Pilot Briefing News

October 1, 2020

AOPA News

We excel!

AOPA Media, ASI win association publishing awards

By Julie Summers Walker

Pilot Briefing October 2020 The publishing professionals of AOPA have again been honored by Association Media and Publishing of Washington, D.C. The EXCEL Awards recognize excellence and leadership in association media, publishing, marketing, and communications. AOPA Media has been a frequent recipient of recognition and this year AM&P also lauded the work of the AOPA Air Safety Institute.

The AOPA media department had three finalists for the EXCEL awards. “Hangar Talk,” a podcast created by AOPA Senior Content Producer Ian J. Twombly and co-hosted by AOPA Associate Editor Web/ePilot David Tulis, was awarded a Gold in the educational podcast category, appropriately winning the award just as the podcast recorded its one hundredth episode.

Flight Training magazine was awarded a Gold for feature article design for AOPA Digital Asset Manager and Graphic Designer Leigh Caulfield’s “Eating Local” design in the July 2019 issue; and AOPA was recognized with a Bronze award in the Video category for “Flying the American Dream,” covering the P–40 Warhawk, by AOPA Senior Photographer Mike Fizer.

Three bronze medals were awarded to the AOPA Air Safety Institute. Recognized as outstanding video were “Weather or Not Thunderstorm Challenge” and “Real Pilot Story: Powerless Over Paris;” the ASI Electronic Flight Instructor Refresher Course (eFIRC) was recognized in the category of Mobile Application (Educational).

The fortieth annual 2020 EXCEL awards had more than 800 entries; only 271 were winners. Of those 271 awards, 71 received Gold, 103 Silver, and 97 Bronze. The award ceremony honoring the innovative and creative teams in association publishing was held virtually in mid-July.

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AOPA offering new maintenance podcast

Pilot Briefing October 2020 Imagine having three world-class airplane maintenance experts at your fingertips. Now you do. Ask the A&Ps, a new podcast from AOPA, features renowned aircraft owners, pilots, and technicians Mike Busch, Paul New, and Colleen Sterling answering your pressing questions.

“What oil should I put in my Cessna 182’s Continental engine?” “When should I stop replacing cylinders and overhaul my engine?” “What do I check before doing aerobatics?” These questions and others from aircraft owners across the country make up just the first episode. Learn why one owner probably shouldn’t fly with his door off, and why another should stop using synthetic oil.

Every month Busch, New, and Sterling will take your questions on Ask the A&Ps. Submit your questions to [email protected] for a chance to get on the show, and make sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Aviation History

First president to fly

October 11, 1910

The youngest person to become the president of the United States, Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt, was also the first president to fly in an airplane (although it was after he left office). On his way to a rally in St. Louis, the two-term president stopped at an airfield in Kinloch, Missouri, where a Wright Co. air meet was taking place. There, pilot Arch (some accounts say Alex) Hoxsey asked Roosevelt if he’d like to fly with him in his Wright biplane. Roosevelt at first said no but changed his mind, climbed from the back of the touring car he was in, and clambered over the struts to sit in the aircraft. The pair flew at approximately 100 feet agl for several laps around the field. Roosevelt leaned over to wave when they passed the grandstand. How do we know so much detail? The Library of Congress has a 4-minute silent movie of the flight (youtu.be/yIlpDwMKzJo). Roosevelt is said to have declared the flight “first class!” and apologized to the school group he was late in meeting later that day by bragging about “playing hooky” to go “up in an airship.”

Headlines that affect you
Recent news from the aviation world

Hackers topple Garmin networks
A cyber attack on July 23 knocked Garmin offline, disabling the company’s online products and customer support. The company reported July 27 that most functions had been restored.

Lithium-sulfur-powered eColt in the works
The Brazilian-born two-seat, factory-built light sport Colt that left the paddock with a conventional 100-horsepower Rotax 912 ULS engine in 2019 will be offered in an electric version powered by a lithium-sulfur battery.

Icon Aircraft names new president
Icon Aircraft has replaced its president one year after sharply cutting back production of its A5 amphibious light sport aircraft. Jason Huang, a veteran manager in the information technology industry, has replaced Thomas Wieners, who held the top job for about one year.

Virgin Galactic unveils supersonic airliner
Virgin Galactic reached the precipice of commercial space travel, perhaps just one spaceflight away from toting paying customers above (most of) the atmosphere. Meanwhile, the company created by billionaire Richard Branson just unveiled a supersonic design for speedy travel within the atmosphere.

Helicopter association mourns passing of James Wisecup
Longtime air ambulane pilot, safety advocate, and past HAI chairman of the board James Wisecup, 71, died of cancer in Cedar City, Utah.

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