May 1, 2020, issue of 'AOPA ePilot' weekly newsletter
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| VOL 22, ISSUE 18 |
May 1, 2020 |
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Top Stories
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| Advocacy |
| Special rule sets limited conditions for flying during pandemic |
| The FAA issued a special federal aviation regulation that extends medical certificates and airman knowledge tests that would have expired between March 1 and May 31 to all pilots regardless of the type of their flying. The SFAR also provides flight review and instrument currency extensions under very limited circumstances to get pilots back in the air to support the fight against the coronavirus pandemic. Read more > |
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| Article |
| GA manufacturers prepare to ramp up |
| General aviation manufacturers have taken a variety of paths to weather the coronavirus pandemic and deal with the new realities of social distancing and sanitizing hands and equipment. Read more > |
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| Article |
| College flight schools adapt to new learning environments |
| Three top aviation educators share drastic changes that are underway as colleges and schools that specialize in flight training prepare to resume classes with a modified educational experience for students, instructors, and staff. Read more > |
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| Slideshow |
| World recognizes humanitarian airlift potential of GA |
| Nations worldwide are realizing the value of general aviation to help move medical supplies and personnel during the coronavirus pandemic. Read more > |
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| AOPA Live This Week |
| FAA's pandemic relief rule arrives; Phenom flight |
| A special regulation provides relief for pilots during the coronavirus pandemic; COVID-19 guidance, by state; and one student's flight lessons make news. Also, we fly a Phenom 300E. Watch AOPA Live This Week® > |
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Technique and Safety
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| Article |
| Learning from crew reports during the COVID-19 pandemic |
| Recent reports from air traffic controllers and flight crews highlight safety factors general aviation pilots should consider when flying during the global coronavirus pandemic. Read more > |
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| Login required |
| Practicing 'self-control' |
| No tower? No problem! Safe operations at nontowered airports rely on procedures, not air traffic control. Practice "self-control" with this AOPA Air Safety Institute quiz. |
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| Video |
| Rescue gone wrong |
| The AOPA Air Safety Institute re-creates a fatal helicopter search-and-rescue mission to understand how decisions led to disaster. Watch the video > |
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| Video |
| From the archives: Wire strikes |
| Take a look in the AOPA Air Safety Institute archives as we examine tips for wire strike avoidance. Watch the video > |
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| IFR Fix |
| If you build it, post a notam |
| Even an airport you think you know like the back of your hand can deliver a knockout punch when a major construction project is in progress. Read more > |
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Advocacy
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| Advocacy |
| AOPA leadership discusses state of GA |
| More than 1,200 AOPA members and aviation enthusiasts joined AOPA President Mark Baker and Senior Vice President of Marketing Jiri Marousek for a live YouTube chat about the state of general aviation on April 22. Read more > |
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| Advocacy |
| BasicMed makes three |
| May 1 marks the third anniversary of the BasicMed program, and for thousands of general aviation pilots flying under the program's medical privileges, it has been a resounding success. Read more > |
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| Advocacy |
| Flying amid COVID-19: State-by-state guide for pilots |
| AOPA has published a state-by-state guide on COVID-19 directives to help pilots determine if they can fly in their state. Read more > |
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| Advocacy |
| Guidance for airports seeking relief grants |
| General aviation airport administrators have a variety of resources available to answer questions about how to secure a share of the coronavirus relief grants recently authorized by Congress. Read more > |
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| Advocacy |
| Enhanced HEMS Tool boosts weather awareness |
| The Helicopter Emergency Medical Services Tool was recently enhanced to improve any aviator's low-level weather awareness. Read more > |
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| Survey |
| Survey deadline extended on FAA tests |
| FAA test provider PSI is extending a survey, which was originally to have closed in January, to gather information to help update the content of private pilot, instrument rating, commercial pilot, and airline transport pilot knowledge and practical tests. The survey takes 25 minutes, and after completing it, you can enter for a chance to receive a $100 gift card. |
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Opinion
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| Blog |
| Lighten your emotional load |
| Opinion Leaders blogger Robert DeLaurentis writes that gathering strength from mentors, colleagues, and others can help you visualize a post-pandemic world.
Read more > |
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Gear
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| Article |
| Garmin unveils aera 760 |
| Garmin announced the imminent arrival of the aera 760, a portable GPS designed to work with other devices including Garmin navigators. Read more > |
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Travel
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| Article |
| Put your best photo forward |
| May is National Photography Month. Celebrate by submitting your photos to the AOPA Pilot Passport program in the May Give Us Your Best Shot Challenge. 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 |
| Embraer: Boeing wrongfully broke the deal |
| Embraer reports it will sue Boeing Co. for terminating an agreement to buy 80 percent of Embraer's commercial aircraft business for $4.2 billion. Read more > |
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| Member benefit |
| Purchasing an aircraft in a volatile market |
| AOPA Aviation Finance Co. President Adam Meredith answers questions about credit requirements and continuing the aircraft purchase process during the coronavirus pandemic. Read more > |
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| Member benefit |
| Find the right broker and lender |
| An aircraft purchase is a complex transaction, and there are dozens of finance options. It's a good idea to work with a broker who can guide you through the process and to the right lender. Read more > |
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| Article |
| Three tips for mitigating insurance premium increases |
| During this hardening insurance market, it's up to you to be proactive in working with your broker to help manage your costs. Read more > |
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News and Notes
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| Article |
| Sun 'n Fun Home Edition brings the fun |
| The new Sun 'n Fun Home Edition brings you all the airshow videos, exhibitors, learning opportunities, and fun you'd ever want. You just need to provide your own sun. Read more > |
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| Article |
| Flyovers pay tribute to medical workers |
| A piston-powered flyover on April 24 paid tribute to health care staff in San Diego. Read more > |
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| Article |
| Arsenal of Democracy to premiere World War II tribute video |
| Several aviation organizations are commemorating the seventy-fifth anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe on May 8 by hosting a livestream tribute. Read more > |
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| Article |
| Hopeful flights to nowhere |
| With the help of FlightAware, a Virginia couple recently used their time in the air to encourage their local community. Read more > |
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| Article |
| Student pilot, instructors help medical professionals |
| After coronavirus-related restrictions prevented T.J. Kim from continuing training toward his first solo, he and his instructors switched to cross-country training and helped spread some good. Read more > |
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| Article |
| Additional GA manufacturers step up coronavirus relief |
| Daher, Pipistrel, and Tecnam are the latest general aviation manufacturers helping combat the coronavirus pandemic. Read more > |
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| AOPA Foundation Focus |
| Help us pick a cover photo |
| Each year, the AOPA Foundation produces a beautiful calendar highlighting some of the best general aviation photography. We want your help to pick the best photo for the cover of our 2021 calendar. Vote for your favorite by May 20! |
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| Pilot Protection Services |
| What you need to know about hangar parties |
| If you are planning to host an event in your hangar once the coronavirus pandemic has passed, here are some important legal considerations. Read more > |
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| Podcast |
| 'Hangar Talk': Pilot organizes face-mask sewing group |
| Pilot, seamstress, and flight dispatcher Brianne Kroupa organized a group of female aviators to sew cloth face masks for fellow aviators.
Listen to the podcast > |
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Career Opportunities
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| Aviation job board |
| Job of the week: System engineer, AAR WASS |
| AAR WASS in Palm Bay, Florida, is seeking an electrical engineer to work on the research, development, design, testing, and analysis of aircraft electrical and avionics systems as well as related technology for fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters and associated components and instruments. 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, member experience senior manager, data analyst, associate developer of safety programs, and government affairs (regulatory) vice president. 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
You're about to get some recurrent training on night landings and operations from your local CFI. The problem is that you're not night current to carry passengers, and neither is the instructor. Does one of you have to be night current to carry passengers to do this flight? |
| Answer |
Neither you nor the instructor is required to be current under FAR 61.57(b) to do this flight. Because the flight is being conducted for the purpose of flight training, neither is considered a passenger, even if you aren't yet rated in the aircraft (see this FAA letter of interpretation).
For more information, see this discussion in 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 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
Chris Eads
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
Eastern and Central United States and International:
Jeff Rockwood, 301-695-2089
Western United States:
Tom Linton, 301-695-2055
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