May 5, 2017, issue of 'AOPA ePilot: Flight Training Edition'


VOL 17, ISSUE 18	May 5, 2017

Training Tips

Sponsored by Aircraft Spruce

'Things get fuzzy from there'

There are two ways to learn aviation weather. Find out which way is recommended and which is not. Read more >

Flight Training News

Advocacy

BasicMed goes live

May 1 has come. Go ahead and pinch yourself. Then get out there and fly, if you are one of the early movers who seized the initiative and have already completed the necessary steps under BasicMed rules to be pilot in command of an aircraft having a maximum certificated takeoff weight up to 6,000 pounds, and authorized to carry no more than six total occupants. Read more >

Article

Spin champion offers advice on unusual attitudes

Californian Spencer Suderman set the world record for 98 inverted flat spins in his Sunbird S-1x biplane, so he knows a thing or two about unusual attitudes. AOPA asked Suderman how pilots could benefit from unusual attitude training to increase their confidence and ability to handle the unexpected. Read more >

Flight Training magazine

Cloud class

Pilots like to say, "You'll be a safer pilot with an instrument rating." And the instrument rating is the next logical step in your aviation journey, after earning your private pilot certificate. Read more >

Online resource

Manage flight risks

Could you use a second opinion with a difficult go/no-go decision? The AOPA Air Safety Institute's Flight Risk Evaluator helps manage flight risks based on your certificate level, flight experience, and environment. Enter your information to receive objective feedback about the safety of your flight. Try it now >

Scholarships

Article

Deadlines fast approaching for scholarships from AOPA, others

May is a busy month for those interested in flight training. Teens should apply for AOPA High School Flight Training Scholarships by May 19, while students 16 and older should circle May 31 as the deadline for various AOPA Foundation Flight Training Scholarships. Other organizations also are offering financial awards, and the American Bonanza Society is making a paid fall internship available. Read more >

William T. Piper Scholarship awarded

Lorena Molina, a senior at Vero Beach High School in Florida, has won Piper Aircraft's William T. Piper Scholarship for $1,000 per year for up to four years. The scholarship is open to graduating seniors at Vero Beach, Sebastian River, and Indian River high schools in Florida. Piper is headquartered in Vero Beach.

AOPA Live

AOPA Live This Week

Hands-on in Camarillo; Baker reflects on flying life

The 2017 AOPA Fly-Ins, which kicked off in Camarillo, California, offer more hands-on experiences than ever. Also this week, AOPA President Mark Baker reflects on how flying and fellow pilots influenced his life. Watch AOPA Live This Week®, May 4 >

Training Products and Resources

Wipe off bugs with Sporty's windshield care kit

Be prepared for bug season with a windshield care kit from Sporty's Pilot Shop, complete with a can of cleaner, a can of polish, and 25 scratch-free window wipes. The kit is available online for $19.95.

Note: Products listed have not been evaluated by ePilot editors unless otherwise noted. AOPA assumes no responsibility for products or services listed or for claims or actions by manufacturers or vendors.

Member Benefits

Pilot Protection Services

BasicMed flight limitations detailed

Eligible pilots who fly under BasicMed should make sure they understand the flight limitations associated with this alternative to medical certification. Read more >

AOPA Aviation Finance

Leasebacks to air charters are risky

The prospect of bringing in revenue with an inactive aircraft is tempting—especially when the pitch is delivered by a savvy Part 135 operator with charter customers at the ready. But aircraft owners should know that they shoulder the greatest risks when they make their airplanes available for charter, and rewards aren't guaranteed. Read more >

Blogs

Confounding airports

According to Flight Training blogger and airline pilot Chip Wright, "the true sign of professionalism is to ask for [progressive taxi] when you're flying with paying passengers in the back." Read more >

Instrument Tip

IFR Fix

What were they thinking?

News flash: We may have an answer to the intriguing, if not burning, question aired April 3 after a reader asked why standard IFR holding patterns require right turns. Read more >

Online resource

Practice IFR procedures

It's sometimes helpful to practice flying while on the ground. Test your skills on an instrument approach to Westminster, Maryland. The AOPA Air Safety Institute's IFR Chart Challenge: VOR Approach course asks you to make decisions along the way. Take the course >

Plane Spotter

Looking for Outbound traffic

If you spotted the newly introduced Rans S-21 Outbound kitbuilt, two-place airplane at EAA AirVenture in 2016, keep track of the 180-horsepower, high-wing, 130-knot aircraft's development on the Rans Aircraft website. The aircraft resembles the S-20 Raven but has shorter wings. Customers can choose between a tailwheel and a castering nosewheel. According to S-21 news updates posted by kit maker Rans Designs, some parts produced on 3-D printers have been flight tested and will be included in kits—but not yet a "full fuselage or wing."

Final Exam

Question

I am instrument current in single-engine airplanes and am planning to fly IFR next week in a multiengine airplane. What additional time or approaches do I need to be instrument current in multiengine airplanes?

Answer

You are already qualified to make that flight. Instrument currency is specific to aircraft categories, not aircraft classes. As long as you maintain instrument currency in airplanes, you can legally fly IFR in any single- or multiengine airplane for which you are rated.

Did you know that student pilots who join AOPA are three times more likely to complete their flight training? Membership includes unlimited access to aviation information by phone (800/USA-AOPA, weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern time) or from AOPA Online. Got a question for our technical services staff? Contact AOPA.

Career Opportunities

Aviation job board

Job of the week: Aviation course developer

King Schools provides academic training for pilot qualifications at all levels from new pilots to corporate jet pilots and airline captains. The successful applicant will be responsible for creating and maintaining course content and production scripts on required aviation training topics. The scripts will be used to create King Schools' aviation-related instructional videos and other course materials. 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 an accounting clerk, legislative affairs vice president, temporary UAS program coordinator, safety program coordinator, customer service representative, airports and state advocacy vice president, flight training business support senior director, flight training technology senior director, aviation insurance sales 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 >

Education & Seminars

Flight Instructor Refresher Courses

May 6-7	Albany, New York; Hollywood, Florida; and Pensacola, Florida
May 20-21	Conroe, Texas; Kansas City, Missouri; and Sacramento, California
Jun 3-4	Charlotte, North Carolina; Columbus, Ohio; and Tempe, Arizona
Jun 10-11	Lake Mary, Florida; and Santa Clara, California

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

May 8	Garden City, New York
May 9	Poughkeepsie, New York; and Norton Shores, Michigan
May 10	Albany, New York; and Lansing, Michigan
May 11	Moffett Field, California; and Brockport, New York

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

Rusty Pilots Seminars

May 6	Cincinnati, Ohio; Tampa, Florida; West Palm Beach, Florida; Appleton, Wisconsin; Renton, Washington; Cleveland, Ohio; West Chicago, Illinois; and Gypsum, Colorado
May 7	Anchorage, Alaska
May 13	Seneca, South Carolina; Frederick, Maryland; Van Wert, Ohio; Elkhart, Indiana; Lakeland, Florida; Abingdon, Virginia; Joplin, Missouri; McKinney, Texas; South Portland, Maine; and Simsbury, Connecticut
May 20	Salisbury, Maryland; Zionsville, Indiana; Whitehouse Station, New Jersey; Bethany, Oklahoma; Sheboygan Falls, Wisconsin; Marion, Illinois; Idaho Falls, Idaho; Albuquerque, New Mexico; Mason, Michigan; and New Orleans, Louisiana

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, include 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 Flight Training 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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