Industry News
Able Flight adds drone training
Scholarships allow students to pursue UAS operations
By David Tulis
Able Flight, an outreach that has been providing flight training scholarships to individuals with physical disabilities for almost 15 years, is partnering with the Unmanned Safety Institute to provide training to its scholarship recipients that could lead to careers flying unmanned aerial systems (UAS).
Able Flight Executive Director Charles Stites said the goal of the partnership with the Unmanned Safety Institute “parallels that of our flight training partnerships in that we want our scholarship recipients to receive training that goes well beyond minimum requirements.” He reiterated that training would help prepare scholarship recipients for drone operations in “a variety of fields, including, but certainly not limited to, industrial and construction inspection, cargo delivery, agricultural surveying, and support of medical services.”
Stites complimented the Unmanned Safety Institute for developing “programs that go well beyond the minimum standards required by the FAA.”
Unmanned Safety Institute Executive Director Scott Liston pledged to help prepare Able Flight scholarship recipients with “the same opportunities that any other UAS pilot [remote operator] would have at the same or similar levels of experience, training, and certifications.” He added that Able Flight has a track record of “turning ‘disabilities’ into specialized ‘abilities’ for people who are passionate about aviation and committed to operational excellence.”
Liston said Indeed.com listed more than 3,500 open positions and predicted that the “sky’s the limit” when it comes to careers as drone operators.
ASI News
Branching out
What’s your 2021 aviation goal?
By Alicia Herron
Ah, the new year is here! Most of us are likely thrilled to say so long to 2020, and now’s the time to embrace all the possibility of a fresh start. Among the classic resolutions—to eat healthier, exercise, and binge watch Netflix less—did you make space to include aviation goals?
Flight training milestones are clear: solo, solo cross country, knowledge test, and the checkride. Training for our first pilot certificate leads to a significant growth in aviation knowledge and skill. As you get closer to the checkride, don’t let that knowledge fade away. Have a plan in mind to keep your proficiency up after you pass, and consider using goalsetting to help create that plan.
Not sure where to start? Here are a couple of suggestions, which can be modified to fit your lifestyle and budget:
- Fly to five airports you’ve never been to.
- Take your first passenger.
- Get checked out in a new-to-you airplane.
- Take your first airplane camping trip.
- Fly out of the country—doublecheck travel guidance before crossing borders.
- Aspire to log a certain number of hours/landings/approaches a month.
Not ready to push yourself? Fly more with a CFI to build confidence; your instructor can also help you create a realistic goal.
Find inspiration in ASI’s series Beyond Proficient, where student pilot Soyla Flor expands the boundaries of her skill by flying across the San Pedro Channel to Catalina Island’s challenging Airport in the Sky with a CFI for the first time. Then, follow Husky pilot Ross Wilke from the 500-foot strips of the Wisconsin side country to his first-ever short takeoff and landing (STOL) demonstration, where he competes with the best of the best after a summer of focused preparation. Along the way, both aviators become more proficient, safer pilots.
In 2021, don’t let yourself stay stagnant—and remember that the requirement for skill building and maintenance doesn’t end when you pass the checkride. With greater proficiency you’ll not only be a better overall pilot, you’ll also be more prepared to handle an emergency aloft.
airsafetyinstitute.org/videoplaylist/beyondproficient
There I Was…: Night fright
ASI talks to Mirek Fatyga, a commercial-rated pilot based in Phoenix, Arizona. Fatyga tells the story of piloting a Tecnam light sport aircraft at night, when he flew through a tree while on approach to land at an airport near Richmond, Virginia.
airsafetyinstitute.org/thereiwas
GA fatal accident rate declines
Two new 'Nall Reports' recently released
The Air Safety Institute released findings from the twenty-ninth and thirtieth editions of the Joseph T. Nall Report. The data show that 2017 saw a decrease in total accidents from 2016, but 2018 saw an increase in total accidents. However, the overall and fatal accident rates continued downward trends. For GA pilots, the Nall Report is a great way to see how accidents happen and what causes them over time—something that can help mitigate risk. The Nall Report breaks down data into groups like phase of flight, and meaningful categories like weather, fuel, and mechanical. If you know what you’re looking at, you can know better how to prevent it.
These latest editions of the long-running, respected report arrive with several unique enhancements. The AOPA Air Safety Institute has completed a major overhaul of the report to provide near-real-time accident data analysis as the data are updated on a rolling 30-day cycle. The new digital version of the Nall Report shows accident trends well into 2020, and will continue to be updated as the NTSB releases preliminary and final reports.
