October 28, 2016 - VOL 16, ISSUE 44

Flight Training News

You Can Fly

Best schools, CFIs honored

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...  

Article

Migration fosters ideas

Part customer meeting, part big-idea conference, part team-building retreat, the Redbird Migration Flight Training Conference again this year 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...  

Redbird announces financing partner for flight sims

Redbird Migration attendees learned about the company's recent partnership deal with Bank of the Ozarks to help flight training organizations finance Redbird flight training systems and services. The agreement "can be customized to fit the needs of each flight training organization," and could help flight schools and training centers seeking to expand or upgrade their equipment.

Video

Two engines, four rules

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...  

Slideshow

Wings 'n Wheels draws crowd

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...  

You Can Fly

High school symposium set for November

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...  

FlightSafety Academy turns 50

FlightSafety Academy, which specializes in flight training instruction for airlines, government and military agencies, and professional flight departments, marked the facility's fiftieth anniversary Oct. 17. Bruce Whitman, president of FlightSafety International, thanked the "21,000 Academy graduates who fly for 62 airlines and over 100 corporate flight departments around the world." The 30-acre campus in Vero Beach, Florida, has multimedia classrooms, flight training devices, an air traffic control communications lab, and a fleet of nearly 90 aircraft.

Article

Air Safety Institute tapped for CFI recurrent training

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...  

Election 2016

Pilot magazine

Plane politics

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 primary and general election seasons. See how the candidates responded to AOPA's general aviation questionnaire.  

Plane Spotter

Perlan's pride

All aircraft are "a bundle of compromises," but some have more engineering challenges to overcome than others. Take a glider known as the Perlan 2: It's a pressurized two seater with 84-foot-long wings, scientific instrumentation, and aerodynamic capabilities indicative of a unique mission—flying "at the edge of space" to conduct atmospheric research. The aircraft, which recently underwent flight tests in Argentina, can fly "acceptably" at sea level and at 90,000 feet, according to the Perlan project's website; the glider's weight is about the same as a Volkswagen Beetle.

Training Products and Resources

Online resource

What goes up must come down

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...  

Instant weather info at pilots' fingertips

The Weather Flow Weather Meter wireless anemometer is a weather station that fits in your pocket. The Bluetooth device measures wind speed, temperature, humidity, and barometric pressure readings using smartphone technology. Users can view the data and share it via social media if desired. The weather device is available from PilotMall.com for $79.95.

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

Member benefit

Tips for obtaining insurance quotes

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...  

Pilot Protection Services

Be aware of your rights and the FAA's compliance philosophy

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...  

AOPA Aviation Finance

Answers to the top aircraft financing questions

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...  

Blogs

Nearly equal pay for nearly equal work

Airline pilots, or those in the pipeline for the regionals or majors, have some welcome news regarding pay, according to Flight Training blogger and airline pilot Chip Wright. "At the regional level, it means that those pilots have a chance to have a decent standard of living," he writes. "At the majors, getting as many pilots as possible a contract that pays the same (or nearly the same) for comparable equipment means that airlines have leveled much of the field of competition." Read more...  

Final Exam

Question

I fly from an airport that has an AWOS, but I don't have a radio. What should I be doing?

Answer

You might consider buying a handheld radio to assist with setting the altimeter and with your in-flight situational awareness. If you are flying below 18,000 feet msl, you should set the altimeter to the current reported altimeter setting at your airport or at a station along your route and within 100 nautical miles of your aircraft. If there are no stations that meet these criteria, or if you do not have a radio, you can set the altimeter to field elevation before departure (see 14 CFR 91.121). You also can make a phone call to the AWOS as listed in the chart supplement (formerly known as the airport/facility directory). For more information on the importance of having the correct altimeter setting, read this AOPA Air Safety Institute article.

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 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, 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.