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December 22, 2017, issue of 'AOPA ePilot: Flight Training Edition'

AOPA
VOL 17, ISSUE 51 December 22, 2017
Training Tips
AOPA
Sponsored by Aircraft Spruce
Tail strikes
Tail strikes can occur if something goes wrong during takeoff or landing and can cause substantial damage to the aircraft. Check out the common scenarios that can lead to tail strikes. Read more >
Flight Training News
Article
North Dakota aerobatics coach makes US team
University of North Dakota aerobatics coach Mike Lents normally works behind the scenes from the backseat of an American Champion Super Decathlon. Lents will get his chance to shine as a member of the U.S. Advanced Aerobatic Team in the 2018 World Advanced Aerobatic Championships. Read more >
New Pipers help Colorado college celebrate fiftieth anniversary
Aims Community College added five new Piper Archer III TX aircraft to the institution's Greeley, Colorado, flight line Dec. 16. Founded in 1967 with 949 students, the college has more than 7,500 enrolled in a variety of degree programs. The aviation program includes career track options for general aviation pilot, professional pilot, and air traffic controller.
Podcast
Hangar Talk: Sporty's reveals its 'bests and busts'
Sporty's Pilot Shop gadget guru and active pilot John Zimmerman reveals the retailer's hits and misses; and catch up on the latest aviation news in this week's Hangar Talk podcast. Listen to the podcast >
Safety seminar
See and avoid
The AOPA Air Safety Institute's Collision Course: Avoiding Airborne Traffic seminar debuts Jan. 10 and explores causes for airborne collisions, identifies high-risk scenarios, and offers strategies for avoiding them. Find a seminar near you >
Video
AOPA Air Safety Institute offers holiday cheer
Thanks, everyone, for a great year! From all of us at the AOPA Air Safety Institute, we wish you happy holidays and look forward to sharing new safety programs with you in 2018! Watch the video >
Scholarships
Scholarships for future aerospace professionals
During the past 20 years, the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics has awarded more than 750 scholarships and graduate awards to help support future aerospace professionals. Awards range from $500 to $5,000 for undergraduate and graduate students pursuing careers in science or engineering. The application deadline is Jan. 31.
AOPA Live
AOPA Live This Week
Director's Cut: A look back at the highlights of 2017
A Waco on floats turns heads as it flies down the East Coast; find out how it performs. Also, see what it's like to drag race in an airplane at the High Sierra Fly-In STOL Drag races. In case you missed the AOPA Live This Week® Director's Cut, watch these and other adventures. Watch the show >
Training Products and Resources
ASA Student Pilot Kit updated
Aviation Supplies and Academics updated its comprehensive Student Pilot Kit to include the latest release of the FAA's Student Pilot Guide and Airman Certification Standards for Private Pilot Airplane, the Private Pilot Oral Exam Guide, and Visualized Flight Maneuvers Handbook for High Wing Aircraft, along with other publications and supplies. The kit provides preparation for Part 61 and Part 141 programs and is available online for $89.95.
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
Peak performance
Adequate rest is necessary for the human brain to perform at its peak. Dr. Kenneth Stahl writes, "Think about this like running your airplane engine. Pushing on at full throttle, full mixture, and prop full forward all the time is a setup for an early engine failure...the same is true for the human brain." Read more >
Member benefit
Top finance questions of 2017
Aircraft loans, fractional versus co-ownership, and light sport aircraft financing are some of the top topics AOPA Aviation Finance Co. received questions about in 2017. Take a look at the advice for each. Read more >
Blogs
Scheduling nightmare
Airline pilot and Flight Training blogger Chip Wright explains how computer glitches in airline crew vacation scheduling can wreak havoc over the holidays. Read more >
Plane Spotter
AOPA
A Dove and a Gipsy Queen
A small low-wing airliner sits on the ramp, distinctive for its large cockpit windows and—yes—twin piston engines. A plane spotter lucky to spot this visitor from the past can check off a rare-to-observe de Havilland DH.104 Dove, the eight-to-11-seat "feederliner" designed in the early 1940s for post-World War II commercial aviation duty. The prototype Dove first flew in September 1945, the twenty-fifth anniversary month of its manufacturer's founding. The Dove's six-cylinder Gipsy Queen engines are museum pieces in their own right, with some still in service.
Final Exam
Question

I am a certificated flight instructor, but not an instrument instructor. Can I provide instrument currency training?
Answer
You may act as safety pilot for a pilot who is simply flying under the hood to meet currency requirements; however, you cannot provide an instrument proficiency check endorsement for a pilot who is 12 or more months out of currency and requires an IPC.

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
Aviation job board
Job of the week: Flight instructor, Griffith Aviation
Griffith Aviation, a Part 141 flight school in Indiana, is seeking full- and part-time flight instructors. Griffith Aviation offers instructors the ability to fly more than 100 hours a month. Possible financial assistance will be available for CFIs who want to earn their CFII and MEI certificates. Current and retired airline pilots are encouraged to apply. Read the full description and apply today >
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, writer/editorial long-term temp, 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 >
Education & Seminars
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
For a complete schedule, see AOPA Online. Can't make it in person? Sign up for the AOPA Air Safety Institute's Online eFIRC.
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
Topics vary—for details and a complete schedule, see AOPA Online.
Rusty Pilots Seminars
Jan 13 Stevensville, Maryland
Jan 20 Bartow, Florida; and Fort Worth, Texas
Jan 26 Sebring, Florida
Jan 27 Waco, Texas
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.)
Aviation Calendar
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.
AOPA
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