October 7, 2016 - VOL 16, ISSUE 41

Flight Training News

You Can Fly

AOPA, Purdue to develop aviation curricula

AOPA and Purdue University have announced a partnership to develop aviation science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) curricula for high schools across America. The program will be the first of its kind, offering students comprehensive four-year aviation study options that are aligned to rigorous math and science standards used in many states nationwide. Read more...  

You Can Fly

Raisbeck leads STEM learning

Students at Raisbeck Aviation High School near Seattle listened intently during a hands-on ground school class as they learned to compute speed and wind correction angle on manual E6B flight calculators. The school has been teaching STEM curricula for several years as other high schools have ramped up for what experts see as an explosion of opportunity for future aviators. Read more...  

Article

Teen pilot flying high

Flying a rock star to and from a gig; earning an instrument flight instructor certificate; and qualifying in Australia to fly large, experimental drones before turning 19, Colorado teen Olivia Scout Lockhart has packed quite a lot into an aviation career that has only just begun. Read more...  

Article

FAA scrambles to hire controllers

More than 35 years after President Ronald Reagan fired 11,000 air traffic controllers who had gone on strike in the midst of a bitter labor battle, the FAA still faces periodic waves of shortages. For the first time in seven years, however, the FAA is poised to catch up with recruiting efforts, at least in the near term: The agency is on track to hire 1,781 new air traffic controllers before the end of December. Read more...  

Squawk ident

Are you automatically cleared to enter Class B airspace while receiving flight following? In the AOPA Air Safety Institute's Ask ATC: Flight Following and Airspace video, air traffic controllers discuss things to consider when traversing different airspace areas. Watch the video...  

Scholarships

Women in Aviation scholarship deadline nears

Those who have a passion for aviation and aerospace have until Nov. 14 to apply for 75 scholarships from Women in Aviation International. "In the past 20 years, WAI has disbursed more than $10 million to its members to help them reach their goals and advance into the aviation and aerospace careers they have always dreamed about," according to the group's website. Search the scholarships available and apply online.

Plane Spotter

The littler Lockheed

Plane spotting is the ultimate aeronautical spectator sport. But sometimes nailing the identification is part knowing your airframes, and an equal part having a head for history. Once you have pinned down a 1930s-era taildragger with two 450-horsepower radial engines and twin vertical tails as a member of Lockheed's lineup (not a Beech 18), the next step is to distinguish between the Model 10—the 10,500-pound, 12-place aircraft flown by Amelia Earhart—and the aircraft pictured here, a Model 12A Electra Junior, the 8,650-pound (loaded), eight-seat successor to the Electra.

Training Products and Resources

Video

Ready for a spot landing?

Hone short-field landing techniques beyond currency requirements after reviewing the AOPA Air Safety Institute's Takeoffs and Landings: Short Field Landings video. Flight instructors discuss the point of aiming for a landing spot and touching down at the slowest airspeed. Watch the video...  

Portable space dryer fits in the palm of your hand

For a new solution to an old problem, check out H2Out's line of portable space dryers. The military- and NASA-inspired design utilizes a nontoxic silica gel desiccant placed inside small stainless steel canisters lined with perforations to allow the substance to do its job cleanly and without the fear of spillage. The reusable containers draw moisture from delicate electronics, and their dehumidifying power can be renewed by baking them in an oven. The 3-inch-tall SD103 can dehumidify a 1-by-1-by-5-foot area and is available online from Aircraft Spruce & Specialty Co. for $14.95.

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.

Member Benefits

Pilot Protection Services

Tips to understand maintenance logbook entries

Discrepancies in airworthiness can cause headaches for owners/operators and mechanics. AOPA Pilot Protection Services Panel attorney Jeffrey R. Ludwig details how to avoid future snafus by keeping proper records. Read more...  

Instrument Tip

IFR Fix

Lines of revision

You contacted your instrument flight instructor after checking your logbook revealed that an endorsement was required to maintain your IFR currency. And some proficiency work can never hurt. Read more...  

Final Exam

Question

I just passed my private pilot airplane checkride in a single-engine aircraft. I would like to add multiengine privileges to my certificate. Must I accomplish all the same training and testing steps again that I had to accomplish for my airplane single-engine land (ASEL) rating in a multi?

Answer

No, you don't necessarily have to log the same training and flight hours. In fact, you don't even need to take another written exam to add an additional aircraft class rating to your existing pilot certificate (see 14 CFR 61.63(c)). You would have to train to proficiency on the required areas of knowledge and operation specifically listed in 14 CFR 61.105 and 61.107(b)(2), then obtain an endorsement for the practical test from your instructor. At that point you should be familiar with, among other things, new concepts like V_MC, V_XSE, V_YSE, and accelerate-stop distance, and have gained more exposure to aircraft systems and emergency procedures than you may have received during your single-engine training. Finally, you can schedule and pass your practical test in a multiengine airplane. For more information, see this AOPA subject report, and check out Chapter 12 of the Airplane Flying Handbook.

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.

Career Opportunities

AOPA seeks Rusty Pilots seminar presenters

Flight instructors and advanced ground instructors who have a passion for teaching could help pilots get back in the air through AOPA's You Can Fly program. The association is seeking part-time Rusty Pilots seminar presenters who can travel about once a month in 2017. These independent contractors will host presentations to help certificated pilots satisfy the ground portion of their flight review as the first step in returning to active pilot status. Learn more...

AOPA career opportunities

Join the AOPA team

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, flying clubs initiative senior manager, New York You Can Fly ambassador, aviation technical specialist, product marketing specialist, advertising-marketing coordinator, and UI/front-end developer. To learn more about these and other AOPA career opportunities, visit AOPA Online.