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Top Stories
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Advocacy
Pilots who see BasicMed as a good fit have been focused on making sure they will be able to continue doing the kind of flying they love under the new program. For example, private pilots cannot fly as pilot in command "for compensation or hire" except for some well-known exceptions including charitable flying, sharing costs of flights with passengers, and flying related to a business only if the flight is incidental to that business and does not carry any passengers or property for hire. Will those exceptions be available to private pilots who participate in BasicMed? Read more...
 
AOPA Live This Week
American pilots showed signs of strength amid disappointment as the Red Bull Air Race World Championship kicked off in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Also this week, fly along to Cuba via general aviation and see how open the country really is. And, as water surged past the Oroville Dam in California, forcing hundreds of thousands of people to flee to safety, one GA pilot took to the skies to provide an aerial view while others offered hangar space and help ferrying airplanes. Watch AOPA Live This Week®, Feb. 16...
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AOPA Fly-Ins
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Article
Flight instructor Arlene Alexander has a vivid memory of the time she flew from Plymouth, Massachusetts, with a local pilot who was getting back into the air after cataract surgery. The pair later served as volunteers at the AOPA Fly-In at Plymouth in 2014 and continued to build on their shared connections. Read more...
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Technique and Safety
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PDF
As a pilot, you train to handle in-flight emergencies, but do you know what to do after making an unplanned, off-airport landing? The AOPA Air Safety Institute's Survive: Beyond the Forced Landing Safety Advisor shares aviation experts' preparedness tips. Learn how to reach out for rescue and endure the elements until help arrives. Download the publication...
Video
Spending time in the clouds means more exposure to potentially dangerous conditions—which makes good preflight planning even more essential. The AOPA Air Safety Institute's Weather Wise: IFR Flight Planning video offers a practical approach to managing risks in instrument weather flying. Get a solid grasp of the "big picture" before leaving the ground. Watch the video...
Article
The number of helicopter accidents in the United States continues its downward trend, the FAA announced Feb. 13. Read more...
Video
Flying a familiar route in a trusted airplane with no serious weather in the forecast can sometimes turn out to be more of a challenge than anticipated. Dean Clark recounts the tale of his unexpected encounter with ice-filled clouds in the AOPA Air Safety Institute's Real Pilot Story: Ambushed by Ice. Watch the video...
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Advocacy
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Advocacy
AOPA is renewing its push to keep Santa Monica Municipal Airport in California open for all general aviation users. The recent agreement between the FAA and the city of Santa Monica allowing the city to close Santa Monica Municipal Airport at the end of 2028 took the flying community by surprise. While the deal will keep the embattled airport open for at least 12 more years, AOPA is laying plans to keep it open even longer. Read more...
Advocacy
A statement released by NavWorx indicates that a resolution to the airworthiness directive proposed by the FAA on Oct. 20, 2016, against NavWorx's ADS600-B universal access transceiver may be near. The transceiver provides Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast Out and In. Read more...
Advocacy
AOPA is planning to meet with the FAA later in February to advocate a remedy for the economic toll temporary flight restrictions take on the general aviation sector when President Donald Trump visits his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida. Read more...
Advocacy
A general aviation aircraft is cruising not far from the boundary of a busy block of Class B airspace. The pilot is being careful to maintain situational awareness and not penetrate the airspace boundary. Not only would an incursion be a serious violation, but it also could elevate the risk of a midair collision. Read more...
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Health
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Pilot Protection Services
Dr. Jonathan Sackier offers five resolutions to help you protect your health and combat high health care costs. Read more...
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Technology
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Article
Technology deployed by the Civil Air Patrol (CAP) helped rescuers pluck stranded pilots from severe winter weather for the second time in a month. A combined analysis by the CAP's National Radar Analysis Team and Cell Phone Forensics Team helped locate both downed aircraft, which led to quick recovery efforts that likely saved the lives of the pilots and passengers in the face of harsh conditions. Read more...
Article
A television professional who provides satellite trucks for the Super Bowl and other events has created a custom tether that supplies power and collects video from a DJI Inspire in flight, allowing the quadcopter to remain aloft indefinitely (until it rains, at least). The $12,000 system includes a custom ground station created with broadcast television in mind, though customers have found other applications too: At least one farmer uses it to keep an eye on his cattle. Read more...
Article
The FAA has granted Boise, Idaho-based Aviation Specialties Unlimited Inc., a night vision technology and air charter company, approval to conduct commercial passenger and cargo-carrying flights in single-engine airplanes with pilots using night vision goggles, the company said. Read more...
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Opinion
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Blog
Opinion Leaders blogger Garrett Fisher shares his latest adventure: flying in the snow over the Pyrenees. Check out a video of the flight along with breathtaking shots of the mountains. Read more...
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Gear
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Article
Weather, airport, and flight planning functions were updated in AOPA GO version 1.4, released Feb. 7. Among other new features, the app now includes the ability to select favorite weather stations; also, favorite airports are synchronized in the app and AOPA's Airport Directory. Read more...
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Travel
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Article
This Sunday, Feb. 19, is likely to be busy at New Hampshire's Alton Bay ice airport. This seasonal, public-use runway on Lake Winnipesaukee—at the charted location of the Alton Bay Seaplane Base in Alton Bay—is believed to be the only charted ice airport in the 48 contiguous United States. Read more...
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News and Notes
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Article
Michael Goulian missed the final round by 0.008 seconds as the Red Bull Air Race World Championship season began in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, while fellow American Kirby Chambliss endured bitter disappointment of his own on race day. Read more...
Article
Air Plains Services of Wellington, Kansas, celebrates its fortieth anniversary in 2017 as a leading manufacturer of engine performance upgrades for Cessna piston aircraft. Read more...
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Article
Staff members at airports across New England worked hard to clear a foot or more of snow after a Feb. 9 blizzard brought the region to a standstill. By Feb. 10, most airports, if not all, had reopened, thanks to heavy equipment and lots of practice. Read more...
Blog
Go behind the scenes of an air-to-air photo mission involving your Sweepstakes 172 to find out how the pilots and photographer work together to get the perfect shot. Read more...
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Career Opportunities
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Aviation job board
Privaira, a growing and well-established ARGUS Platinum and IS-BAO Stage II-rated Part 135 charter and aircraft management company located in Boca Raton, Florida, is looking for a director of operations. The director of operations will be instrumental in managing flight operations within the boundaries of safety regulations and regulatory compliance, while at the same time fostering a strong relationship with flight crews and promoting the company's goals and values. 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 an IT project manager, UI/front-end developer, public affairs and executive communications manager, communications coordinator, legal services plan attorney, digital asset manager and graphic designer, aviation event operations senior manager, travel and destination products director, insurance program administration manager, donor relations director, aviation technical specialist, flying clubs initiative director, and part-time administrative assistant. 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
A pilot who has just purchased an aircraft has asked an instructor to join him on the flight home in the aircraft in accordance with insurance requirements. The flight has an estimated time en route of just over 9.5 hours. Can this instructional flight be completed in one day?
Answer
No. Instructors have a duty limitation of no more than eight hours of flight training "in any 24-consecutive-hour period," according to14 CFR 61.195(a). Flight training is defined in 14 CFR 61.1 as "training, other than ground training, received from an authorized instructor in flight in an aircraft," so the eight hours would not include ground time. However, if the flight is classified as instruction, it would be better to split it between two days.
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
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
Mar 11-12 - Elkridge, Maryland; and King of Prussia, Pennsylvania
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 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 - Burlington, Washington; Weyers Cave, Virginia; Georgetown, Texas; Aransas Pass, Texas; Berwyn, Illinois; Butler, Pennsylvania; and Billings, Montana
Mar 11 - Potsdam, New York; Ashland, Virginia; Gainesville, Florida; Toughkenamon, Pennsylvania; Fort Wayne, Indiana; Renton, Washington; and Albany, Oregon
For a complete schedule, see AOPA Online.
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ePilot 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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