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Top Stories
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Article
Since AOPA was founded in 1939, aviation has gone through many changes, and the advent of drones has been among the most dramatic. Throughout the decades, we have been faithful to AOPA's core missions—promoting safety, preserving the freedom to fly, and building the next generation of pilots. On Feb. 21, AOPA stayed true to its values when it launched a new line of membership options created for drone pilots, a key part of an ongoing effort to unite manned and unmanned pilots for the common purpose of safe integration of all users within the airspace we share. Read more...
 
Article
The market's appetite for new aircraft continues to sour. Numbers released Feb. 22 by the General Aviation Manufacturers Association show total airplane deliveries slipped by 3.9 percent in 2016, compared to 2015. Deliveries of business jets, piston airplanes, and helicopters (both piston and turbine) saw the biggest declines, down 7.9 percent, 4.9 percent, and 16.9 percent, respectively. Read more...
AOPA Live This Week
AOPA has worked hard for decades to preserve the freedom to fly, and to enhance safety and pilot education, so adding new membership options for drone pilots was a natural step. Also this week, get your first peek at the AOPA Sweepstakes 172, and learn the state of the aviation industry as the General Aviation Manufacturers Association releases the latest shipment and billing numbers. Watch AOPA Live This Week®, Feb. 23...
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AOPA Fly-Ins
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Article
AOPA Fly-Ins in 2017 will be two-day events that offer more experiences and more hands-on education. On Fridays, pilots can choose one of four seven-hour workshops (at a cost of $105 for members, $155 for nonmembers, and $75 for spouses, with online pre-registration required). The workshops will focus on four tracks: Skills and Safety, You Can Fly, Aviation Experience, and Maintenance and Ownership. The fun will continue with events Friday night and Saturday. Read more...
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Technique and Safety
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Video
Noninstrument-rated and even instrument-rated pilots have been caught under lowering ceilings and in deteriorating visibility. Such encounters can be frightening. Yet some pilots have rationalized the flight decisions that put them there. The AOPA Air Safety Institute's VFR into IMC: The Experience video takes a closer look at why. Watch the video...
Accident analysis
A high-speed, low-altitude pass about 300 feet above the runway in a Van's Aircraft RV-8A isn't the most outrageous ill-advised stunt pilots have performed in recent years. Pilots of a Cirrus and a Van's Aircraft RV-10 did even worse. All three stunts ended in tragedy. Read more in this special report from the AOPA Air Safety Institute...
AOPA Premier Partner created content
Many glass-cockpit airplanes offer functionality that can help a pilot hand-fly with the precision of an autopilot, yet few general aviation pilots use it. This short video by AOPA Premier Partner PilotWorkshops explains how you can benefit from using the flight director. Watch the video...
Login required
Circle into Oregon's Rogue Valley International-Medford Airport with the AOPA Air Safety Institute's Flying Rogue quiz. From the initial approach fix all the way to touchdown, this localizer back-course approach is exhilarating. Can you use glideslope indications as an aid on this approach? Take the quiz...
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Advocacy
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Advocacy
A change in wording contained in the new Private Pilot-Airplane Airman Certification Standards appears to require using only "installed" systems to demonstrate some navigation skills on a practical test, but the "inadvertent" change was not intended to exclude the use of navigation systems that can be carried aboard, the FAA said. Read more...
Advocacy
Pilots should bookmark or subscribe to the Airman Testing page on the FAA website. Near the bottom of the page, under the heading "What's New and Upcoming in Airman Testing," pilots can find much of the information needed to stay current on the state of flight and knowledge testing source material. Read more...
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Advocacy
The FAA is alerting owners and operators of Cessna 180, 185, and A185 aircraft to the potential for cracks and corrosion of stabilizer hinge brackets and tailcone reinforcement brackets on airplanes equipped with floats or skis. Read more...
Advocacy
Doorpost cracking found on several airplanes during a fleet inspection of Cessna 207s has resulted in the FAA issuing an airworthiness concern sheet that also lists other Cessna models with shared design elements. Read more...
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Health
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Pilot Protection Services
Pilots often contact AOPA to find out if a medication they are taking is permitted by the FAA. Pilots who are taking something that is on the FAA's "Do not issue/Do not fly" list might want to negotiate with the FAA to see if the agency will allow it. Read more...
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Technology
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Article
The Oracle Team USA America's Cup racing yacht borrows heavily from aviation to try to get an edge over the competition. "We are literally now flying above the water," said Oracle Team USA skipper and private pilot Jimmy Spithill. The yacht includes Airbus-engineered, hydraulically controlled twin airfoil sailing wings with a flap sail system, as well as rudders and elevators. Read more...
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Gear
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Article
An aviation-inspired rubber wristband created by a student pilot honors Ron Alexander, a "quiet giant" of aviation, who died in a November 2016 aircraft accident near his beloved Peach State Aerodrome in Georgia. Alexander introduced Cayla McLeod to aviation in 2015. Now she is paying it forward with a gesture she hopes will help hundreds of future pilots attending Alexander's Candler Field Museum Youth Aviation Program. Read more...
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Travel
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Pilot Getaways
The Grand Canyon is perhaps the Earth's most famous natural feature. People flock here from every continent, then stare in wonder at the huge gap and towering cliffs, more awesome than they could possibly have imagined. The forces of erosion and time required to remove so much solid rock are beyond comprehension, and the remaining red, stacked palisades become more beautiful in the changing light than any man-made structure. Read more...
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Financial
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Member benefit
AOPA Aviation Finance offers options for aircraft kits that are completely owner built, or built through factory-assisted programs. Read more...
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News and Notes
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Article
Thrush Aircraft of Albany, Georgia, has completed a certification effort spanning more than eight years that allows the 510P and 510G models to take full advantage of their 500-gallon spray tanks and fly at 10,500 pounds. Read more...
Member benefit
In the event of an accident, you should keep six important steps in mind to make sure you and your passengers are protected. Read more...
Blog
Brush up on the Garmin GTN 650/750 so that when you win AOPA's Sweepstakes 172, you'll know all the ins and outs of the nav/com. Flight Training Apps has launched an app that offers a tutorial of the GTN 650/750. In addition, the company will give the winner a free copy of the app. Read more...
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Career Opportunities
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Aviation job board
The University of Nebraska at Kearney's Aviation Systems Management program is accepting applications for a tenure-track assistant professor to begin August 2017. The successful applicant will be responsible for teaching undergraduate courses, advising and recruiting students, and helping provide overall program guidance. The program offers a bachelor's degree in Aviation Systems Management with emphasis in Flight Operations and Support Services (Management). The position includes academic and flight responsibilities. Read the full description and apply today!
AOPA career opportunities
Ever dream of turning your passion for aviation into a career? AOPA is looking for an executive office manager, 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
What is the process for replacing a lost or stolen pilot certificate?
Answer
To start the process of replacing a pilot certificate, visit the FAA website. You can make your request through the mail or online through the FAA's Airmen Services website. The processing time for an online request is faster than for a regular mail request. Another advantage of using the online option is that you can request temporary authority to exercise your privileges at the same time. The temporary authority can be sent by email and will allow you to fly while you wait for your replacement certificate to arrive by mail. It is important to note that when you initially sign up on the Airmen Services website, you will need to have your certificate number handy, which you probably won't have if it's lost or stolen. It's a good idea to take some time now to register on the site so you'll have access to it if you ever need it. You can update your address with the FAA on the site as well.
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 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
Mar 18-19 - Ontario, California; and Santa Clara, California
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 25 - Puyallup, Washington
Mar 4 - Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Mar 6 - Greenville, South Carolina; and Concord, California
Mar 7 - Columbus, Georgia; and Fresno, California
Topics vary—for details and a complete schedule, see AOPA Online.
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Rusty Pilots Seminars
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
Mar 14 - Fort Myers, Florida
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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