December 15, 2017, issue of 'AOPA ePilot' weekly newsletter
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| VOL 19, ISSUE 50 |
December 15, 2017 |
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Top Stories
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| Advocacy |
| FAA issues guidance on FBO pricing |
| Following AOPA's initiative to ensure reasonable fixed-base operator pricing and transparency, the FAA issued guidance Dec. 7 that includes 11 steps airport sponsors can take against high fuel and ramp fees. Read more > |
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| Article |
| Pilatus PC–24 certified |
| Pilatus' new $9 million PC–24 business jet earned FAA and European Aviation Safety Agency certification Dec. 7. The first deliveries will take place in January 2018. Read more > |
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| Article |
| Drone far beyond sight during Black Hawk collision |
| The owner of the DJI Phantom 4 that collided Sept. 21 with a U.S. Army UH–60M Black Hawk helicopter that was on a security patrol over New York Harbor intentionally lost sight of his quadcopter minutes before the collision. Read more > |
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| AOPA Live This Week |
| Best aviation videos of the year |
| Only five of the rare Beech Starships are flying today—take a ride with one man who has two of them. And, go behind the scenes to see what it took to bring the Boeing B–29 Superfortress Doc back to life. Find out what other flying adventures made the final list in the AOPA Live This Week® Director's Cut episode. Watch the show > |
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Technique and Safety
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| Safety alert |
| IAPs restored for Pro Line 4 and Pro Line 21 equipment |
| Rockwell Collins has released an updated database that includes most of the 10,000 instrument approaches that were recently removed. However, the restored approaches come with certain operation limitations. Learn more > |
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| AOPA Premier Partner created content |
| Trapped above the ice |
| Watch this chilling video of a pilot caught in an emergency—trapped above icy clouds at 13,000 feet in a single-engine piston aircraft with no ice protection. The event was captured on his GoPro camera. You'll see the series of events that led him there and the bold maneuver he used to escape. Watch this video provided by AOPA Premier Partner PilotWorkshops > |
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| Login required |
| Test your cross-country know-how |
| How sharp are your VFR flight planning skills? The AOPA Air Safety Institute's "VFR: Fond du Lac to Festus" quiz presents plenty of challenges. Test your knowledge on the 350-nautical-mile cross-country flight from Wisconsin to Missouri. Take the quiz > |
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| Podcast |
| Kenny G shares Beaver adventures |
| Saxophonist Kenny G recalls the adventures he's had during more than 22 years of flying his de Havilland DHC–2 Beaver across the country in this episode of the AOPA Air Safety Institute's There I was... podcast. Listen to the podcast > |
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Advocacy
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| Advocacy |
| Gateway to the future |
| One of the FAA's most daunting tasks in bringing about a GPS-based instrument approach infrastructure is reducing the inventory of legacy procedures that don't get enough use to warrant being kept usable with periodic flight checks and navaid maintenance. Read more > |
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| Advocacy |
| Drone registration requirement returns |
| Drones weighing at least 0.55 pounds (250 grams) must once again be registered with the FAA if they are flown for noncommercial purposes under Part 101, the FAA Special Rule for Model Aircraft. Read more > |
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| Advocacy |
| FAA seeks members for certification working group |
| The FAA has published a notice seeking additional members and describing new tasks for the Aviation Rulemaking Advisory Committee Airman Certification System Working Group as it proceeds with development of the integrated airman certification standards for the FAA written and practical tests for pilots and aviation mechanics. Read more > |
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Technology
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| Article |
| The art of disaster response by drone |
| Go behind the scenes of drone disaster response to learn about the hardware, software, and other considerations involved in these efforts. Read more > |
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Opinion
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| Blog |
| Before and after |
| After nearly two years of flying the family Piper Cub Special in Europe, Opinion Leaders blogger Garrett Fisher writes that because of "linguistic, cultural, regulatory, and terrain differences," simply completing a flight successfully feels "like a grand achievement." Read more > |
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Gear
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| Online contest |
| Last chance: Enter to win AOPA's ultimate aviation wish list |
| AOPA editors selected some of their favorite aviation-themed items for a gear guide in the December issue of AOPA Pilot. Six great gifts have been added to the AOPA ultimate holiday aviation wish list contest. Choose your favorite item for the chance to win them all! A winner will be announced Dec. 17. Enter today > |
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Travel
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| Slideshow |
| Explore the Tetons |
| The Tetons may be the most picturesque of America's mountain ranges. The iconic view often photographed is from the east, the Jackson Hole side, home of movie stars. What's on the other side? Read more > |
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| Slideshow |
| Mountain charm |
| In southern Vermont, the Mount Snow area offers year-round recreation and scenic beauty. Historic inns, many of which offer fine dining, are scattered throughout this idyllic setting. Read more > |
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Financial
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| AOPA Foundation focus |
| Donations to AOPA Foundation make a tangible difference |
| Thanks to AOPA Foundation donors, the You Can Fly and AOPA Air Safety Institute teams, which are completely funded by donations, developed programs that are making pilots safer, providing more affordable access to flying, getting more pilots back in the air, and teaching high school students about aviation. Read more > |
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| Member benefit |
| Insurance coverage: Little words make a big difference |
| Pilots know that the meaning of key words can have a significant impact on flight operations. The same goes for aviation insurance. Find out what two words can mean the difference between $100,000 and $1 million. Read more > |
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| Online resource |
| AOPA Aircraft Fact Sheets a useful resource |
| Thinking of buying a used aircraft? Browse the gamut of possibilities in AOPA's Aircraft Fact Sheets. Compare many dozens of aircraft, each with an overview, performance summary, and list of specifications. Learn more > |
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News and Notes
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| Article |
| Pilot faces prison for arson, fraud |
| Theodore R. Wright III, who has admitted in federal court that he lied to authorities and the public in 2012 about ditching a purportedly burning Beechcraft Baron in the Gulf of Mexico, now faces a lengthy term in federal prison for insurance fraud and arson. Read more > |
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| Article |
| Engine delays cause Dassault to cancel Falcon 5X |
| Dassault Aviation has canceled its Falcon 5X program, citing ongoing issues with French engine supplier Safran. Read more > |
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| Article |
| First flights then and now |
| Many enterprising individuals were striving for the big breakthrough when Wilbur and Orville Wright were following their own path to designing and constructing the product of their keen imaginations. Read more > |
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| Article |
| Enrollment up at many aviation colleges |
| Enrollment at aviation colleges and universities is on the rise, and the trend signals the beginning of a long-awaited boost in the number of young people pursuing aviation careers, according to educators and industry professionals. Read more > |
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| Pilot Protection Services |
| Do's and don'ts of traveling with a drone |
| If you plan to travel with a drone on a commercial airline, consider whether the drone and its spare batteries will comply with Transportation Security Administration regulations, airline policies, and FAA hazardous material regulations. Read more > |
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Career Opportunities
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| Aviation job board |
| Job of the week: Certificated flight instructor, Lewis University |
| Lewis University in Illinois is seeking a full-time certificated flight instructor. The CFI will be responsible for modeling the university's mission through dedicated job performance and teaching aviation ground school. Read the full description and apply today > |
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| AOPA career opportunities |
| Join the AOPA team |
| Ever dream of turning your passion for aviation into a career? AOPA is looking for a medical certification specialist, aviation safety analysis manager, insurance account executive, High School Aviation Initiative manager, High School Aviation Initiative coordinator, customer service representative, accounting clerk, administrative clerk, legislative affairs vice president, airports and state advocacy vice president, aviation program operations coordinator, and Salesforce developer. Learn about AOPA career opportunities > |
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Question of the Week
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Question
You plan to take some friends flying for an aerial view of Christmas lights, but you are concerned about the effects laser light displays might have on you and your passengers. Where can you find more information about this topic? |
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Education & Seminars
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| Flight Instructor Refresher Courses |
| Jan 6-7 |
Charlotte, North Carolina; and Santa Clara, California |
| Jan 13-14 |
Portland, Oregon; Costa Mesa, California; Alcoa, Tennessee; and Renton, Washington |
| Jan 20-21 |
Jackson, Mississippi; Frederick, Maryland; and Romulus, Michigan |
| Jan 27-28 |
San Antonio, Texas |
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| Safety Seminars |
| Jan 10 |
Fairfax, Virginia |
| Jan 15 |
Reno, Nevada; and Houston, Texas |
| Jan 16 |
Sacramento, California; and Houston, Texas |
| Jan 17 |
Milpitas, California; and San Antonio, Texas |
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| Topics vary—for details and a complete schedule, see AOPA Online. |
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| Rusty Pilots Seminars |
| Dec 16 |
Oxford, Iowa; and Middleton, Wisconsin |
| Jan 13 |
Stevensville, Maryland |
| Jan 20 |
Bartow, Florida; and Fort Worth, Texas |
| Jan 26 |
Sebring, Florida |
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| AOPA Rusty Pilots Seminars are sponsored by Sporty's. For a complete schedule, visit the AOPA Hangar. (Log in to the AOPA Hangar using your AOPA website username and password to view these events.) |
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Aviation Calendar
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| Want something to do this weekend? Planning an aviation getaway? See AOPA's enhanced calendar of events. You can filter events, add an event, or search all events in the calendar. (Log in to the AOPA Hangar using your AOPA website username and password to search the events or to add an event.) Before you take off on an adventure, make sure you check our current aviation weather provided by Jeppesen. |
| For airport details, including FBO fuel prices, see AOPA Airports. AOPA does not endorse or assume responsibility for the events submitted and listed in the calendar. |
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ePilot Editors:
Alyssa J. Cobb
Jim Moore
Dan Namowitz
David Tulis
Production Team:
Elizabeth Linares
Melissa Whitehouse |
Contributors:
Mike Collins
Sarah Deener
Dave Hirschman
Tom Horne
Warren Morningstar
Jill W. Tallman
Ian J. Twombly
Julie Summers Walker |
Advertise in ePilot:
Gary Brennan, 301/695-2052
Eastern and Central United States and International:
Jeff Rockwood, 301/695-2089
Western United States:
Tom Linton, 301/695-2055
AOPA Advertising website |
