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Top Stories
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Article
Who knows how twenty-first century aviation might be different if Nashville's 16-year-old Robert A. "Bob" Hoover had told his mother that day back in 1938 that he was headed to Berry Field to begin flight training. She undoubtedly would have opposed such a whimsical use of the money he earned working at the local grocery store. But he didn't ask, and he soloed months later in a Taylor Cub, setting off a series of events that led to Hoover becoming among the most renowned and enduring test and airshow pilots in history. Hoover died Oct. 25 at age 94. Read more...
 
You Can Fly
A Florida flight training business that keeps its customers on course toward their goals and a Maryland flight instructor who has gone out on her own for the love of instructing have been voted winners of AOPA's 2016 Flight Training Excellence Awards. Nine additional flight schools and 10 more flight instructors were judged to be "outstanding" by their students; 60 flight schools and 50 flight instructors also were recognized as being on the flight training "honor roll." Read more...
AOPA Live This Week
Robert A. "Bob" Hoover will be missed by millions of admirers but leaves a legacy that will long endure. Known for his talent for telling the story of aviation as well as consummate skill in the cockpit, his flying career was from start to finish a study in overcoming obstacles. Also this week, AOPA honors excellence in flight training, and classic car lovers and airplane aficionados gather in numbers at the AOPA National Aviation Community Center in Frederick, Maryland. Watch AOPA Live This Week®, Oct. 27...
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Election 2016
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Pilot magazine
Never has a contest for leader of the free world featured two candidates who have logged as much jet time as Hillary Clinton or Donald J. Trump. Clinton, the most traveled secretary of state in U.S. history (and before that, the U.S. Senate's most prolific flier), spent $2.1 million on campaign-related travel through August. Trump, who once owned an airline (the former Eastern Airlines Shuttle, which became the Trump Shuttle), has made extensive use of his current air assets throughout the election season. See how the candidates responded to AOPA's general aviation questionnaire.
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Technique and Safety
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Video
Multiengine airplanes offer increased performance and greater safety. Those benefits, however, come with strings attached. In Taming the Twin: Four Rules for Safe Multiengine Flying, the AOPA Air Safety Institute explores some of the proactive things pilots can do to ensure a safe outcome on every multiengine flight. Watch the video...
Article
The Arkansas State Department of Aeronautics chose the AOPA Air Safety Institute to provide the state's certificated flight instructors with FAA-required recurrent training in Jacksonville Feb. 11 and 12. The two-day, in-person flight instructor refresher course will be available to about 125 flight instructors. Learn more...
Accident analysis
It's easy to lose track of time while doing something you love, and often, it's also harmless. Flight is one of the exceptions where vigilance is less likely to spoil the fun than its absence. Learn lessons from a fatal accident in which a pilot ran out of fuel. Read more in this special report from the AOPA Air Safety Institute...
Online resource
You want to get it right each time you take off and land, so a helpful refresher from the AOPA Air Safety Institute's Takeoffs and Landings Safety Spotlight may be in order. Glean critical information that helps you evaluate your best approach to runway, obstacle, and aircraft performance considerations. Learn more...
Aircraft Maintenance
Aircraft owners often hold their breath for the compression test results during an engine inspection. Pilot, aircraft owner, and A&P Jeff Simon explains that compression checks are merely a starting point in evaluating the health of the cylinders. Read more...
Article
Jeff McGuire entered the Captain Jepp Challenge because he wanted to become a better pilot. The safety programs that he studied helped him do that, but he also got more—a trip for two to EAA AirVenture 2017. Read more...
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Advocacy
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Advocacy
General aviation pilots should review and abide by an emergency FAA order that prohibits transporting a Samsung Galaxy Note 7 smartphone by air, AOPA said. Samsung pulled the devices from the market after they were shown to be prone to overheating, fire, or explosion. Read more...
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Technology
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Article
A technological innovation that flew on a Mach 3 airplane in the 1960s is being reconsidered by NASA, with the hope that modern materials and actuators will make it practical and efficient to fold wings in flight. The Spanwise Adaptive Wing concept to be tested first on a flying scale model in 2017 extends the concept of wing morphing to a new level. Read more...
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Opinion
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Blog
Opinion Leaders blogger Amy Laboda finds a treasure trove of de Havilland Aircraft products—Beavers, Gypsy Moths, Tiger Moths, Fox Moths, Chipmunks, and even rarer, Doves—in New Zealand, and gets a chance to sample a few. Read more...
Blog
At a tiny airport near the border of France and Spain, Opinion Leaders blogger Garrett Fisher is relying more on see-and-avoid than on radio communications in the traffic pattern because of the number of languages spoken. Read more...
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Gear
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Article
The FAA has determined that two NavWorx Inc. universal access transceiver (UAT) models do not qualify for the FAA's $500 Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) Out rebate program. The UATs provide ADS-B Out and In capabilities on the 978-MHz frequency.
Read more...
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Travel
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Webinar
Want a refresher on the ICAO flight plan form? Join Leidos Flight Service and AOPA for a free webinar Nov. 9 at 8 p.m. Eastern Standard Time to learn how to use the ICAO flight plan form. Register today...
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Financial
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Article
Textron's Scorpion twinjet, designed as a low-cost combat aircraft and revealed in 2013, is still seeking to lock on to an actual customer, though the company hopes that will change after the U.S. Air Force finishes certification of the jet. The Scorpion recently completed its first weapons firing tests in New Mexico. Read more...
Member benefit
When it comes to getting a quote from both AOPA and your current insurance broker, "blocking" rarely comes into play, but you should be aware of the exceptions that may apply to you. Read more...
AOPA Aviation Finance
Ever wondered if it's possible to expedite the refinancing process, or about your options to finance upgrade expenses? Check out this month's Adam Answers. Read more...
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News and Notes
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Slideshow
The inaugural Wings 'n Wheels aircraft, automobile, and motorcycle event that began as a gathering between friends drew almost 2,500 to AOPA's National Aviation Community Center at Maryland's Frederick Municipal Airport Oct. 22. Attendees inspected and climbed on, in, over, and around 18 aircraft, 75 classic and custom cars, and 50 modern and vintage motorcycles. The marriage of aviation and motoring attracted a family-friendly crowd during a brilliant but blustery fall day. Read more and view a slideshow...
Article
Cosby Stone has decided to retire after 28 years as chief executive of the publishing company his grandfather launched in 1937 and built into one of aviation's most recognizable brands. For nearly eight decades, Trade-A-Plane has been a go-to resource for pilots seeking affordable airplanes, hard-to-find parts, and more. Read more...
Article
Part customer meeting, part big-idea conference, part team-building retreat, the Redbird Migration Flight Training Conference again proved to be an event unique to aviation. The sixth annual gathering held Oct. 24 to 26 at the company's Skyport fixed-base operator in San Marcos, Texas, played host to everything from a model airplane contest to AOPA's 2016 Flight Training Excellence Awards. Read more...
You Can Fly
The two-day AOPA High School Aviation STEM Symposium kicks off Nov. 6 at the Museum of Flight in Seattle. Nearly 200 aviation educators and administrators will attend to discuss teaching practices, starting an aviation STEM program at their school, and building partnerships. Attendees also will learn more about AOPA's partnership with Purdue University to develop aviation STEM curricula for high schools. The symposium is part of AOPA's You Can Fly initiative launched in 2015 to build a vibrant, growing, and self-sustaining community of active pilots. Learn more and register today...
Article
This autumn has certainly produced a burst of activity for several type-specific organizations with three, mainly turbine-oriented, groups holding their annual conventions within four weeks of one another. The TBM Owners and Pilots Association held its convention in Phoenix in late September; the Malibu/Mirage Owners and Pilots Association (which also includes Piper Meridian and M600 owners) met in New Orleans in early October; and, most recently, the Citation Jet Pilots Association had its eighth annual convention Oct. 19 to 23—also in New Orleans. Read more...
Pilot Protection Services
The FAA's compliance philosophy focuses on using counseling and additional training rather than legal enforcement action to correct deviations that occur from simple mistakes, misunderstandings, or diminished skills; however, it is important to remember the Pilot's Bill of Rights and that anything you say to an FAA representative could be used against you. Read more...
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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, product marketing specialist, and UI/front-end developer. 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
While serving as safety pilot for a friend who is working on instrument currency, you notice that he seems to be leaning the engine contrary to the way you were taught. Where can you find the proper procedure for leaning?
Answer
The best place to look for the correct leaning procedures is the pilot's operating handbook for the aircraft. Most manufacturers include recommendations on when to lean (such as altitude) and how to lean (such as EGT or lean/rich of peak). Following these recommendations is especially important if you're having problems with fouled spark plugs or if you're doing a long cross-country, because the fuel burns in the performance charts are calculated using the recommended procedures from the manufacturer. For more information, read "Dogfight: Running lean of peak," "Training Tip: Lean mixture, hot engine?," or the AOPA Air Safety Institute's Engine Operations Safety Advisor.
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
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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Air Safety Institute Safety Seminars
Oct 31 - Greenville, South Carolina
Nov 1 - Fletcher, North Carolina; and Columbus, Georgia
Nov 2 - Greensboro, North Carolina; and Huntsville, Alabama
Nov 3 - Morrisville, North Carolina
Topics vary—for details and a complete schedule, see AOPA Online.
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Rusty Pilots Seminars
Oct 29 - Burlington, Washington; San Diego, California; and Columbus, Ohio
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
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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