executive, annual giving manager, donor relations director, high school aviation initiative manager, New York You Can Fly ambassador, aviation technical specialist, and UI/front-end developer. 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
Nov 12-13 - San Diego, California
Nov 19-20 - Anchorage, Alaska; Atlanta, Georgia; and Austin, Texas
Dec 3-4 - Denver, Colorado; and Orlando, Florida
Jan 7-8 - Charlotte, North Carolina; Rockford, Tennessee; Santa Clara, California; and Ypsilanti, Michigan
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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Rusty Pilots Seminars
Nov 5 - Austin, Texas; and Carlsbad, California
Nov 12 - Lakeland, Florida; Tulsa, Oklahoma; and Lawrenceville, Georgia
Nov 19 - Loveland, Colorado; Henderson, Nevada; and Murrieta, California
Dec 3 - Tyler, Texas; and Scottsdale, Arizona
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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