July 3, 2020, issue of 'AOPA ePilot' weekly newsletter
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| VOL 22, ISSUE 27 |
July 3, 2020 |
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Top Stories
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| Article |
| High insurance rates continue to concern GA leaders |
| AOPA President Mark Baker and general aviation industry leaders voiced concerns about rising insurance premiums during a webinar that highlighted how training and communication can help pilots mitigate rate hikes. Read more > |
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| AOPA Live This Week |
| Sweep-ish grin; Goodyear pilot's perspective |
| Mark Levy's P–51 Mustang emergency was much-watched online. He had a better time flying your AOPA Sweepstakes RV–10. Also, a Goodyear pilot talks about flying an icon, and viewers mark Independence Day. Watch AOPA Live This Week® > |
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Technique and Safety
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| IFR Fix |
| 'Because it's legal now' |
| A January revision of the Aeronautical Information Manual gave instrument pilots more flexibility when flying approaches, but raised new questions. Read more > |
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| Online resource |
| CFI words of wisdom |
| In this issue of the AOPA Air Safety Institute's CFI to CFI newsletter: Simplify airspace lessons, review the limitations of on-board weather, take a quiz, and learn tips to give the highest quality instruction possible. Learn more > |
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| Video |
| Bothering ATC? |
| Air traffic control specialist Sarah Patten debunks the notion that talking to flights squawking 1200 inconveniences ATC in this installment of the AOPA Air Safety Institute's Ask ATC series. |
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| Video |
| Single-point failure |
| A vacuum pump failure in IMC without backup instrumentation is a serious emergency. This AOPA Air Safety Institute Accident Case Study shares lessons learned from such an emergency in a Beechcraft Bonanza. Watch the video > |
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Advocacy
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| Advocacy |
| AOPA opposes new rule on pilot records |
| AOPA raised concerns over the FAA's proposal to create an electronic pilot records database that could place an undue burden on many pilots. Read more > |
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| Advocacy |
| FAA proposes corrosion AD for Aerostar twins |
| The FAA has proposed an airworthiness directive requiring inspections of several Aerostar Aircraft Corp. twins for balance tube corrosion. Read more > |
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| Advocacy |
| What's behind the FAA's switch from 'student' to 'learner'? |
| When the FAA announced that the 2020 update of the Aviation Instructor's Handbook would drop the terms "student" and "cockpit" in favor of "learner" and "flight deck," many aviators wondered what was behind the move. Read more > |
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Health
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| Pilot Protection Services |
| COVID-19 blues |
| The coronavirus pandemic could have long-term effects on pilots' mental and physical health. Read more > |
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Technology
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| Article |
| Virgin Galactic closing in on commercial space service |
| Virgin Galactic's June 25 glide test advanced the quest to launch paying space passengers. Read more and watch a video > |
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Opinion
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| Blog |
| Pilots reach out during pandemic |
| The coronavirus pandemic played havoc with fly-ins but opened doors for general aviation pilots to help one another, writes Opinion Leaders blogger Jolie Lucas. Read more > |
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Gear
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| Pilot magazine |
| Aircraft paint protection |
| Postflight duties during bug season involve painstakingly wiping splatter from leading edges. A new product makes that chore easier. Read more > |
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Travel
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| Slideshow |
| Sandhills offer wide-open beauty |
| Float the Niobrara National Scenic River and view nearly 200 waterfalls in the Nebraska Sandhills. 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 |
| Shadin Avionics under new ownership |
| A New York investment firm with Minnesota roots has added Minnesota-based Shadin Avionics to its portfolio. Read more > |
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| Member benefit |
| Budgeting to own an aircraft |
| What's the best way to manage the expense of owning an airplane? Set your budget before you buy. Read more > |
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News and Notes
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| Article |
| Sporty's virtual airshow highlights events, experiences |
| Sporty's Pilot Shop has kicked off a five-week virtual airshow that includes weekly webinars, livestreams, product introductions, fun flying videos, and show specials. Read more > |
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| Article |
| Virtual, in-person summer camps for kids |
| Feed your kids' appetite for exploration through online and in-person aviation summer camps. Read more > |
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| You Can Fly |
| Flight training videos wanted |
| If you have been training during the coronavirus pandemic, share your story for our Flight Training Experience project. Read more > |
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Career Opportunities
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| Aviation job board |
| Job of the week: Chief inspector, Carpenter Avionics |
| Carpenter Avionics in Smyrna, Tennessee, has an immediate need for an experienced avionics-focused chief inspector to join a dedicated team committed to the highest quality workmanship, integrity, and customer satisfaction. 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 government affairs (regulatory) vice president, and a data analyst. 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
While selecting the VFR cruising altitude (odd thousands plus 500 feet or even thousands plus 500 feet), should I look at the overall magnetic course between the origin and destination airports or consider each individual segment? If the overall magnetic course is easterly, but a segment is westerly, do I need to fly only that segment at even thousands plus 500 feet? |
| Answer |
According to FAR 91.159, you should cruise at an altitude consistent with your current course. So, if your first leg is on a westerly heading, and the second leg is on an easterly heading, and you're cruising above 3,000 feet agl for both, you should use even thousands plus 500 feet for the first leg, and odd thousands plus 500 feet for the second. Keep in mind that the purpose is to help VFR pilots see other traffic, and nearby pilots only know which way you're going right now.
This discussion is from our online Pilot Information Center, where you can ask questions, contribute answers, earn badges, and join our growing pilot community online. Got a question for our technical services staff? Contact AOPA. |
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Education & Seminars
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| AOPA's in-person educational courses and seminars have been canceled or postponed in response to the coronavirus pandemic. Stay sharp with our webinars, podcasts, and videos. |
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| See the full webinar schedule in our online Pilot Information Center. (Log in to our online Pilot Information Center using your AOPA website username and password to view these events.) View our recently recorded webinars (registration required). |
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| Latest AOPA Pilot Lounge videos |
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| For a full list of Pilot Lounge videos, see AOPA Online. |
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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
Chris Eads
Tom Haines
Dave Hirschman
Tom Horne
Warren Morningstar
Kollin Stagnito
Jill Tallman
Ian Twombly
Julie Summers Walker |
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