AOPA Pilot Magazine

There are many old wives’ tales in medicine, even in the scientific literature. For example, I studied the standard practice of doing caesarean sections in women who have active herpes simplex to prevent infections in the newborn.

“Two, what are you doing?” My flight lead’s frustration exploded through the radio. I was in a full afterburner sprint trying to “sneak” my F–15 away from the north waypoint, which I had confused as the south waypoint.

“Oh my gosh, you fly airplanes?” The response is predictable when people find out I am a pilot. “That’s brave. You must see really cool stuff.”

Many years ago, the captain of a Delta Lockheed L–1011 was startled to discover shortly after takeoff from San Diego that he had lost almost all pitch control because of a jammed stabilator. Such an occurrence was considered so unlikely by Lockheed that L–1011 crews had not been trained to cope with such an emergency.

I want to thank you for being an AOPA member. It may not surprise you that we’d like every pilot to be an AOPA member.

Flying around this great country—with this uniquely American freedom we share and celebrate—I can safely say that I have never seen such busy skies. And I have never heard such busy chatter on frequency.

By Dan Hassing

From time to time in the AOPA Legal Services Plan (LSP), we get a call that goes something like this: I was cleared for takeoff at a towered field.

When we climb into the cockpit for the first time with pilot certificate on board, a profound sense of exhilaration and freedom fills us. It’s a moment where we realize our student days are over, and we’re embarking on a journey as full-fledged aviators.

One of the most frequently asked questions posed to the staff of AOPA Member Services may seem surprising—many members do not know the benefits included in their membership.