April 17, 2020, issue of 'AOPA ePilot' weekly newsletter
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| VOL 22, ISSUE 16 |
April 17, 2020 |
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Top Stories
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| Article |
| Flying into action |
| Thousands of volunteer pilots and aircraft were ready to help. It was unthinkable that such nimble resources might go undeployed in a national emergency. (Photo courtesy of Ed Loxterkamp.) Read more > |
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| Slideshow |
| Aerial photographer shares views of a shut-down California |
| The effects of California's stay-at-home order to try to limit the spread of the coronavirus are apparent from the air. Read more > |
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| Article |
| Airshow pilots hit hard by cancellations |
| Large and small flight displays have been canceled or indefinitely postponed from New Zealand to New Jersey—and the hit list keeps growing. Read more > |
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| AOPA Live This Week |
| Pilots deliver supplies, messages |
| Skytypers and the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds provided a morale boost and honored health care workers, and Angel Flight groups joined forces to deliver supplies. Also, a race car driver shares his touch-and-go in a Van's RV–6 in Miami. Watch AOPA Live This Week® > |
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Technique and Safety
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| Podcast |
| 'There I was...': Surviving a midair |
| Gabrielle Palmas survived a 2012 midair collision and went on to a career flying jets. She recalls that harrowing day in the latest episode of the AOPA Air Safety Institute's "There I Was..." podcast. |
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| Video |
| No greater burden |
| Losing a son in an aircraft accident is excruciating. This special AOPA Air Safety Institute video presentation takes a sobering look at one pilot's tragedy, and the lessons we all can learn from it. Watch the video > |
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| Article |
| Wings program to be revamped |
| You can help the FAA improve the Wings Pilot Proficiency Program with a few minutes of your time. Read more > |
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| You Can Fly |
| Stay sharp with new 'Don't Get Rusty, Pilots' webinar series |
| A new AOPA Don't Get Rusty, Pilots webinar series helps engage homebound pilots. |
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| AOPA Premier Partner created content |
| What would you do here? |
| How did a checkride that followed proper procedure and observed all regulations almost end in disaster? Watch this chilling video, then enter to win a $2,295 flight simulator. Watch the PilotWorkshops video > |
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Advocacy
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| Advocacy |
| Reps urge action on relief for pilots |
| Key lawmakers encouraged the FAA to act quickly to provide general aviation the same relief from certain requirements granted to commercial aviation in response to the ongoing pandemic. Read more > |
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| Advocacy |
| Emergency funds allocated for GA airports |
| General aviation airports will receive $100 million in relief funding, with flexibility to use the money to offset lost revenue, develop projects, or pay debts. Read more > |
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| Advocacy |
| AOPA warns Congress of risks to FAA funding |
| AOPA signed on to an urgent plea to protect critical infrastructure funding. Read more > |
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| Advocacy |
| VFR charts to go on 56-day publication cycle |
| The FAA will put visual navigation and planning charts on a 56-day publication cycle early in 2021, streamlining updates and causing some charts now in use to become obsolete before their published expiration. Read more > |
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| Advocacy |
| FAA issues medicals to pro pilots with insulin-treated diabetes |
| Medical certificates have been issued to professional pilots who depend on insulin to control their diabetes, the first products of a policy years in the making that builds on a similar policy for private pilots. Read more > |
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| Advocacy |
| Flight plan errors could be costly |
| Many pilots are not filing IFR flight plans correctly when it comes to entering their aircraft's ADS-B equipment information. Read more > |
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| Advocacy |
| AD affects certain McCauley prop governors |
| The FAA will accept comments until May 22 on an airworthiness directive requiring potentially costly part replacement prompted by the failure of certain McCauley propeller governor bearings. Read more > |
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Health
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| Pilot Protection Services |
| Higher mileage, higher maintenance |
| Keeping an eye on your numbers (blood pressure and cholesterol, among others) gets more important as you age. Read more > |
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Technology
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| Article |
| Zipline pitches drones for US coronavirus relief |
| The San Francisco firm that created drone delivery networks serving two African countries hopes to fast-track drone delivery in the United States to respond to the coronavirus pandemic. Read more > |
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Opinion
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| Blog |
| An overdue rant from Europe |
| Opinion Leaders blogger Garrett Fisher writes that obtaining permission to leave the house in France under coronavirus stay-at-home orders is easier than adhering to European aviation regulations. Read more > |
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Gear
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| Article |
| Pros offer disinfecting tips |
| Experts explain the correct way to clean your avionics, instrument panels, and personal devices to keep them germ-free and functioning properly. Read more > |
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Travel
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| Article |
| 'Zen Pilot' on the road amid a pandemic |
| Robert DeLaurentis provides a perspective from Europe on preserving safety and health during the coronavirus pandemic. Read more > |
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| Want more general aviation travel stories? Sign up for our free AOPA Travel Pilot biweekly newsletter. |
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Financial
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| Article |
| BasicMed vs third class medical |
| Some insurers are requiring pilots to get a third class medical annually. Read more > |
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| Member benefit |
| Loan variables and monthly payment |
| The down payment, amortization period, interest rate, and loan-to-value ratio all play a role in determining your monthly payment. Read more > |
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News and Notes
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| Article |
| Report on Halladay crash paints troubling picture |
| The NTSB factual report on the crash that killed baseball Hall of Fame pitcher Roy Halladay paints a picture of reckless acts. Read more > |
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| Article |
| South slammed by multiple tornadoes |
| Severe weather tore through Southeastern states on Easter weekend; tornadoes killed dozens of people and devastated airports. Read more > |
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| Article |
| Mickens named to head Hoover Foundation |
| Longtime advocate and pilot Vincent Mickens has been named executive director of the Bob Hoover Legacy Foundation. Read more > |
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| Article |
| Business as usual for Shepherd Aero |
| The coronavirus pandemic has stifled much of the aviation industry, but one aircraft acquisition firm is still flying high. Read more > |
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| Online resource |
| Catch up on pandemic updates |
| Get the latest news we have on the various impacts of the coronavirus on aviation, compiled for your convenience. |
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| Podcast |
| 'Hangar Talk': Aviation photographer Chris Rose |
| AOPA Senior Photographer Chris Rose describes what goes into producing stunning air-to-air images, and shares tips to elevate your own photography.
Listen to the podcast > |
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Career Opportunities
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| Aviation job board |
| Job of the week: Interior mechanic, FEAM |
| FEAM Aircraft Maintenance/Engineering is currently seeking an experienced interior mechanic to join its team in Baltimore. The company prides itself on consistently exceeding customers' expectations and creating lifelong relationships with its clientele. Read the full description and apply today > |
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| AOPA career opportunities |
| Join the AOPA team |
| Ever dream of turning your passion for aviation into a career? AOPA is looking for a medical certification specialist, membership experience senior manager, major gifts officer, data analyst, associate developer of safety programs, government affairs (regulatory) vice president, and high school aviation outreach director. To learn more about these and other AOPA career opportunities, visit AOPA Online > |
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Question of the Week
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Question
As a part-time CFI, I'm constantly going out of landing currency for carrying passengers. Is this currency required to give instruction? |
| Answer |
No. On a training flight neither the instructor nor the student is considered a passenger, so neither needs to comply with recency of experience requirements for carrying passengers (see this FAA letter of interpretation).
This question and answer were provided by AOPA's Pilot Information Center. Got a question for our technical services staff? Contact AOPA. |
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Education & Seminars
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| AOPA's educational courses and seminars have been canceled or postponed in response to the coronavirus pandemic. |
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| AOPA Courses and Seminars |
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ePilot Editors:
Alyssa Cobb
Jim Moore
Dan Namowitz
David Tulis
Production Team:
Elizabeth Linares
Kristy O'Malley
Erick Webb
Melissa Whitehouse |
Contributors:
Mike Collins
Sarah Deener
Tom Haines
Dave Hirschman
Tom Horne
Warren Morningstar
Kollin Stagnito
Jill Tallman
Ian Twombly
Julie Summers Walker |
Advertise in ePilot:
Dan Justman, 301-695-2182
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Jeff Rockwood, 301-695-2089
Western United States:
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