Send holiday greetings

Share your joy of flight, too

November 1, 2021

Send warm greetings to your favorite aviator this season with stunning foil holiday cards. Designed by AOPA’s in-house design staff, these card selections bring a traditional, modern, or nostalgic feel for aviation and pilots.

AOPA Membership

Each pack consists of two different designs. In the Merry Christmas set, “Christmas Eve in the Hangar” has an inside sentiment of “May the Christmas season bring you blue skies, tail winds, and a joyful new year” and “Christmas Town” has an inside sentiment of “May this Christmas season bring you joy and happiness.” The pack contains 24 cards and envelopes for $39.95.

The Holiday Foil card inside sentiment is “Wishing you and your family a joyous holiday season,” also for $39.95. The Merry with Flight Foil holiday card pack boasts two cards specifically designed for pilots. The outside suggests “May your days be merry with flight” and the inside says, “…and all your landings be light.” The “Let it Snow” card reads, “Warm wishes for a happy holiday.” The pack contains 24 cards and envelopes, 12 of each design for $29.95.

pilotgear.aopa.org/holiday/

Ask AOPA

No way, no how

Things that don’t go together

Q: Can two student pilots fly together on a flight?

A: One time, during my full-time instructor days in the 1980s, I saw our trusty Cessna 150 pull up to the ramp after landing. Two student pilots got out, smiling and laughing…and then the mean old instructor walked up. “Just what are you two doing?” I asked.

“We were just sightseeing and practicing some maneuvers together,” was the reply. Trying to contain myself, I informed them that no way, no how, and at no time are two student pilots permitted to fly together. Not only did my flight school prohibit this practice, FAR 61.89(a)(1) prohibits a student pilot from carrying a passenger. Only one pilot is required to fly a Cessna 150, and the other person on board, regardless of credentials, is considered a passenger.

Except when with an instructor, a student pilot may only have solo privileges. That means a student can only log dual time with an instructor or solo/PIC time when solo. If a student pilot flies with another pilot who holds a higher rating, the student pilot is that pilot’s passenger. Even if the student manipulates the controls, there is no valid flight time to be logged as they are not solo nor properly rated. Why they both got in the airplane together was beyond me, but you can rest assured they never did that again.

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Craig Brown is a senior aviation technical specialist in the AOPA Pilot Information Center.