AOPA Pilot Magazine

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In the context of administrative adjudication (when an agency acts like a court), the relationship between the FAA and NTSB is uncommon.

I’m departing Frederick Municipal Airport (FDK) in Bonanza N4GA, AOPA’s flagship aircraft. The weather is low IFR, radios are popping at a rapid cadence in busy airspace, the Washington, D.C., Special Flight Rules Area to my left, presidential TFR around Camp David to my right, and I’m anxious to get the autopilot engaged to help me through the intensity.

You’ll get there when you get there. Make sure you enjoy the journey along the way, especially the unplanned parts.

A friend had recently purchased a used Cessna 182RG, and I was providing him with the instruction needed to satisfy his insurance requirements. We were on final approach to Southern California’s Big Bear Airport (L35) with two other friends filling the rear seats. The long-range fuel tanks were half full, so the airplane was obviously heavy.

I had just started the engine on the AOPA Sweepstakes Grumman Tiger to fly home from a visit to Purdue University. I called ground and requested permission to taxi. Silence. I waited a minute and called again.

With how busy the skies are this year, I continue to be amazed at how safe general aviation remains. We’re coming off our safest fiscal year yet, according to NTSB data reviewed by our own Air Safety Institute.

His middle name is Lindy, so it was natural that the little boy in Houma, Louisiana, who lost his father when he was just 3 years old to an accident in the oil fields off the Gulf coast, would end up in aviation.

AOPA Action

Take your reading experience beyond these pages.

AOPA is excited to bring pilots back together with a new take on our regional fly-ins—introducing The Hangout, an AOPA Fly-In. The Hangout is a two-day informal event where you can pitch a tent, participate in educational seminars, browse exhibits and displays, swap stories, and enjoy friendly company around the campfire. Located in the heart of the Pacific Northwest, Spokane’s Felts Field (SFF) is a dream destination for pilots. The airport’s location is in one of the country’s most scenic landscapes. Those flying into Felts Field have the option of touching down on asphalt, turf, or water.

Felts Field Airport (SFF), Spokane, Washington, $20 (under 17 free), aopa.org/hangouts

A small Indiana firm is chipping away at an ambitious goal: completely replacing leaded avgas worldwide in five years. Swift Fuels LLC currently produces UL94, an unleaded avgas suitable for low-compression piston aircraft engines. The company is also testing a higher-octane fuel it calls 100R designed for the entire piston fleet including turbocharged and high-compression engines.

By Steve Weaver

I crouched miserably behind the instrument panel of the shuddering, heaving Piper Aztec, listening to what sounded like a million BBs being shot against my windshield.

I’m frequently asked by aircraft owners to recommend good maintenance shops in a particular area, and my company maintains a large database of maintenance resources to facilitate such referrals.

Much of my flight from Tennessee to New Hampshire earlier this summer involved testing the integrity of my seat belt and shoulder harness as my Beechcraft Bonanza Niky bounced up and down in unstable air. And the Nashua (ASH) ATIS dispelled any notion that there would be relief as I neared my destination.

Most of us know all too well that unpredicted weather can throw us curveballs, especially those of us who are instrument-rated pilots. Anticipating a flight free of adverse weather, it’s reasonable to fly under VFR in hopes of lowering your workload and flying a more direct route or at a (VFR) altitude of your choosing.

Airplanes have an absolute ceiling; the altitude at which no matter what you do, nor how much power you add, you simply can’t go any higher. The price of 100LL, however, doesn’t appear to have an absolute ceiling.

There is much buzz nowadays about “behavior” and “behavioral health,” a euphemism for “mental health,” which sadly still carries a negative connotation in many areas of society. In aviation medicine that stigma is starting to change for the better.

By Terrie Mead

As you stumble, fall, and get back up en route to your primary pilot certificate (private, sport, or recreational),  your flight instructor is your principal support system. When questions arise, setbacks pile up, or you turn pessimistic about ever reaching your goal—all normal, by the way—it is the CFI’s lesser-known responsibility to impart support, encouragement, and advice.

Are you one of the 116 million Americans who regularly listen to podcasts? These on-demand shows bring stories, education, and entertainment to life. Since 2012 AOPA has been producing a broad range of free, on-demand audio programs that seek to teach, inspire, and connect you to all that is great about aviation.
ian.twombly@aopa.org