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Top Stories
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AOPA Foundation focus
Fifteen individuals have been selected as winners of the 2016 AOPA Flight Training Scholarships, a program designed to help aviation trainees of all ages earn a pilot certificate. The scholarships are funded by donations to the AOPA Foundation. The 2016 winners include seven female aviators, an active-duty Marine, four high-school- and college-aged student pilots, and one recipient in his fifties. They will receive grants ranging from $2,500 to $12,000.
Read more...
 
AOPA Live This Week
The new remote pilot rule has taken off, and pilots are turning out in droves to earn certificates to operate unmanned aircraft weighing less than 55 pounds for purposes other than recreation, while hobby flying can lead to racing drones for dollars. Also this week, go behind the scenes to see how Waco Aircraft produces Waco YMF-5 and Great Lakes biplanes. The aircraft will be on display during the AOPA Fly-In at W.K. Kellogg Airport in Battle Creek, Michigan, Sept. 16 and 17. Plus, 15 student pilots get a lift from the 2016 AOPA Flight Training Scholarships program.
Watch AOPA Live This Week®, Sept. 1...
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Drone Pilot
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Advocacy
New rules for operating unmanned aircraft systems weighing less than 55 pounds took effect Aug. 29, marking a big step forward in integrating drones into the National Airspace System.
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Article
The FAA announced 76 waivers had been granted on Aug. 29, the day Part 107 took effect, demonstrating that the agency is entertaining requests to push beyond the current limits. One among that first batch of waivers will allow PrecisionHawk to fly drones beyond the remote pilot's sight.
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Article
More than 3,300 people signed up to take the FAA knowledge test for remote pilots on the first day they could, Aug. 29, the agency reported. Those new pilots will add to the Section 333 crowd already taking jobs flying cameras for use in construction, agriculture, real estate, film, television, and other applications. Landing a paying gig with a drone will prove more complicated for many pilots than obtaining the new certificate.
Read more and watch a video...
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AOPA Fly-Ins
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Video
Get ready to land at Michigan's W.K. Kellogg Airport and join fellow pilots and aviation enthusiasts at the AOPA Fly-In at Battle Creek, Sept. 16 and 17. From Friday's Barnstormers Party to the aircraft displays and exhibits, the fun starts when you arrive at the airport. But first, watch the fly-in procedures video, and download the pilot information packet at the end of the video.
Watch the video...
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Technique and Safety
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Pilot Protection Services
Pilots are taught not to rely on gauges alone to determine fuel quantity. A visual check of fuel in the tanks during preflight inspection to verify quantity is the prudent practice. But can you fly with a faulty fuel gauge? Find out what the FAA says.
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Seminar
How long did Charles Lindbergh go without sleep during his transatlantic flight? What piece of equipment "caused" Eastern Air Lines Flight 401 to crash? Find out when you attend the AOPA Air Safety Institute's new 90-minute fall seminar—brought to you by AOPA Insurance—which will be offered at various locations across the United States. Test your knowledge of the arcane, explore safety issues behind the trivia, and become a safer pilot.
Check dates and locations, and mark your calendar...
AOPA Premier Partner created content
A flight from a beautiful grass strip over the scenic hills of Vermont started out like a postcard, but the beauty masks a departure far trickier than it looks. Danger creeps up quickly. GoPros on board the aircraft captured the flight and show how, despite a thorough briefing, the pilots almost got into trouble. Learn how you can avoid something like this happening to you.
Watch the video from AOPA Premier Partner PilotWorkshops...
IFR Fix
Here's a drill you probably didn't practice on your last proficiency flight: the VCOA option. Do so on your next ride and it may be a learning experience for you, your instrument flight instructor, and even air traffic control.
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PDF
A slight burning odor, higher than normal electrical load, or tripped circuit breakers may signal the beginning of an in-flight fire. But how do you prevent a fire hazard in flight? Find out what to look for and how to deal with it in the AOPA Air Safety Institute's In-Flight Electrical Fires Safety Brief.
Download the PDF...
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Advocacy
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Advocacy
The FAA has once again advised the city of Santa Monica that it must keep Santa Monica Municipal Airport open and operating on "fair and reasonable terms" and "without unjust discrimination" at least until 2023. In a strongly worded letter dated Aug. 30, the FAA said it is "prepared to pursue all legal remedies at its disposal" if the city council acts to undermine the FAA's decision regarding the future of the airport.
Read more...
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Technology
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Article
Chalk up another legacy airplane as a candidate for a complete glass-cockpit upgrade: Garmin International announced that its G5000 avionics suite has earned supplemental type certificate approval for installation in Beechjet 400A/Hawker 400XP business jets.
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Opinion
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Blog
Opinion Leaders blogger Ron Rapp notes that the air carrier pilot shortage has affected career pilots because competent flight instructors are quickly snapped up by the airlines. He explains that some of the best instruction occurs unofficially in the cockpit because every co-pilot is really a captain in training.
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Gear
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AOPA Pilot magazine
Charging cords that won't interfere with aircraft radios when charging your electronic devices, and flight bags for beginners and professionals alike, are reviewed in AOPA Pilot.
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Travel
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Article
Pilots will have a chance to island-hop the Bahamas this fall on an Air Journey modern-day Bahamas Treasure Hunt that offers a way to explore and enjoy the Bahamas during a no-hassles, guided aviation adventure.
Read more...
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Financial
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Article
A volunteer group that restored a Douglas C-47 Skytrain in Australia for donation to the Flying Tigers Heritage Park and Museum in Guilin, China, experienced an engine failure shortly after stopping for fuel in Indonesia and is hoping to raise funds for a replacement.
Read more...
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News and Notes
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Article
A pilot intending to execute a surprise marriage proposal above the central Maryland countryside on Aug. 26 had to change his plan on the fly after a bird strike badly damaged his aircraft's right wing and required an immediate landing at Frederick Municipal Airport.
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Online resource
The National Hurricane Center reported Sept. 1 that Hurricane Hermine would bring tropical force winds and flooding rains to the Eastern Seaboard as it tracks northeast from Florida's Gulf Coast through the Labor Day weekend. Pilots should watch the storm's path, prepare to protect their aircraft, and visit AOPA's hurricane reference page for additional information.
Learn more...
Article
The FAA has advised helicopter operators and repair facilities of the potential failure of engine-mount assemblies on Bell helicopter models 206L1 and 206L3 from corrosion.
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, administrative coordinator, Central Southwest regional manager, account executive, donor relations director, development communications director, flying clubs initiative senior manager, communications director, New York You Can Fly ambassador, aviation technical specialist, product marketing specialist, advertising-marketing coordinator, and member services representative. 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
Must an already certificated manned aircraft pilot have a current flight review to apply for a remote pilot certificate?
Answer
If a certificated pilot does not want to get a current flight review to meet the requirements of applying for a remote pilot certificate, he or she can take the FAA written exam just like applicants who do not already have a pilot certificate. Details on both avenues for obtaining a remote pilot certificate are available on the FAA's website.
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
Sep 10-11 - Elkridge, Maryland
Sep 17-18 - Phoenix, Arizona; and Sandston, Virginia
Sep 24-25 - Colorado Springs, Colorado
Oct 1-2 - Windsor Locks, Connecticut; and Hollywood, Florida
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
Sep 6 - Wichita, Kansas; Madison, Wisconsin; and Seattle, Washington
Sep 7 - Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; and Portland, Oregon
Sep 8 - Eugene, Oregon; Manitowoc, Wisconsin; and Bentonville, Arkansas
Sep 12 - East Hanover, New Jersey
Topics vary—for details and a complete schedule, see AOPA Online.
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Rusty Pilots Seminars
Sep 8 - Newnan, Georgia
Sep 17 - Battle Creek, Michigan; Santa Paula, California; Roanoke, Virginia; Winter Haven, Florida; Medford, New Jersey; and Trenton, Maine
Sep 24 - Westminster, Maryland
Oct 1 - Prescott, Arizona; Wichita, Kansas; Camarillo, California; Renton, Washington; and Carlsbad, 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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