MN&N: Time for a getaway?

You’ve got access to an airplane, a pilot certificate, and a case of wanderlust? Check out AOPA’s resources for the traveling pilot. AOPA can help you prepare for a flight with the AOPA Flight Planner (www.aopa.org/flightplanner), which can transfer flight plans to your favorite EFB. It has a range-estimating tool, predictive fuel warnings, and fuel along the route for planning purposes. No more paper charts and outdated information. AOPA can help you anticipate weather along your route with aviation weather data from multiple sources in one easy-to-use, comprehensive tool (www.aopa.org/wx). The association can also give you airport information including runway length, operating times, and the all-important restaurant-on-field information for planning your next $100 hamburger (www.aopa.org/airports). And AOPA offers a mobile app for iOS and Android devices—AOPA Go—that puts AOPA Airports, AOPA Weather, and the best of AOPA’s Flight Planner in your hands when you’re on the go.

On the Destinations page you’ll discover all the articles about great fly-in destinations that AOPA Pilot and Pilot Getaways magazine readers have been enjoying for decades. Destinations, getaways, fly-outs—by whatever name you call this exciting facet of pilot life, it’s an important part of AOPA’s plan for 2017, so stay tuned for even more great travel options, tips and tools, safety advice, and guidance.

2017 Bahamas and Caribbean guides available

If you are thinking of a trip to the Bahamas or the Caribbean, start your planning with the Bahamas and Caribbean Pilot’s Guide books.

These comprehensive guides are packed with everything you need to prepare for a trip to the Bahamas and Caribbean islands, including maps with airport data and the layout of each island, customs and immigration information, and more. Plus, find information on the local culture, food, the best way to get around while you’re there, and suggestions from other pilots for where to stay and fun things to do.

If the turquoise waters and white, sandy beaches are calling your name, start your preflight with the Bahamas and Caribbean Pilot’s Guide books.

The guides are $34.95 each or $40 bundled with a chart.

www.flytheislands.com

Member Services

Pilot Protection Services

Reporting unmanned aircraft accidents

Operators of unmanned aircraft should be familiar with the FAA and NTSB rules for unmanned aircraft accident reporting.

For operations conducted under Part 107, a remote pilot must report an accident to the FAA within 10 days if the event meets the criteria of FAR 107.9: Accident Reporting. The FAR requires reporting of any event involving: serious injury to any person or any loss of consciousness, or damage to property (other than the unmanned aircraft) unless “the cost of repair (including labor and materials) does not exceed $500, or the fair market value of the property does not exceed $500 in the event of a total loss.”

The report required for these Part 107 operations may be submitted through the appropriate FAA Regional Operations Center, online, or by telephone. Also applicable to Part 107 operations are the NTSB rules, which require public and civil UAS operators to provide immediate notification to the nearest NTSB office in the event of an “unmanned aircraft accident” anytime between the time the UAS is activated with the intention of flight and the completion of the mission. Under the NTSB rules, an “unmanned aircraft accident” occurs when the operation of a UAS results in any person suffering death or serious injury, or the unmanned aircraft weighed at least 300 pounds and sustained substantial damage.

Neither the FAA nor the NTSB reporting requirements apply to unmanned aircraft under 55 pounds that are flown for hobby or recreational use and otherwise meet the definition of model aircraft in Section 336 of the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012. In a 2015 interpretation, the NTSB stated that it has “consistently excluded UAS flown for hobby and recreational use from [its accident rule] and has historically not investigated the rare occasions in which a model aircraft has caused serious injury or fatality.”

Tips from PIC

Aircraft purchasing decisions

What is the right aircraft for you?

By Mike Filucci

Buying an aircraft can be a daunting task. A good place to begin is with two major considerations: mission and cost.

Mission. How will you use the airplane: recreation, business, or a combination? How many passengers will fly with you, and where? Will you want IFR capability? The airplane you choose should satisfy most of your mission requirements, but you always have the option of renting to handle those few flights for which your airplane is not suitable.

Cost. The purchase price is only one cost associated with ownership. Fixed costs include insurance, personal property taxes, FAA registration fees, required maintenance, database updates, loan payment, and hangar or tiedown fees. Operating costs include fuel and oil consumption, and landing fees. Reserve funds cover items such as propeller, engine, airframe, and avionics overhaul. Variable costs usually pop up when there is unanticipated maintenance. Estimate a total hourly cost based on how many hours you expect to fly each year.

Call AOPA with questions Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. until 6 p.m. Eastern time, at 800-USA-AOPA (872-2672).

Mike Filucci is vice president of the AOPA Pilot Information Center.

AOPA Finance

Buying in another country

Some nations are easier than others

Q: I’m looking to purchase an airplane from Canada. What extra steps will be involved in purchasing a foreign-registered airplane?

A: Unfortunately, there is no simple answer to your question because so many variables can affect the process. I suggest you read AOPA’s Guide to Aircraft Importing and Exporting for an in-depth description. I will try to describe this process at a high level. 

Probably the biggest hurdle is getting the airplane to the United States. Doing this before purchasing will make your life a lot easier. If you can’t, I recommend contacting and/or hiring a U.S. Customs broker; if not handled properly this process can be very problematic and costly. However, the importation process for a Canadian-registered aircraft usually is easier than for other countries.

In your case, the following needs to take place:

Seller deregisters the airplane. This typically takes one to two business days for Canadian aircraft (but currently is three to four days). Other countries can take weeks.

Seller executes bill of sale (FAA AC form 8050-2), buyer executes application for registration (8050-1), and both get sent to an escrow agent, along with a purchase and sale agreement (the same process as domestic transactions).

Fully fund escrow. If you’re obtaining financing, the lender will need confirmation of deregistration before the funds can be released to the escrow account and the authorization obtained from you (and the seller) to get the transaction fully closed. Certain lenders are more comfortable with this process than others.

Email [email protected]

Air Safety Institute

ASI News

Safety Alliance pools aviation safety content

Find what you need when you need it—in one place

Since 1950, the AOPA Air Safety Institute (ASI) has served all pilots and aviation enthusiasts—not just AOPA members—by providing free safety education, research, and data analysis. You may already be familiar with ASI’s award-winning courses, live seminars, videos, accident case studies, publications, and quizzes. You may also have searched the internet to find general aviation safety content produced by others in the industry. If you’re frustrated by having to search multiple websites to find what you need when you need it, help is here.

ASI now offers easy access to a variety of aviation safety content from around the web through a new industrywide initiative, the Safety Alliance. This initiative is the result of collaboration between ASI and several GA companies and organizations to bring GA safety education resources together in one location online.

Organized by topic on ASI’s Safety Spotlight web pages, and on the Safety Alliance web page (www.airsafetyinstitute.org/safetyalliance), the content is free to all pilots. The Safety Alliance currently offers 19 topics that cover a spectrum of safety-related materials, ranging from aerodynamics to flight instruction or weather. A first in the industry, the Safety Alliance’s diverse programs, including informative videos, safety tips, instructional tools, and downloadable reference materials, are now easily browsed in one place.

Proud to provide a common platform for anyone who is passionate about aviation safety education, ASI believes this team effort with the general aviation industry will further improvements to GA safety. ASI thanks the following for being part of the initial Safety Alliance launch: ASA, Jason Blair, Flight Chops, Garmin, Hartzell Propeller, Leidos, Rod Machado, MzeroA, PilotWorkshops.com, Sporty’s, TBM, and The Finer Points.

Visit the Safety Alliance webpage often for the latest in general aviation safety education. New programs will be added regularly.

Know your ice facts

As winter weather blankets many parts of the world, much hangar talk revolves around avoiding icing conditions while flying. ASI wants to help pilots cope with flying in cold weather by offering airframe icing-prevention techniques and lessons learned from an icing-related incident.

Real Pilot Story: Icing Encounter describes Heath Wells’ troubling experience in his Cessna 172. Wells, who had a brand-new instrument rating in his wallet, had invited his family on what was expected to be a comfortable flight crossing central Pennsylvania. But Mother Nature had other plans that almost spoiled the day. As the ground was rising toward the ice-filled cloud layers, Wells—with the help of air traffic controllers—ended up declaring an emergency while trying to divert to better conditions.

Had he taken the time to get a thorough weather briefing and check pireps before launching on this trip? This story ponders those questions and illustrates why we should avoid icing conditions, especially in an aircraft without approved deicing capability.

Flying the Weather: Picking Up Ice  explains why early detection of ice accumulation is critical to the safe outcome of a flight.

Share both videos with others to help them assess what to look for and where to look, so airframe icing won’t interfere with their flight’s safety.

AOPA Insurance Services

Ask Jim

Planning a trip?

Remember these three items

By Jim Pinegar

If you are anything like me, you welcome warmer temperatures. And like many pilots/owners, it’s time to bring your airplane out and rejoin the skies. Before embarking on a trip, remember a few key items: planning, proficiency, and coverage.

Planning. Whether leaving the county, state, or country, remember that if it’s been a while since you’ve flown or even started your aircraft, plan on spending considerable time double-checking everything. Consider setting a minimum amount of time for a preflight. If a typical preflight takes 10 minutes, why not make your first preflight after a long break take 30 minutes? You’ll be forced to go beyond the typical checklist, which is probably not a bad thing. If you’re leaving the country, as you might expect, significant consideration is needed as you’ll need such items as a passport, a radio operator license, an approved decal purchased from Customs and Border Protection, and an international flight plan. Luckily, AOPA has vast online resources that walk us through the exact requirements for numerous destinations.

Proficiency. Many aircraft go into a brief “hibernation” in extreme cold weather months. Many of us don’t have heated hangars and, frankly, it can be hard to entice the family for an outing when wind chills are the main topic on the local weather newscasts. But if you haven’t flown in a while, consider making a few flights in the local area before embarking on a long cross-country. Haven’t flown in a few months? Ask a CFI to join you for an hour; why not knock out a flight review while regaining familiarity with the aircraft? I know I always learn something when flying with a CFI.

Another item I’ll mark in the safety column is onboard equipment. Airplanes don’t like to sit for any length of time, but if you haven’t flown in a few months, ensure all the onboard equipment is functional. And test everything, even the equipment not necessarily required for your planned flight.

Coverage. Finally, make sure your insurance coverage is adequate for your needs. If you reduced your coverage during winter, be certain it’s increased before starting the engine. In addition, if you are leaving the country, double- and triple-check that both the destination and route are covered territories. If there’s any doubt, call your agent.

No matter what you fly or for what reason, AOPA Insurance has the right policy for you. Whether you own or rent, we have you covered. For more information or to apply for a policy, visit the website. 

Jim Pinegar is vice president of the AOPA Aviation Insurance Co. and owns and flies a Cessna 172.