Get extra lift from AOPA. Start your free membership trial today! Click here

Help fix mess FAA created; AeroShell formation ride

AOPA ePilot
VOL 23, ISSUE 33 August 13, 2021
Click here for this week's custom content.
Top Stories
Call to action: Help protect flight training
Advocacy
Call to action: Help protect flight training
AOPA President Mark Baker asked members to contact their representatives in Congress to voice support for legislation that would protect flight training. Read more >
AOPA LIVE THIS WEEK
DIY airstrip; Confidence camp
Greg Swingle had a long drive to the airport and enough land for an airstrip, so he made one. Also, inspiring young women and building confidence in Frederick, Maryland, and flying with the AeroShell team. Watch AOPA Live This Week® >
Coronavirus Impact
Advocacy
Hurdles remain for GA pilots flying to Canada
While Canada is now admitting vaccinated travelers from the United States, complications remain. Read more >
Vaccinated travelers to the Bahamas must get COVID-19 test
Vaccinated visitors to the Bahamas are required to submit negative COVID-19 test results dated no more than five days prior to arrival following a policy change that took effect August 6. While either PCR or antigen test results are acceptable for vaccinated travelers, unvaccinated travelers are required to submit negative results from a PCR test administered within five days of arrival. Health visa application instructions are available online.
COVID-19 testing required for international flights to US
The FAA reminds pilots and their passengers that they must get tested for COVID-19 no more than three days before flying into the United States. Passengers, including family, must show their negative test result to the airline/operator before boarding, "or be prepared to show documentation of recovery (proof of a recent positive viral test and a letter from your healthcare provider or a public health official stating that you were cleared to travel)."
AOPA Events
Pilot magazine
Water landings on the Susquehanna River
Historic Havre de Grace, Maryland, offers scrumptious seafood and a beautiful bay, worth a stop on your way to or from the AOPA Aviator Showcase in Manassas, Virginia, on August 27. Read more >
Technique and Safety
Video
The ups and downs of the GA pilot
More accidents occur in the takeoff and landing phases of flight than any other. Watch this AOPA Air Safety Institute video for insight into landing technique.
Video
Taming the twin
Multiengine airplanes offer better performance and safety. Those benefits, however, come with strings attached. In this AOPA Air Safety Institute video, we explore proactive steps pilots can take to ensure a safe multiengine flight.
Online resource
Ready for anything
No one likes to consider the unwelcome possibility of a forced off-airport landing—and the potential survival situation to follow. Prepare for the unlikely with this AOPA Air Safety Institute Safety Center. Learn more >
Podcast
'Ask the A&Ps': 'Sticky valves, making metal, oversquare, oh my'
Ask the A&Ps co-hosts Mike Busch, Paul New, and Colleen Sterling focus on listener engine problems including broken rocker arms, metal shards in the valve cover, and oil in the cylinder; give some guidance on mods for an experimental builder; and debunk an oversquare myth. Submit your questions for the next episode. Listen to the podcast >
Advocacy
Advocacy
DPE system reform taking shape
While aerial performers wowed crowds and inspired future pilots at EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, AOPA's government affairs team took the opportunity to advance some of our top priorities. Read more >
Florida airspace changes charted
The August 12 chart publication cycle incorporates new instrument procedures at dozens of Florida airports, keeping pace with implementation of the second phase of the FAA's South-Central Florida Metroplex airspace modernization. The first phase was completed in April; the latest changes complete NextGen-related updates across the country that began in 2012.
Health
Pilot Protection Services
Say again: I tested positive for what? Part 2
Pharmacist Larry Diamond lists some products that could cause a false positive drug test and offers practical tips for protecting your medical certificate. Read more >
Technology
Article
Electric aircraft stretch solar legs, training delayed
A California pilot flew an electric airplane more than 200 nautical miles on solar-generated electricity in July. It was a demonstration of sustainable endurance with an undercurrent of frustration. Read more >
Gear
Article
Avionics sales down, with signs of recovery
The Aircraft Electronics Association reported a 7.1-percent decline in avionics sales for the first half of 2021 despite a slight increase in April, May, and June, compared to the same quarter of 2020. Read more >
Travel
Article
Visit places rich in aviation history
Immerse yourself in aviation history by visiting airports, museums, and other sites in Ohio and North Carolina that have played a significant role in aviation—it could be a perfect way to celebrate National Aviation Day on August 19. Read more >
Want more general aviation travel stories? Sign up for our AOPA Travel Pilot biweekly newsletter.
Financial
Member benefit
Overhauls, leasebacks, and financing
AOPA Aviation Finance Co. President Adam Meredith answers questions about rolling an engine overhaul into an aircraft loan and purchasing an aircraft for leaseback as a new LLC. Read more >
News and Notes
Multimedia
'Here we go, smoke on now!'
Experience a loop, a wingover, and a barrel roll from "the best seat in the house" with the AeroShell Aerobatic Team. Read more, view photos, and watch a video >
Article
Plaintiff seeks drone identification do-over
A Florida hobby shop owner asked the nation's second highest court to force an FAA redo before the new rule requiring most unmanned aircraft to broadcast a "digital license plate" takes effect. Read more >
Article
Build a drone program, step by step
A curriculum developed by a former military helicopter pilot is at the heart of a new offering from DARTdrones that details a systematic approach to building an organizational drone capability. Read more >
Airworthiness advisories
Career Opportunities
Aviation job board
Job of the week: AOPA paralegal
This position provides executive and legal support to the general counsel and direct reports. This role requires significant focus on projects including researching legislative and legal records; gathering facts and legal records; and drafting a wide variety of documents from topical research compendiums to legal templates, policies and procedures, and more. 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 a major gifts officer, a loan processor, and a graphic designer. Learn about AOPA career opportunities >
Question of the Week
Question

I'm looking for an FAA-approved basic aviation training device with a current letter of authorization that I can use/rent to maintain instrument currency. Are there any organizations or individuals who provide BATDs for rent as a business model?
Answer
You might try using the AOPA Flight School Directory to search for flight schools in your area so that you can then determine whether they have an ATD for rent. Join the discussion >

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.
Education & Seminars
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.
Upcoming AOPA webinars
Aug 20, 11 a.m. EDT AOPA Rusty Pilots - Webinar edition
Sep 2, 5 p.m. EDT AOPA Rusty Pilots - Webinar edition
Sep 8, 12 p.m. EDT AOPA Rusty Pilots - Webinar edition
Sep 16, 3 p.m. EDT AOPA Rusty Pilots - Webinar edition
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).
Latest AOPA Pilot Lounge videos
XPrize Foundation cofounder Gregg Maryniak
Hartzell President JJ Frigge talks about new products
'A Pair of Wings' author Carole Hopson
For a full list of Pilot Lounge videos, see AOPA Online.
AOPA podcasts
'Ask the A&Ps': 'Sticky valves, making metal, oversquare, oh my'
'Hangar Talk': AirVenture special and XPrize cofounder Gregg Maryniak
'Pilot Briefing': Week of Aug. 9, 2021
'There I was...': Thomas Marrow
'Never Again': Engine out at night
To see all AOPA podcasts, visit AOPA Online.
ePilot Editors:
Alyssa Cobb
Jim Moore
Dan Namowitz
David Tulis

Production Team:
Elizabeth Linares
Melissa Whitehouse
Contributors:
Sarah Deener
Tom Haines
Dave Hirschman
Tom Horne
Warren Morningstar
Kollin Stagnito
Jill Tallman
Ian Twombly
Julie Summers Walker
Advertise in ePilot:
Initial advertising inquiries:
Donna Stoner, 301-695-2336

Eastern and Central United States, Canada, and International:
Jeff Rockwood, 301-695-2089

Western United States:
Dan Justman, 301-695-2182

AOPA Advertising website