AOPA Fly-Ins: Go On, Kick the Tires

AOPA is offering a new feature at its fly-ins designed to help aircraft sellers display their aircraft to the greatest number of prospects, and give buyers a chance to “kick the tires” or ask questions to find just the aircraft they want. A special area called the Aircraftforsale.com Sellers Corral will provide the opportunity for sellers and buyers to come together to get acquainted and do business.

Here’s how it works: For $99, private sellers of piston aircraft can park their aircraft in the corral located near show center, where the people are. Sellers can help buyers work out the details of a possible purchase using the information in a package prepared by AOPA that includes an estimate of the value of the aircraft for sale from industry-respected aircraft valuation service Vref; an insurance quote from AOPA Insurance; and financing details from AOPA Aviation Finance—each estimate derived for the serial-number-specific aircraft for sale.

“With Aircraftforsale.com Sellers Corral, buyers and sellers can connect only a short walk from the fly-in’s main stage and show center,” said Michael Woods, aviation event planner and manager of the AOPA National Aviation Community Center. “With the sellers package from AOPA’s Ownership Services, a prospective buyer gets a clear picture of what the aircraft is worth and what it will cost to buy it and fly it.”

Buying an aircraft can be a daunting project, but a visit to the Aircraftforsale.com Sellers Corral can take much of the uncertainty out of the process. Be sure to stop by at the 2017 AOPA Fly-Ins.

Sellers should note that space will be limited to 25 aircraft, so don’t just park your aircraft on the “back 40” and trust luck. Instead, register soon to show your aircraft and connect with prospective buyers at the Aircraftforsale.com Sellers Corral.

News

Wording changes

FAA clarifies practical test navigation equipment

When the initial version of the airman certification standards (ACS) for private pilot-airplane replaced the practical test standards (PTS) in June 2016, it required the applicant be able to “use an installed electronic navigation system.” This inadvertent change in wording was not intended to exclude the use of navigation systems that can be carried aboard, the FAA has clarified.

Applicants had expressed concern that they could no longer take a private pilot practical test in an airplane without an electrical system—as had been permitted under the PTS. The FAA, which had already notified designated pilot examiners that portable navigation equipment was still permitted, issued an Information for Operators (InFO) publication explaining that navigation equipment installed in the airplane had not become a practical test requirement.

A practical test knowledge element “refers to installed navigation equipment and displays. The FAA has determined this ACS element should also be revised to broaden the navigation equipment and displays open to oral questioning. The reference to ‘installed’ will be removed from this knowledge element in the next revision of the ACS,” it was noted.

The FAA estimates the next revision of the ACS will take effect in June 2017. In the meantime, the agency advises those involved in practical testing to continue using airplanes without an electrical system or installed electronic navigation system for practical tests. “Onboard electronic navigation systems would be used in this case,” it adds.

Knowledge testing of “appropriate electronic navigation systems such as VOR and GPS” should be conducted “without regard to installation of these systems in the airplane provided by the applicant,” the FAA said.

ASI News

Make the right decisions—every flight

Explore best practices and develop your own personal minimums

Good aeronautical decision making (ADM) relies on anticipation, recognition, and timely action to correct a problem. When it’s time for your checkride, the ADM process should be engrained into your flying. But achieving good ADM on every flight can be easier said than done.

For example, forecast marginal weather that looks like it could improve might lure you into the air for a quick look—only to find that wishful thinking has put you in a perilous situation. Smart decision making means thinking about what could go wrong before it does. However, sometimes things that seem obviously wrong when you can look at them rationally may be tempting in the heat of the moment when prodded by passengers or under pressure by outside factors. Consider these traps:

• Squeezing too much utility out of the aircraft by attempting to fly in adverse weather, pushing weight and balance limits, or stretching the aircraft’s fuel range.

• Pushing the limits of your skill or experience by ignoring your proficiency level, regardless of pilot currency.

• Showing off flying skills to passengers or onlookers by performing low-level flight or improvised aerial demonstrations.

Applying ADM in flying means you must pay attention to things that don’t fit with what you’re expecting. The sooner you recognize a problem and start thinking about how to handle it, the better are your chances of taking timely corrective action.

If there is a question, evaluate your options and choose the best one. This may be an unpleasant choice: for example, deciding to make an unplanned fuel stop because you’re getting low on fuel, even though you’re close to your destination.

The AOPA Air Safety Institute’s recently updated Do the Right Thing: Decision Making for Pilots course can help. With three scenarios for VFR pilots and two for IFR pilots, the course offers choices depending on your stage in flying or training. You’ll be asked to make decisions along a flight, and the outcome will be determined by the decisions you’ve made—just like in a real flying scenario. The course, which is optimized for tablet computers so you can access it anytime, allows you to practice those decision-making skills while safely on the ground.

www.aopa.org/lms/courses/do-the-right-thing