November 17, 2017, issue of 'AOPA ePilot: Flight Training Edition'


VOL 17, ISSUE 46	November 17, 2017

Training Tips

Sponsored by Aircraft Spruce

Have you aborted a takeoff?

A pilot who has recently stepped up to a larger, more powerful airplane than he trained in commences the takeoff run, but the aircraft veers toward the left side of the runway. What should he do? Read more >

Flight Training News

You Can Fly

Texas teacher, students praise AOPA aviation curriculum

Making school cool: Freshmen at McKinney High School near Dallas debate who was first in powered flight and learn science, technology, engineering, and math concepts through AOPA's High School Aviation STEM curriculum in the classroom. Juniors and seniors help build an airplane at the airport. Read more >

Advocacy

Comments sought on knowledge-testing experiences

The FAA is seeking proposals from vendors for developing, delivering, and administering knowledge tests to the public, and AOPA encourages members to respond to a one-question survey about their experience with the testing process, including any changes they think should be made. Read more >

Advocacy

Right place, right time

It's 8:30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on a November evening as a student pilot plans a solo cross-country flight for the coming weekend. Converted to 24-hour clock time, it is 20:30, and converted further to coordinated universal time (UTC), or Zulu time, by adding five hours, the time is 0130Z. Is the calculation complete? Read more >

Elevate your flight over terrain

Local terrain and weather patterns—together with aircraft performance—are essential considerations in mountain flying. Brush up on flying in the highlands with the AOPA Air Safety Institute's Mountain Flying quiz, and then get together with a qualified instructor for a checkout. Take the quiz >

Online resource

Are you rusty?

If it's been a while since you've flown, check out the AOPA Air Safety Institute's Rusty Pilots safety spotlight to brush up on radio communication, aerodynamics, and today's airspace before scheduling your next flight lesson or review. Learn more >

Podcast

Hangar Talk: Flight school award winner's incredible journey

Jamie Patterson-Simes, owner of Take Flight Alaska, the AOPA Flight Training Experience Award National Best Flight School for 2017, talks about her incredible journey and dedication to training the next generation of aviators; and catch up on the latest aviation news in this week's Hangar Talk podcast. Listen to the podcast >

Scholarships

Dan Meisinger flight training scholarship

The National Air Transportation Association offers a $2,500 primary flight training scholarship in honor of Dan L. Meisinger Sr., who founded Executive Beechcraft in 1938 and was named Beech Aircraft's Man of the Year two times during his 63-year career. The deadline for the Dan L. Meisinger Sr. Memorial Learn to Fly Scholarship is Nov. 24.

AOPA Live

AOPA Live This Week

Fly a Waco on floats; Cuba travel regs change

Fly along in a Waco YMF-5F on amphibious floats as AOPA Editor at Large Dave Hirschman ferries the distinctive biplane from Maryland to Florida—will you be as smitten as Hirschman? Also this week, find out how changes to the regulations governing Cuba travel might affect your plans to fly there. Watch AOPA Live This Week®, Nov. 16 >

Training Products and Resources

Sporty's debuts Mooney ornament

Pilots eager to deck their halls with a conversation piece from Sporty's Pilot Shop can choose a Mooney M20 crystal ornament that includes a historical account of Al Mooney's groundbreaking design. The ornament can be ordered online for $24.95; orders will start shipping Nov. 28.

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

Hangar, tiedown leases could impact your insurance

Agreeing to hold harmless, indemnification, or subrogation clauses in a hangar or tiedown lease could jeopardize your insurance policy's effectiveness and even result in the denial of a claim, explains AOPA Legal Services Plan attorney Jared Allen. Read more >

Blogs

Hotel issues

Airline pilot and Flight Training blogger Chip Wright lists the top four hotel issues professional pilots face. Read more >

Plane Spotter

Set on a jet

Gone are the days when the best boast a pilot could make about a homebuilt aircraft was that it felt like a jet, or was the closest thing to a jet. As a result of recently completed aircraft-building projects, plane spotters are starting to record sightings of the SubSonex JSX-2, a low-wing, canopied, single-seat personal jet powered by a TJ-100 turbojet engine mounted atop the rear fuselage ahead of the airplane's distinctive Y-shaped tail. The aircraft shown here was the fourth completed owner-built SubSonex and first flew in April 2017.

Final Exam

Question

Can I log night flight time starting at sunset, or must it be an hour after sunset?

Answer

Night begins at the end of evening civil twilight. Depending on your location, this time could be from 20 to 40 minutes after official sunset. There are apps that can give you the actual time each day. Other resources for this information include the Air Almanac or flight service. Remember, logging night flight time and logging night landings for currency requirements are different. Pilots can only log night landings from one hour after sunset through one hour before sunrise.

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: Flight attendant, Chamarac Inc.

Charmarac Inc. is seeking a part-time flight attendant for the New York City area, with the potential of turning full-time. Candidates must have FlightSafety, FACTs, or similar credentials. International travel opportunities are available. 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 aviation safety analysis manager, account executive, High School Aviation Initiative coordinator, customer service representative, accounting clerk, administrative clerk, survey analyst/survey researcher, digital marketing coordinator, legislative affairs vice president, and airports and state advocacy vice president. Learn about AOPA career opportunities >

Education & Seminars

Flight Instructor Refresher Courses

Nov 18-19	Ashburn, Virginia; and San Diego, California
Dec 2-3	Denver, Colorado; and Northbrook, Illinois
Dec 9-10	Lake Mary, Florida
Jan 6-7	Charlotte, North Carolina; and Santa Clara, California

For a complete schedule, see AOPA Online. Can't make it in person? Sign up for the AOPA Air Safety Institute's Online eFIRC.

Safety Seminars

Jan 10	Fairfax, Virginia
Jan 15	Reno, Nevada; and Houston, Texas
Jan 16	Sacramento, California; and Houston, Texas
Jan 17	Milpitas, California; and San Antonio, Texas

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

Rusty Pilots Seminars

Nov 18	Cheyenne, Wyoming
Dec 2	Winter Haven, Florida; Jackson, California; Independence, Oregon; and Panama City, Florida
Dec 9	Murrieta, California; Scottsdale, Arizona; West Chicago, Illinois; Mineola, Texas; New Cumberland, Pennsylvania; and San Diego, California
Dec 16	Oxford, Iowa; and Middleton, Wisconsin

AOPA Rusty Pilots Seminars are sponsored by Sporty's. 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, add 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 J. Cobb
Jim Moore
Dan Namowitz
David Tulis

Production Team:
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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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