Training Tips
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Sponsored by Aircraft Spruce
It's a nasty winter day. Visual flying is out, and the only instrument flying being accomplished is by experienced pilots at the controls of capable aircraft that can outclimb the ice and tolerate the turbulence. It's a perfect day to spend an impromptu ground-school session decoding METARs. Read more...
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Flight Training News
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You Can Fly
Florida high school senior David Lyon said he was surprised when his flight instructor asked him to produce his logbook on the downwind leg for Runway 25 at Orlando Executive Airport. "I'll always remember that moment," said Lyon, who was a recipient of an AOPA High School Initiative Flight Training Scholarship in December. Read more...
Article
Students entering Auburn University's aviation program have a lot to cheer about: A new 23,000-square-foot Airport Aviation Education Facility was approved Feb. 3 by the university's board of trustees, and the building should be ready in 2018. Read more...
Article
A Memphis, Tennessee, screening of the Academy Award-nominated film Hidden Figures inspired youth who learned the little-known story of a team of African-American women working for NASA during the 1960s space race. The Organization of Black Aerospace Professionals recently invited dozens of aviation-minded middle- and high-school students to view the biographical drama. Read more...
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Online resource
With two days of activities planned for AOPA's 2017 Fly-Ins, you will want to mark your calendar and plan to attend and take part in hands-on workshops, social gatherings, aircraft displays, and exhibits. The popular fly-ins have been expanded to two-day events to give you more of what members have been asking for—more of everything! AOPA has launched a special web section detailing the activities at each of the four fly-in locations. Learn more and RSVP today.
Video
In Takeoffs and Landings: Base-to-Final Turn, the AOPA Air Safety Institute guides pilots through the process of thinking through the setup for final approach. Make every turn to final the foundation of a smooth landing. Watch the video...
Podcast
Tune in to this week's Hangar Talk podcast and hear AOPA Senior Features Editor Julie Walker speak with a third-generation pilot and a fourth-generation farmer who embraced drone technology to boost the harvest from Idaho's golden fields. Ag pilot Robert Schoepflin and farmer Robert Blair describe how they use a computer and a fixed-wing drone to manage crops and cows. Listen to the podcast...
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Scholarships
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Clay Lacy awards 22 scholarships
Los Angeles-based Clay Lacy Aviation awarded 22 scholarships totaling $10,200 to A&P students learning mechanic skills at the Los Angeles Unified School District's North Valley Occupational Center. The firm, known for its extensive jet center operation, also offers a Professional Pilot Scholarship through the University of North Dakota. A&P applications for the 2017 Clay Lacy Aviation Mechanic scholarships open Sept. 1.
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AOPA Live
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AOPA Live This Week
The deal struck in secret between the FAA and the city of Santa Monica, California, sparked protest and anger from airport advocates and opponents. In Texas, go for a formation flight that includes two of the five remaining Beechcraft Starships. Also this week, learn to build an Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast In unit for as little as $200. Watch AOPA Live This Week®, Feb. 9...
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Plane Spotter
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'Wilbur' and 'Orville'
Nothing welcomes a student pilot into the general aviation community better than attending fly-ins, airshows, and other pilot gatherings, where future plane spotters discover aircraft of all descriptions. They may even witness an aerobatic display featuring an airplane closely resembling their trainer. The Cessna A152 is a structurally beefed-up variant of the ubiquitous Cessna 152. Two well-known examples are Wilbur, flown by Catherine Cavagnaro of Ace Aerobatic School, and the matching Orville, long flown (and spun) at the school by noted instructor and author William K. Kershner, and now on museum display.
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Training Products and Resources
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Flash-based; login required
Learn about Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) technology and what it means to you. The AOPA Air Safety Institute's ADS-B for General Aviation: The Basics online course explains the ins and outs of ADS-B. Take the course...
Pilot microphone light has military specs
Pilots flying with Bose, David Clark, or Lightspeed headsets can use military technology to help light their cockpits at night. FLITELite's GEN II headset microphone flashlight can point an 11-degree light angle where it's needed most. Pilots can activate the miniature LED with a touch of their lips. The illumination also is dimmable. FLITELites are available online in white, red, green, blue, or night vision from Aircraft Spruce & Specialty beginning at $44.95.
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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.
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Member Benefits
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Pilot Protection Services
If you are trying to figure out whether you can continue flying the aircraft you typically fly under BasicMed, you might need to look at the type certificate data sheet for the number of occupants and takeoff weight for which the aircraft is certificated to determine whether it qualifies. Read more...
Member benefit
Did you know that you can earn accident forgiveness if you complete certain AOPA Air Safety Institute programs every six months? Learn more about this and other services and coverage from AOPA Insurance. Read more...
AOPA Aviation Finance
When you purchase an airplane with a partner, you can share expenses—that means you'll be able to afford to fly more. Read more...
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Blogs
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Whether on a trip, at dinner after a flight, or going to or from a hotel, pilots should remember that others are watching their actions and should conduct themselves appropriately. "It's important to remember that no matter who you work for, when you work for a public company such as an airline, you are always representing your employer—even if you don't want to be," counsels Flight Training blogger and airline pilot Chip Wright. Read more...
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Final Exam
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Question
Is special training required to fly to Winchester, Virginia, which is outside the 30-nautical-mile Mode C veil for Washington, D.C.?
Answer
Yes. Pilots must complete a training course before conducting VFR operations within 60 nautical miles of the DCA VOR/DME (see 14 CFR 91.161). Although the training is not required for IFR operations, the course would be of benefit to all pilots. Surprisingly, pilots continue to penetrate the special flight rules area without permission. The course is available on the FAA Safety Team website. If you do not have a FAAST account, you can create one.
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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.
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Career Opportunities
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Aviation job board
The aircraft structures engineer position, part of Aircraft Maintenance & Engineering within UPS Airlines, is focused on providing structures engineering support for Airbus A300; Boeing 747, 757, and 767; and McDonnell Douglas MD-11 cargo aircraft. The engineer will work primarily in an office environment with some tasks at aircraft maintenance facilities and other locations as required to support project activity and for hands-on interfacing with aircraft and maintenance personnel. The position requires skills and experience in project development and management as well as structural repair design and approval. Read the full job description and apply today!
AOPA career opportunities
Ever dream of turning your passion for aviation into a career? AOPA is looking for a legal services plan attorney, accountant, graphic designer and digital asset manager, aviation event operations senior manager, flying clubs initiative director, travel and destination products director, insurance program administration manager, donor relations director, aviation technical specialist, part-time administrative assistant, public affairs and executive communications manager, and communications coordinator. To learn more about these and other AOPA career opportunities, visit AOPA Online.
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Education and Seminars
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Flight Instructor Refresher Courses
Feb 11-12 - Fort Worth, Texas; Louisville, Kentucky; Nashua, New Hampshire; and Kenner, Louisiana
Feb 18-19 - Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; Lake Mary, Florida; and Sacramento, California
Feb 25-26 - Fairfax, Virginia; and Las Vegas, Nevada
Mar 4-5 - Lake Mary, Florida; Phoenix, Arizona; and Virginia Beach, Virginia
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
Feb 20 - Jacksonville, Florida
Feb 21 - Wichita, Kansas; and Melbourne, Florida
Feb 22 - Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; and Daytona Beach, Florida
Feb 23 - Rogers, Arkansas; and Ocala, Florida
Topics vary—for details and a complete schedule, see AOPA Online.
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Rusty Pilots Seminars
Feb 11 - Houston, Texas; Watkins, Colorado; and Fort Myers, Florida
Feb 18 - Fort Worth, Texas; Farmingdale, New York; Plymouth, Massachusetts; Chamblee, Georgia; Myrtle Beach, South Carolina; and Sacramento, California
Feb 25 - San Marcos, Texas; Winter Haven, Florida; Panama City Beach, Florida; Scottsdale, Arizona; Chickasha, Oklahoma; Louisville, Kentucky; Puyallup, Washington; and Duluth, Minnesota
Mar 4 - Berwyn, Illinois; Burlington, Washington; Weyers Cave, Virginia; Georgetown, Texas; Aransas Pass, Texas; Butler, Pennsylvania; and Billings, Montana
For a complete schedule, see AOPA Online.
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ePilot Flight Training Editors:
Alyssa Miller
Jim Moore
Dan Namowitz
David Tulis
Production Team:
Elizabeth Linares
Melissa Whitehouse
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Contributors:
Mike Collins
Sarah Deener
Dave Hirschman
Tom Horne
Warren Morningstar
Jill W. Tallman
Ian J. Twombly
Julie Summers Walker
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