June 23, 2017, issue of 'AOPA ePilot' weekly newsletter
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| VOL 19, ISSUE 25 |
June 23, 2017 |
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Top Stories
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| Advocacy |
| AOPA backs Senate FAA bill |
| The U.S. Senate released a draft FAA reauthorization bill June 22, the day after a controversial bill to continue FAA operations was introduced in the House of Representatives. Unlike the proposed House bill, the Senate version would keep air traffic control in the hands of the FAA. Read more > |
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| Advocacy |
| GA groups oppose ATC privatization |
| AOPA joined other general aviation groups lining up to oppose legislation introduced June 21 in the U.S. House of Representatives that would privatize air traffic control. Read more > |
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| AOPA Live This Week |
| Private ATC opposed; Cuba still an option |
| Legislation introduced June 21 that would privatize air traffic control was not welcomed by AOPA or other general aviation groups. Also this week, travel to Cuba remains an option, firefighters bring drones to the rescue, and a venerable air race gets under way with AOPA in the thick of the action. Watch AOPA Live This Week®, June 22 > |
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Technique and Safety
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| Video |
| Learn from real-world mistakes |
| One of the AOPA Air Safety Institute's major roles is accident analysis to help others avoid unfortunate outcomes. In Weather Wise: Mistakes We Make, Air Safety Institute Statistician David Kenny talks about the kind of weather that is most dangerous for pilots, and if technology has lowered the accident rate. Watch the video > |
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| Aircraft Maintenance |
| Custom N numbers |
| Perhaps it's time to paint the airplane, or maybe you are nearing completion of that homebuilt you poured your soul into. A custom registration can be the perfect finishing touch. Read more > |
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| PDF download |
| Keep an eye on birds in the sky |
| Pilots and birds both love airports, so it's important to anticipate birds' behavior. The AOPA Air Safety Institute's Bird Strikes Safety Brief offers helpful and practical tips to reduce the risk of avian collision. Read more > |
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| Video |
| See and avoid with flight following |
| Air traffic advisories are a welcome addition to visual scanning, but when controllers are busy, pilots may hesitate to request these advisories. Learn why you should not be afraid to key the mic in the AOPA Air Safety Institute's Ask ATC: Flight Following video. Watch the video > |
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Advocacy
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| You Can Fly |
| AOPA names winners of high school flight training scholarships |
| AOPA has named 23 students to receive scholarships from the 2017 AOPA You Can Fly High School Flight Training Scholarship Program. Read more > |
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| Advocacy |
| Groups urge Congress to delay new drone laws |
| AOPA joined 12 other organizations urging Congress to wait for Drone Advisory Committee recommendations before legislating. Read more > |
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| Advocacy |
| Aviation groups speak out in support of the FLIGHT Act |
| Following the introduction of the Forward Looking Investment in GA, Hangars, and Tarmacs (FLIGHT) Act of 2017, AOPA and 27 other aviation industry groups signed letters to the congressional sponsors of the legislation speaking out in support. Read more > |
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| Advocacy |
| Trump moves to limit US travel to Cuba |
| President Donald Trump announced in a June 16 speech in Miami that the federal government will reinstitute regulations restricting U.S. travel to and business in Cuba. Read more > |
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Health
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| Pilot Protection Services |
| Understand the basics of drug testing |
| Pilots and mechanics have contacted AOPA's Pilot Protection Services plan attorneys for advice about submitting to the Department of Transportation/FAA drug testing program. Here are some basics about the testing and what to do if a test comes back positive. Read more > |
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Technology
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| Article |
| Rutan's Proteus marks milestone |
| It has the distinctively futuristic look of a Burt Rutan design, a one-of-a-kind airplane built for high-altitude and long-endurance science and communications missions, with or without a pilot. Proteus, now nearly two decades old and still operated by Scaled Composites, recently marked a milestone: 1,000 total flights (and more to come). Read more > |
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Opinion
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| Blog |
| Father's Day at the airport |
| A Father's Day fly-in and camp out at a California airport nestled in the foothills of the Sierras made a spectacular backdrop for a family-friendly weekend, writes Opinion Leaders blogger Jolie Lucas. Read more > |
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Travel
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| Article |
| Triple Tree invites eclipse viewers |
| Triple Tree Aerodrome in Woodruff, South Carolina, will welcome pilots and passengers gathering to view the Aug. 21 total solar eclipse. Read more > |
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| Slideshow |
| Island flying adventures: Pacific Coast islands and Hawaii |
| Sometimes you just need to get away from it all, to a different kind of time—island time. Here's a list of fun islands to visit off the Pacific Coast, in Puget Sound, and in Hawaii. Read more > |
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Financial
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| Member benefit |
| Insurance options for jump pilots |
| If you are, or are considering, working as a jump pilot to fly skydivers, check into the skydiving operation's insurance coverage. AOPA Insurance Services Vice President and Director of Operations Jim Pinegar explains what to look for in the skydiving company's policy and how to ask to be added to the policy. Read more > |
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News and Notes
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| You Can Fly |
| Rust removal in progress |
| Two years ago former U.S. Air Force pilot Stephen Maus wondered if there might be room in general aviation for someone who had flown military aircraft in war zones more than four decades ago. Read more > |
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| Slideshow |
| Air Race Classic begins |
| Competitors hugged and a crowd cheered as the first of more than 50 all-female race teams started their aircraft engines June 20 to begin a 2,648-statute-mile journey from Frederick, Maryland, to Santa Fe, New Mexico, for the Air Race Classic. Read more > |
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| Blog |
| Follow the AOPAngels in Air Race Classic |
| Air Race Classic rookies Luz Beattie, Kathy Dondzila, and Paula Wivell are flying as Team AOPAngels and sharing insights along the four-day, 14-state cross-country flight from AOPA's Frederick, Maryland, home to Santa Fe, New Mexico. Read more > |
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| Article |
| Tucker builds youth program in Hoover's name |
| Legendary airshow performer and aviation advocate Sean D. Tucker sought and received R.A. "Bob" Hoover's permission to name an aviation education nonprofit that serves at-risk youth in California's Salinas Valley in Hoover's honor. Tucker is now turning to the wider general aviation community to seek support. Read more > |
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| Online resource |
| Prep your aircraft for a hurricane |
| June 1 marked the official start of hurricane season, which runs for six months every year, usually peaking in late summer and early fall. Find out how to prepare your airplane when tropical storms and hurricanes are in the forecast. Read more > |
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Career Opportunities
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| Aviation job board |
| Job of the week: Certificated flight instructor, Mesquite Aviation |
| Mesquite Aviation, a competitive and busy mid-sized flight school in Mesquite, Texas, is seeking a full-time flight instructor. This position is perfect for the pilot who wants to build hours fast—current full-time instructors log an average of 100 hours per month. Weekend work is required. Read the full description and apply today > |
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| AOPA career opportunities |
| Join the AOPA team |
| Ever dream of turning your passion for aviation into a career? AOPA is looking for an operations clerk, 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, project manager, UI/front-end developer, and legal services plan attorney. 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
During a preflight inspection before taking some friends up for a night flight in your aircraft, you discover that your landing light is not working. Is it required to be operational for this flight? |
| Answer |
According to 14 CFR 91.213(d), the landing light is not required for this flight. Check next week's ePilot for another question about this topic.
Got a question for our technical services staff? Contact AOPA. |
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Education & Seminars
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| Flight Instructor Refresher Courses |
| Jun 24-25 |
Ashburn, Virginia; and Bloomington, Minnesota |
| Jul 15-16 |
Englewood, New Jersey; and Jacksonville, Florida |
| Jul 22-23 |
Memphis, Tennessee;
and Coraopolis, Pennsylvania |
| Aug 5-6 |
Fort Worth, Texas; and Reno,
Nevada |
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| Safety Seminars |
| Jul 26-29 |
Oshkosh, Wisconsin |
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| Topics vary—for details and a complete schedule, see AOPA Online. |
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| Rusty Pilots Seminars |
| Jun 24 |
Manhattan, Kansas; Bartow, Florida; Mankato, Minnesota; Ankeny, Iowa; and Lacon, Illinois |
| Jun 25 |
Hillsboro, Oregon |
| Jul 1 |
Fort Meade, Maryland; and Broomfield, Colorado |
| Jul 8 |
El Monte, California |
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| 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.) |
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Aviation Calendar
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| 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 |
Advertise in ePilot:
Gary Brennan, 301/695-2052
Eastern and Central United States and International:
Jeff Rockwood, 301/695-2089
Western United States:
Tom Linton, 301/695-2055
AOPA Advertising website |
