June 30, 2017, issue of 'AOPA ePilot' weekly newsletter
 |
| VOL 19, ISSUE 26 |
June 30, 2017 |
|
|
Top Stories
|
 |
| Advocacy |
| Senate advances FAA reauthorization bill |
| The U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation voted June 29 to advance FAA reauthorization legislation. Unlike a House bill that was approved by committee June 27, the Senate legislation, which AOPA backs, and which was approved by voice vote, does not include the privatization of air traffic control. Read more > |
|
| Advocacy |
| Take a stand against ATC privatization |
| AOPA is asking members to contact their representatives in Congress to oppose air traffic control privatization. "The time is now," said AOPA President and CEO Mark Baker. "We've faced privatization battles before, but with support from the president and a nearly unified airline assault for control of the nation's air traffic control system, now is the time when we must unite to oppose this far-reaching threat." Read more > |
|
|
| Advocacy |
| House committee passes ATC privatization bill |
| While legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives to turn the nation's air traffic control system over to the airlines was passed by committee June 27, AOPA continued to voice opposition to the bill, which would be detrimental to general aviation. Read more > |
|
|
|
|
| AOPA Live This Week |
| Battle over ATC heats up; A HUD for the rest of us |
| As the U.S. House bill to privatize air traffic control passes out of committee, AOPA is asking pilots everywhere to tell their representatives it's a bad idea. Also this week, get up close with Greg Koontz's flying farmer act, and see an affordable head-up display for general aviation. Watch AOPA Live This Week®, June 29 > |
|
|
|
|
Technique and Safety
|
| Accident analysis |
| Force of habit |
| Piloting experience is generally viewed as a good thing, but it comes with certain gotchas, particularly when transitioning to different category aircraft that are governed by different aerodynamic principles. The likelihood of reverting to well-worn habits is particularly high when reacting to abnormalities or emergency situations, and the consequences can be severe. Read more in this special report from the AOPA Air Safety Institute > |
|
|
|
|
| Login required |
| Are complex aircraft complicated? |
| Flying a complex aircraft requires a certificated flight instructor's endorsement in your logbook stating that you are proficient. Some things you'll need to know include proper use of a constant-speed propeller and cowl flaps. Prime your transition with the AOPA Air Safety Institute's Transitioning to Complex Aircraft quiz. Take the quiz > |
|
|
|
|
|
| Online resource |
| Feed your passion, fly to help others |
| Giving through flying is priceless. But where do you begin? The AOPA Air Safety Institute recently updated its Public Benefit Flying: Balancing Safety and Compassion online course and converted it to a tablet-friendly format. Explore medical transport, disaster relief, educational flights, and animal rescue. Take the course > |
|
|
|
|
| AOPA Premier Partner created content |
| 'Getting Started With Simulation' |
| AOPA Premier Partner PilotWorkshops has introduced a new video training program that helps pilots select, set up, and successfully fly a desktop simulator for proficiency work, providing expert guidance every step of the way. A personal flight simulator can help you get a new rating, master maneuvers, get comfortable with ATC, learn new procedures, or hone skills you can transfer to the "real" airplane. Now you can confidently go "from zero to hero" with this step-by-step training that nets out exactly what you need to know. More details here > |
|
|
|
|
Advocacy
|
|
|
| Advocacy |
| AOPA for the win |
| AOPA was founded 78 years ago on the principles of keeping general aviation accessible and affordable. While the challenges have evolved, the mission remains the same: Ensure the future of GA by keeping flying safe, fun, and accessible to all. AOPA President and CEO Mark Baker details his priorities for AOPA, what he sees as the most important wins over the past few years, and his vision for AOPA and GA. Read more > |
|
|
|
|
| Advocacy |
| FBO consultant admits consolidation is a problem |
| Doug Wilson, a former executive with Signature Flight Support and current president and senior partner of FBO Partners, recently wrote that FBO consolidation has hurt competition in certain markets. Read more > |
|
|
|
|
| Advocacy |
| Doctors positive toward BasicMed |
| Just six weeks into BasicMed, more than 10,000 pilots have completed the checklist, exam, and AOPA Medical Self-Assessment online course and are now flying under the BasicMed rule. The response to the new FAA medical certification alternative has been overwhelmingly positive from both pilots and physicians. Read more > |
|
|
|
|
| You Can Fly |
| Teachers 'flight test' AOPA's high school aviation curriculum |
| The AOPA You Can Fly High School Initiative is working to create aviation-based science, technology, engineering, and math curriculum for high schools across the country. Educators who will field test the curriculum this fall attended a teachers' workshop held at AOPA's Frederick, Maryland, headquarters June 26 through 28. Read more > |
|
|
| Advocacy |
| East Hampton noise impasse endures |
| Although the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of aviation freedom in declining to hear an appeal of lower court rulings against a curfew imposed by the town of East Hampton, New York, this latest court ruling, one that effectively squashes attempted local control over takeoffs and landings, could prove a pyrrhic victory. Read more > |
|
|
|
|
| Advocacy |
| AOPA to co-chair study of GPS-outage impact |
| AOPA will co-chair an industry committee the FAA has called upon to study the impact of intentional GPS outages on flight operations—a growing concern as the air traffic system becomes more dependent on satellite-based navigation. Read more > |
|
|
| Advocacy |
| Drone ID rule committee formed |
| AOPA is among the members of a new committee assembled by the FAA to develop recommendations for drone identification and tracking, laying important groundwork to allow flights over people and beyond line of sight. Read more > |
|
|
|
|
Health
|
| Pilot Protection Services |
| Honesty is the best policy with your health |
| Lying to the aviation medical examiner is not a good idea but isn't uncommon. Even worse is lying to yourself about your health. Dr. Jonathan Sackier explains why honesty is the best policy. Read more > |
|
|
|
|
Technology
|
| Blog |
| A new G5 for you |
| Your AOPA Sweepstakes 172 is back in the avionics shop getting a new Garmin G5 installed, which may strike you as odd because it just had one put in last year. Say hello to the new G5, and goodbye to the vacuum pump. Read more > |
|
|
|
|
| Article |
| MITRE seeks pilot volunteers for study |
| MITRE Corp. is calling for volunteers from the aeromodelling and drone communities, including Part 107 pilots and hobbyists, to participate in research that will assess new technology and procedures. Read more > |
|
|
|
|
Opinion
|
| Blog |
| The cost of compliance |
| Many aircraft owners are exasperated with bearing the cost of airworthiness directives, and Opinion Leaders blogger Mike Busch is one of them. He has an idea that might help, though he's not holding his breath. Read more > |
|
|
|
|
Gear
|
| Article |
| Ground-based NextGen traffic monitor |
| Avionics manufacturer uAvionix Corp. of Palo Alto, California, is working with DJI to bring Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) technology to manned and unmanned aircraft. PingStation, the latest product announced by the company, is a ground-based ADS-B receiver designed to integrate with a variety of traffic displays. Read more > |
|
|
|
|
Travel
|
|
|
| Slideshow |
| Fourth of July fireworks |
| Have you wondered what fireworks are like when seen from an airplane? Some pilots find it disappointing, in part because the sound of the explosions is absent. But others have pronounced an aerial view of a fireworks display to be "spectacular." Here are a few tips and ideas to make the most of an aviator's point of view. Read more > |
|
|
|
|
| Slideshow |
| Island flying adventures: The Bahamas and Caribbean |
| Time for a tropical vacation? BasicMed went into effect May 1, and The Bahamas is the first country outside the United States to accept BasicMed for U.S. pilots flying in its airspace. Read more > |
|
|
|
|
Financial
|
| AOPA Aviation Finance |
| Aircraft collateral |
| Aircraft lenders will use the aircraft as collateral to secure a loan in addition to taking cash flow into account, explains AOPA Aviation Finance Co. President Adam Meredith. Read more > |
|
|
|
|
News and Notes
|
|
|
| Article |
| Airvan 10 gets its papers |
| India's Mahindra Aerospace announced that its 10-seat single-engine turboprop, the Airvan 10, has earned its U.S. and Australian Part 23 type certificates. Read more > |
|
|
|
|
| Article |
| Sean Tucker to retire |
| Airshow pilot Sean D. Tucker plans to retire from solo aerobatic performances at the end of next season, according to published reports. Read more > |
|
|
|
|
| Slideshow |
| Air rally cry |
| It's unusual to hear pilots complain that they burned less fuel than they calculated for a flight. But that was a common refrain following the fifty-third annual Hayward Air Rally June 22 through 25 featuring a course from Hayward, California, to Reno/Stead Airport in Nevada by way of Redding, California. Read more > |
|
|
|
|
| Article |
| Kiwis and collegiate pilots soar in Air Race Classic |
| The air racing team Kiwi Express was pronounced the winner of the 2017 Air Race Classic, the annual all-women's aviation event that dates to 1929. This year's race featured teams from 13 colleges and universities; several well-known aviation personalities; and a three-member team from AOPA consisting of "a new pilot, a rusty pilot, and a professional pilot." Read more > |
|
|
|
|
| Article |
| New book features veterans' testimonies from World War II |
| In a testament to his father and all World War II veterans, Charley Valera has compiled stories of those who fought for freedom and published them in a book titled My Father's War: Memories from our Honored WWII Soldiers. Read more > |
|
|
| Online resource |
| Don't transport fireworks in your aircraft |
| Be safe as you enjoy fireworks during this year's Fourth of July celebrations. Fireworks are classed as explosives and pyrotechnic devices, and transporting them by air is prohibited. Read more about transporting hazardous materials in this subject report from AOPA. Read more > |
|
|
|
|
Career Opportunities
|
| Aviation job board |
| Job of the week: Turbine jump pilot |
| Desert Sand Aircraft Leasing has an immediate need for pilots to fly turbine skydiving aircraft in Georgia and Virginia. At the Virginia location, the successful candidate will operate a DHC-6 Twin Otter and a Cessna 208B with Texas Turbines Conversion. At the Georgia location, the successful candidate will operate a Cessna 208 with PT6-114A engine. Both operations are year-round. Work schedules are somewhat flexible but are between 5 and 6 days per week during the busy season. Read the full description and apply today > |
|
|
| AOPA career opportunities |
| Join the AOPA team |
| Ever dream of turning your passion for aviation into a career? AOPA is looking for a research and analysis director, aviation technical specialist, 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, and legal services plan attorney. To learn more about these and other AOPA career opportunities, visit AOPA Online > |
|
|
|
|
Question of the Week
|
Question
After discovering that your aircraft's landing light is not working and checking the regulations, you have concluded that a functional landing light is not required for your proposed night flight. How should you proceed? |
| Answer |
According to 14 CFR 91.213(d), specifically section (3), if you wish to fly without making the repair, you can remove or deactivate the equipment and placard the cockpit control; in either case, entries must be made in the aircraft's maintenance logs. You also could choose to replace the bulb so you will have an operable landing light for your flight. That's probably a sound decision, but can you do the work yourself? For the answer to that question, see the next issue of ePilot.
Got a question for our technical services staff? Contact AOPA. |
|
|
|
Education & Seminars
|
| Flight Instructor Refresher Courses |
| 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 |
| Aug 12-13 |
Atlanta, Georgia; and Costa Mesa, California |
|
|
|
| Safety Seminars |
| Jul 26-29 |
Oshkosh, Wisconsin |
|
| Topics vary—for details and a complete schedule, see AOPA Online. |
|
|
| Rusty Pilots Seminars |
| Jul 1 |
Fort Meade, Maryland; and Broomfield, Colorado |
| Jul 8 |
Chesaning, Michigan; and El Monte, California |
| Jul 15 |
Perkasie, Pennsylvania; Vidalia, Georgia; and Lincoln, California |
| Jul 22 |
Apopka, Florida |
|
| 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. |
|
|
|
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 |
