AOPA News
AOPA offers drone memberships
Association welcomes UAS to the GA family
The FAA estimates that 1.3 million pilots will be certified to operate drones under FAR Part 107 by 2020. If that forecast remains accurate, many drone pilots will have no prior connection to general aviation, nor any connection to its community of aviators or exposure to GA’s culture of safety. Pilots of unmanned aircraft, many of whom are new to aviation, will need the same types of support, services, information, and tools that AOPA provides to the manned aviation community. The association announced in February it has launched a new line of membership options created for drone pilots.
“Drone pilots are seeking their place in the larger world of aviation and looking for opportunities to expand their experience,” said AOPA President Mark Baker. “This is an ideal time to embrace these pilots and welcome them to the GA family.”
AOPA has been involved with drones and related matters for about a decade. The association has commented on most federal regulations and policies created since the drone boom began, with an eye on the safe integration with manned aircraft. Many “new” drone pilots are already flying manned aircraft and many are already AOPA members. AOPA has expanded its drone expertise, adding new team members and developing expertise within its existing staff. Kathleen “Kat” Swain is AOPA’s senior director of unmanned aircraft system programs. A CFI, Swain played key roles building unmanned aircraft capabilities for the insurance industry as well as flying humanitarian missions prior to joining AOPA in April 2016.
By joining AOPA, drone pilots will support current and future efforts to make unmanned aviation safe and accessible, in the same way all AOPA members do for GA as a whole. “We’re providing the community and resources all pilots need,” said Swain.
“As newcomers to the skies, they have told us they are looking for a trusted source to help them get the most out of their flying, protect their license and their assets, and keep them up to date on regulations and issues affecting their kind of flying,” added Baker.
New school
Revamped commercial testing standards debut in June
New standards for commercial pilot practical and knowledge tests will be published June 15, replacing the practical test standards (PTS) currently used for commercial pilot applicants.
Airman certification standards combine the tasks and performance standards of the PTS with related knowledge areas and potential sources of risk. The FAA replaced the private pilot and instrument rating PTS for airplanes with the more comprehensive ACS in 2016. The first revisions to those ACS documents are also planned for publication on June 15.
The issuance of the new ACS publications coincides with a significant overhaul of knowledge testing to make test questions more relevant and align with the ACS. The alignment of knowledge test questions and certification standards will be in place for the commercial pilot airplane knowledge test by the June 15 implementation date.
The FAA provides sample knowledge tests and information but does not publish actual test questions; “it is increasingly unlikely that applicants will see an exact match between sample questions and actual test questions,” an update to the FAA’s airman testing web page advises.
The textbooks and handbooks that form the backbone of pilot ground study also are undergoing revision, with recommendations from the aviation community members of the Aviation Rulemaking Advisory Committee’s Airman Certification Standards Working Group, chaired by AOPA.
The working group continues to develop and finalize ACS for airline transport pilot (airplane), instructor (airplane), and aircraft mechanic certificate with airframe and/or powerplant ratings. Drafts of those new standards will be published on the FAA’s website for review and comment prior to implementation. —AOPA staff
www.faa.gov/training_testing/testing/acs/
MEMBERSHIP
Are you fit to fly?
What BasicMed means to you
The third class medical reform final rule released at the beginning of the year—called BasicMed—takes effect on May 1. Under BasicMed, many pilots will be able to fly noncommercially without holding a current FAA medical certificate.
“The general aviation community is ecstatic about BasicMed,” AOPA President Mark Baker said of the new alternative to medical certification. “May 1 can’t get here soon enough!”
Before flying under BasicMed, pilots must have received a medical certificate one time in the previous 10 years from an FAA aviation medical examiner. To comply with the BasicMed rules, pilots must get a physical exam by a state-licensed physician, have the associated checklist completed, and then complete the online aeromedical course. It is important that pilots make those steps in that order. AOPA encourages pilots to review the regulation and the advisory circular so they can get an overview of the privileges and limitations of BasicMed.
“We want to make it as easy as possible to understand and comply with BasicMed, so we’ve also created a wealth of Fit to Fly resources for pilots and physicians that further explain the rules,” Baker said.
Those resources, as well as an interactive online quiz to help pilots determine whether they can participate in BasicMed and an expansive FAQ page, are available at a centralized location online.
ASI NEWS
Exploring low-altitude maneuvering flight
Take positive aircraft control, especially close to the ground
What defines low-altitude maneuvering flight? Basically, every flight enters a brief maneuvering phase close to the ground while in the traffic pattern and during takeoff and landing. It’s normal and demands care and situational awareness. Other low-altitude maneuvers—for example, aerobatics, formation flying, aerial observation or application flights, and mountain/canyon flying—require extra vigilance and additional training by an experienced flight instructor and vetted training course.
When pilots take precautions and follow a clearly defined safety envelope, maneuvering flight can demonstrate skill and professionalism. Unfortunately, some pilots fail to understand the hazards or deliberately take significant risks. They may have successfully tempted fate on previous flights and are under the unfortunate impression that success will repeat itself; others are tempted to demonstrate their skills. Their demise is frequently preceded by those famous last words: “Watchthis!” It’s safe to say that when maneuvering flight goes wrong, it usually ends in loss of control.
The AOPA Air Safety Institute developed Margins of Safety: Low-Altitude Maneuvering to explore the complexities of flying low and slow, and steps you can take to be safe when flying low to the ground where an inadvertent stall or spin may be unrecoverable.
How do you guard your safety and that of your passengers? Take positive control of your aircraft below 2,500 feet agl and eliminate chitchat or other distractions. Also, practice flying at slow speeds at a safe altitude to get a feel for your aircraft’s handling during climbs, descents, and turns. But before you climb in the cockpit, review this video; then share it with others so they, too, can understand the intricacies of maneuvering at low altitudes.
Video made possible by The Tom Davis Fund.
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