June 2, 2017, issue of 'AOPA ePilot' weekly newsletter


VOL 19, ISSUE 22	June 2, 2017

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Top Stories

Slideshow

Island flying adventures: Outer Banks to Georgia

For some pilots, the greatest pleasure in flying comes from being able to leave worldly troubles behind. For others, it's the ability to fly and enjoy different scenery in different states and different climates. But sometimes pilots need to get away to a different kind of time—island time. The U.S. South Atlantic coast offers several options for pilots to experience island time. (Photo courtesy of GoldenIsles.com.) Read more >

Slideshow

Explore islands from New England to Chesapeake Bay

Pilots don't need to travel to the Bahamas or the Caribbean to enjoy island time. Visit U.S. islands stretching from New England to the Chesapeake Bay. Read more >

Slideshow

Island hop in the Great Lakes

From upscale hotels to secluded nature trails, the islands of the Great Lakes offer something for everyone. Read more >

Slideshow

Be alert flying to Gulf Coast islands

When flying to islands along the Gulf Coast, be alert for crowded skies and special-use airspace. Filing an IFR flight plan or requesting VFR flight following service is highly recommended when flying in this area. Read more >

AOPA Live This Week

Fly a fighter; Earn your sea legs

Feeling the need for speed? Fly a TA-4 jet fighter, and find out how you could put one in your hangar. Also this week, flying off the pavement: Learn what it takes to get your seaplane rating. Watch AOPA Live This Week®, June 1 >

Technique and Safety

Podcast

Unpredictable dilemma

The AOPA Air Safety Institute's new podcast series, There I was... , invites you into the cockpit with pilots across the aviation community. In this first episode, U.S. National Aerobatic Champion Patty Wagstaff recounts a Cessna 185 flight in southwestern Alaska that tested her ability to keep cool under pressure. Learn about the decisions she made that got everyone back on the ground safely. Listen to her story >

Pilot Protection Services

Over gross weight

In aircraft such as a Cessna 182, in which the landing weight is less than the takeoff weight, the FAA treats landing over gross weight because of an emergency differently from intentionally operating over gross weight. Read more >

IFR Fix

A little icing on approach

By the time the single-engine Grumman AA-5 had descended from 11,000 feet through 4,500 feet on approach to the San Angelo, Texas, airport, "light rime" icing reported in clouds below 7,000 feet had covered the windscreen except for two small spots where defrosters labored. Read more >

More safety products

Rules and real-world IFR flying
'Accident Case Study: Time Lapse'
Spotlight on the laws of motion

Advocacy

Makeover proposed for 'VFR not recommended'

"VFR not recommended" is a familiar cautionary statement to generations of pilots who learned to fly in pre-digital times when most weather briefings consisted of a phone call between a pilot and an FAA flight service specialist. The statement has no automated equivalent for use with electronic sources of weather data. Read more >

Advocacy

Switch to ICAO flight plan form delayed until fall

The FAA will put off until fall 2017 the requirement for pilots to use the international flight plan format, also known as the International Civil Aviation Organization format, for all civil flight plans filed with flight service for flights within the National Airspace System and to Canada. Read more >

Advocacy

FAA issues Diamond DA42 airworthiness directive

The FAA has issued an airworthiness directive on Diamond Aircraft DA42 twin-engine airplanes in response to two reports of uncommanded in-flight engine shutdowns related to fractured engine exhaust pipes. Read more >

Advocacy

Reversed fuel selector placards prompt FAA concern

The FAA sent AOPA an airworthiness concern sheet to notify operators of all Piper PA-28 single-engine airplanes that it has received a report of a fuel selector cover with the left and right fuel tank placards reversed. Read more >

Advocacy

City of Santa Monica votes to shorten runway

California's Santa Monica City Council unanimously chose an option to shorten its municipal runway from nearly 5,000 feet to 3,500 feet as permitted under a settlement agreement with the FAA that also allows the city to close the airport in 2028. The project will cost the city about $4 million on top of what it is spending on litigation with opponents of closing the airport. Read more >

Advocacy

Jackson Hole Airport greenlights second FBO

The Jackson Hole Airport Board unanimously passed a resolution May 17 authorizing a second fixed-base operation on the Wyoming field, a move AOPA has advocated for through its work to promote reasonable and fair FBO pricing and access nationwide. Read more >

Technology

Article

Stratos 714 jet performs as expected in tests

The Stratos 714, a single-engine personal jet that launched on a brief first test flight in November 2016, has logged 33 flights totaling 52 hours and has "performed as expected," according to Redmond, Oregon-based Stratos Aircraft. Read more >

Livestream

Learn the ins and outs of equipping for ADS-B Out

Trying to decide what type of Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) equipment is best for you to have installed in your airplane in advance of the Jan. 1, 2020, ADS-B Out mandate? Don't miss AOPA's ADS-B livestream June 7 at 8 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time. Register today >

Gear

Article

ForeFlight tailors new features to business aircraft

ForeFlight has created a new flight planning tool for individuals and corporate flight departments that simplifies complex calculations, suggests optimal routes, and displays the best available fuel prices. Read more >

Article

Holdshort scheduling software goes mobile

A former flight school dispatcher who sought scheduling efficiency designed his own program to coordinate aircraft, instructors, and students to maximize productivity. Read more >

Travel

Article

The Great American Eclipse

On Aug. 21, a total solar eclipse will sweep across the continental United States for the first time since 1918. Astronomers are calling it the Great American Eclipse. Check out these top viewing areas at airports across the country. Read more >

Financial

AOPA Aviation Finance

Tips to determine the value of an aircraft

An aircraft seller, lender, and buyer all have different opinions on the value of an aircraft. Learn the different perspectives of each and how to establish an accurate aircraft value. Read more >

News and Notes

Article

Two very lucky pilots

Two lucky pilots have won AOPA's Hidden Gem contest, sponsored by Aviat. The pair will get a chance to fly an Aviat Husky in the Idaho backcountry. Read more >

Article

Bomb-sniffing dog gets a lift

Nick Barson's Piper Cherokee 140 touched down at Maryland's Frederick Municipal Airport on May 26 carrying a special passenger: a 16-month-old dog that is joining the Frederick City Police department. Read more >

Slideshow

Pilot flies for science in light sport aircraft

A Slovenian environmentalist pilot known for record-setting and long-distance flying is conducting research in a light sport aircraft to study the effects of wind-borne particles on the melting rate of Europe's glaciers. Read more >

Slideshow

Vacation turns into disaster relief effort

What started as a flying vacation in New Zealand turned into an eye-opening experience for Laurel Lippert and her husband after an earthquake in another part of the country necessitated the help of general aviation pilots. Lippert shares how pilots in New Zealand rallied to provide aid. Read more >

Livestream

Find out how the drone community has evolved and what important legal matters you should be aware of during a livestream June 13 at 8 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time. Register today >

Career Opportunities

AOPA career opportunities

Join the AOPA team

Ever dream of turning your passion for aviation into a career? AOPA is looking for a copy editor, IT systems administrator, product marketing specialist, legislative affairs vice president, customer service representative, airports and state advocacy vice president, flight training business support senior director, flight training technology senior director, project manager, UI/front-end developer, and legal services plan attorney. Learn more about these and other AOPA career opportunities on AOPA Online >

Question of the Week

Question

When you last flew, air traffic control gave you instructions to "descend at pilot's discretion." What exactly do controllers mean when they use the term "pilot's discretion"?

Answer

The Pilot/Controller Glossary provides the following definition: "When used in conjunction with altitude assignments, [pilot's discretion] means that ATC has offered the pilot the option of starting climb or descent whenever he/she wishes and conducting the climb or descent at any rate he/she wishes. He/she may temporarily level off at any intermediate altitude. However, once he/she has vacated an altitude, he/she may not return to that altitude." It is a good idea to look up unfamiliar terms in the Pilot/Controller Glossary after a flight.

Got a question for our technical services staff? Contact AOPA.

Education & Seminars

Flight Instructor Refresher Courses

Jun 3-4	Charlotte, North Carolina; Columbus, Ohio; and Tempe, Arizona
Jun 10-11	Lake Mary, Florida; and Santa Clara, California
Jun 24-25	Ashburn, Virginia; and Bloomington, Minnesota
Jul 15-16	Englewood, New Jersey; and Jacksonville, Florida

For a complete schedule, see AOPA Online. Can't make it in person? Sign up for the Air Safety Institute's Online eFIRC.

Safety Seminars

Jul 26-29

Oshkosh, Wisconsin

Topics vary—for details and a complete schedule, see AOPA Online.

Rusty Pilots Seminars

Jun 3	Red Lodge, Montana; Fort Worth, Texas; Englewood, Colorado; Truckee, California; Selkirk, New York; Akron, Ohio; Brainerd, Minnesota; Thermal, California; and Seattle, Washington
Jun 10	Jacksonville, Florida; Toughkenamon, Pennsylvania; Basye, Virginia; Madison, Wisconsin; Meridianville, Alabama; Torrance, California; Rochester, New York; West Chicago, Illinois; and Henderson, Nevada
Jun 11	Farmingdale, New York
Jun 14	Carlsbad, California

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.

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ePilot Editors:
Alyssa Miller
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

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Western United States:
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