May 12, 2017, issue of 'AOPA ePilot' weekly newsletter


VOL 19, ISSUE 19	May 12, 2017

Click here for this week's custom content.

Top Stories

You Can Fly

Back in the air with BasicMed

The joy in Terry Edwards's voice was unmistakable as he described how it felt to be back in the cockpit as pilot in command under the new BasicMed rule after five years on the sidelines. (Photo courtesy of Donna Edwards.) Read more >

Advocacy

Ensure your BasicMed information is transmitted correctly

As pilots visit their doctors to complete the BasicMed Comprehensive Medical Examination Checklist followed by the AOPA Medical Self-Assessment online course, here are a few tips to make sure everything is in order when submitting information to the FAA through the online course. Read more >

AOPA Live This Week

The big catch; Spring cleaning time

Fly in to the fly-fishing nirvana of the Arctic with AOPA Senior Photographer Chris Rose. Also this week, find out how to bring the shine back to your aircraft's paint, and see what U.S. yacht racers are borrowing from aviation to gain an edge in the America's Cup. Watch AOPA Live This Week®, May 11 >

Technique and Safety

Video

Watch tips for passenger briefings

Planning to share the fun of flying with friends and family? Remember to brief them on safety and emergency procedures. The AOPA Air Safety Institute's Critical Information: The Passenger Safety Briefing provides tips to facilitate the process. Watch the video >

Video

'Ditching in the Dark'

When their engine failed at night over the Gulf of Mexico, the pilot and his two passengers were forced to ditch the aircraft in the dark waters below. How did they survive the night with only a crab buoy to hold on to? This AOPA Air Safety Institute Real Pilot Story re-creates what happened. Watch the video >

More safety products

Do you know your POH?
What's your crosswind technique?
Don't let your flight instructor certificate lapse
'What Went Wrong?' Seminar highlights nontowered accidents

Advocacy

Key FAA programs fully funded in spending bill

A $1 trillion omnibus spending bill that will keep the U.S. government running through September has been signed by President Donald Trump. The FAA programs most important to general aviation have been fully funded. Read more >

Advocacy

Court rejects motion to stay Santa Monica airport closing

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit has denied the National Business Aviation Association's motion to halt an agreement between the FAA and the city of Santa Monica, California, to close the city's airport by 2028 while the settlement's legality is reviewed. Read more >

Advocacy

FAA publishes clearance delivery phone numbers

Pilots will have a new option for receiving IFR clearances directly from some FAA air traffic facilities with the publication of clearance delivery phone numbers in the April 27 edition of the chart supplement. Read more >

Advocacy

Has the 'Notices to Airmen' publication become obsolete?

The Notices to Airmen publication is an "obscure resource" that may have outlived its usefulness in an era of technologically advanced ways to disseminate information, AOPA said, responding to an FAA invitation to weigh in on an agency list of top five targets for safety improvements. Read more >

Survey

Pilots encouraged to complete GA activity survey

The FAA is reminding pilots who have received an email, postcard, or other mailed invitation to participate in the thirty-ninth annual General Aviation and Part 135 Activity Survey. The survey helps determine infrastructure funding and service needs, assess regulatory changes, and measure aviation safety, and is used to prepare safety statistics and calculate the rate of accidents among GA aircraft. The survey takes 10 to 15 minutes to complete, and responses are kept confidential by Tetra Tech, the independent research firm conducting the survey.

Health

Pilot Protection Services

Scientists eye spinach in heart research

Spinach could be good for your heart in more ways than one. Dr. Jonathan Sackier explains the latest research in which spinach leaves are being studied to see if they could be used to make a heart replacement kit. Read more >

Technology

Article

Eyes on the unmanned horizon

A future of robots programmed to fly, swim, crawl, and even entertain came into sharper focus as thousands gathered for the Association of Unmanned Vehicle Systems International's 2017 Xponential conference. Read more >

Article

FlightSimCon touts online sim technology

FlightSimCon, set for June 10 and 11 in Connecticut, is designed to bring together pilots and flight simmers in an interactive social setting. Participants will experience how online flight simulation technology can benefit students and certificated pilots. Read more >

Opinion

Blog

Moroccus Interruptus

A planned flight from Spain to Morocco in a Piper J-3 Cub got cut short, but Opinion Leaders blogger Garrett Fisher writes that his disappointment was quickly tempered by being stuck at a beach. Find out how planning an ambitious trip is different in Europe than it is in the United States and see breathtaking pictures of the landscape. (Photo by Garrett Fisher.) Read more >

Gear

Article

Jeppesen teams up with The Weather Co.

Less than a week after Jeppesen made headlines by partnering with software innovator ForeFlight, the aviation charting giant announced it was teaming up with The Weather Co. to deliver unified weather products for pilots. Read more >

Travel

Article

Hayward Air Rally sets schedule

The Hayward Air Rally, a proficiency flying event now in its fifty-third running, will take place June 22 through 25 on a course from Hayward Executive Airport in California to Reno/Stead Airport in Nevada, with a stop at Redding Municipal Airport in California. Read more >

Financial

Article

Make your AOPA scholarship application stand out

Deadlines for AOPA's two scholarship programs are quickly approaching, with applications for the High School Flight Training Scholarships closing May 19, and those for the AOPA Foundation Flight Training Scholarships ending May 31. Check out these five tips to make your application stand out among the rest. Read more >

Livestream

Co-ownership benefits, challenges explained

Learn about the legal and relational aspects of co-owning an aircraft during a livestream May 17 at 8 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time. Attorney, CPA, and flight instructor Ray Speciale and AOPA Vice President of the Pilot Information Center and Flight Operations Mike Filucci will discuss the benefits and challenges of co-ownership in this first of a three-part series about aircraft ownership, brought to you by AOPA Aviation Finance. Register today >

News and Notes

Article

Icon's lead test pilot killed in A5 accident

Two Icon Aircraft employees including a key aircraft designer were killed in a crash of an A5 in Napa County, California, May 8, the first fatal accident involving the high-profile amphibious light sport aircraft. (Photo by Myles Beeson.) Read more >

Video

'AOPA Hangar' opens

Talk to other aviators through the AOPA Hangar from the comfort of your own home, on your phone or tablet, or even at the office. Pilots can gather in this free online community and talk about all things aviation, share stories and photos, explore and create aviation events, and find other pilots—by airport, flying interest, and more. Watch this tutorial to learn more >

Article

Steelers' new quarterback is aerospace engineer

Instead of brushing up on his Xs and Os in the days before the National Football League's April 27 to 29 draft, former University of Tennessee quarterback Joshua Dobbs was assisting college aeronautics teammates during the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) competition in Tucson, Arizona. (Photo courtesy of AIAA.) Read more >

Article

Celebrating volunteer pilots

Pilot Jeff Bennett has rescued more than 5,000 animals in his Cessna 172 and Cirrus SR22; Steve Danz has flown more than 1,000 missions for Angel Flight West; and Lt. Col. Dick Stoops has provided a free flying ambulance service in isolated regions around the world for Remote Area Medical. These volunteer pilots were honored at the fourth annual Endeavor Awards May 6. Read more >

Article

Flight Instructor Hall of Fame celebrates 20 years

Aviation enthusiasts and members of the public are encouraged to nominate their favorite flight instructor to the Flight Instructor Hall of Fame's twentieth anniversary class of 2017. Read more >

Slideshow

Gathering heralds spring in Alaska

The Alaska Airmen Association held its twentieth annual Great Alaska Aviation Gathering at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport May 6 and 7, drawing an estimated 20,000 people over the weekend. Read more >

Career Opportunities

Aviation job board

Job of the week: Flight instructor

Summit Aviation in Bentonville, Arkansas, is seeking a professional flight instructor to join its team and aviation community. This position will be responsible for teaching and mentoring a very specific demographic of businessmen and women, future aircraft owners, entrepreneurs, and career-minded professional pilots. Instruction will take place in a diverse inventory of aircraft including high-performance, tailwheel, and multiengine aircraft with advanced avionics suites. 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 IT systems administrator, product marketing specialist, accounting clerk, legislative affairs vice president, customer service representative, airports and state advocacy vice president, flight training business support senior director, flight training technology 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 >

Question of the Week

Question

Must an instructor be present for a pilot to log instrument approaches in a flight training device for recency?

Answer

Yes. To log time in a flight training device toward a "pilot certificate, rating, or instrument recency experience," an authorized instructor must be present. (See 14 CFR 61.51(g)(4).)

Got a question for our technical services staff? Contact AOPA.

Education & Seminars

Flight Instructor Refresher Courses

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
Jun 24-25	Ashburn, Virginia; and Bloomington, Minnesota

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 15	Eau Claire, Wisconsin
May 16	Madison, Wisconsin
May 17	Racine, Wisconsin
May 18	Green Bay, Wisconsin

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

Rusty Pilots Seminars

May 13	Seneca, South Carolina; Frederick, Maryland; Van Wert, Ohio; Elkhart, Indiana; Abingdon, Virginia; Lakeland, Florida; 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
May 27	Lago Vista, Texas; and Aurora, Oregon
Jun 3	Red Lodge, Montana; Fort Worth, Texas; Englewood, Colorado; Truckee, California; Selkirk, New York; Akron, Ohio; Brainerd, Minnesota; Thermal, California; and Seattle, Washington

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 Editors:
Alyssa Miller
Jim Moore
Dan Namowitz
David Tulis

Production Team:
Elizabeth Linares
Melissa Whitehouse

Contributors:
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Sarah Deener
Dave Hirschman
Tom Horne
Warren Morningstar
Jill W. Tallman
Ian J. Twombly
Julie Summers Walker

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