|
|
Top Stories
|
Advocacy
The Senate passed FAA reauthorization legislation, including third class medical reform, April 19. "This is a solid bill for general aviation," AOPA President Mark Baker said. "The third class medical reform language goes far beyond the AOPA-EAA 2012 petition and means that hundreds of thousands of pilots will never need another FAA medical exam. Getting these reforms is vital to the entire general aviation community." Read more...
 
Article
A Texas deluge rivaling the torrents typically brought by hurricanes flooded several Houston-area airports after 18 inches of rain fell during a short period of time April 18. Downpours saturated streets and neighborhoods, flooded airports, brought the city to a standstill, and claimed lives. Read more...
AOPA Live This Week
AOPA Live This Week® host Tom Haines brings you the latest from AERO Friedrichshafen, one of Europe's largest general aviation gatherings. Also this week, see aerial images of the flooding that has devastated parts of Texas, and learn how to go beyond the seaplane rating with tips for real-world floatplane flying. As of AOPA ePilot production time, AOPA Live This Week producers were still finalizing the show. Watch the show later on April 22...
|
|
|
|
AERO Friedrichshafen
|
Article
The all-electric Magnus eFusion two-seat airplane may play a dual role in aviation—an efficient upset recovery training aircraft and a test bed for a battery system for electric powerplant manufacturer Siemens. The composite airplane made its first flight April 11 in Hungary and was first seen at AERO Friedrichshafen in Germany April 20. Read more...
Article
Honda Aircraft delivered its first European HondaJet April 20, the next step in the production ramp that will lead to approximately 40 deliveries in the next 12 months, according to President and CEO Michimasa Fujino. Read more...
Article
Eight FAA flight test pilots began evaluating the Piper M600 this week, paving the way for certification of the new single-engine turboprop by early in the third quarter of 2016, according to Piper CEO Simon Caldecott. Read more...
Article
Continental Motors this week made good on its promise to increase the lifetime of its CD-100 series of diesel engines. The 135-horsepower and 155-hp engines now have times between replacement of 2,100 hours. Read more...
More AERO news
Jeppesen expands VFR options for European pilots
Garmin amps up European app features
|
AOPA Fly-Ins
|
|
Article
Pilots visiting the AOPA Fly-In at Beaufort, North Carolina, May 21, will be a short hop from Cape Lookout National Seashore, voted the top national park beach by USA Today and 10Best.com readers. Read more...
PDF
Want to host an AOPA Fly-In?
Interested in having an AOPA Fly-In at your airport? Download the AOPA Fly-In request for proposals, and learn what it takes to be a host for an AOPA Fly-In.
|
|
|
Technique and Safety
|
AOPA Premier Partner created content
You've flown from your weekend getaway house to your home often enough to call it a milk run, even at night. It's simply a matter of following the highway through the valley from one familiar airport to another—until the airport, the valley, and the hills are no longer in sight! You're IFR capable and current. Is IFR the right choice, or would that only make things worse? Watch this video from AOPA Premier Partner PilotWorkshops and compare your answer with those of other pilots, and enter to win a Bose A20 Aviation Headset. Watch the video...
Login required
It looks like a localizer approach, but an LDA approach has a twist at the end. Learn more when you tackle this unusual approach into Connecticut's Hartford-Brainard Airport. Do you have the skills to find the runway in instrument conditions? Take the AOPA Air Safety Institute's quiz...
Flash-based; login required
Accurately interpreting frontal movements and associated weather patterns to formulate a clear, big-picture view of the weather in advance of a flight can be difficult. The AOPA Air Safety Institute's Weather Wise: Air Masses and Fronts online course makes that process easier. Take the course...
|
|
|
Advocacy
|
Advocacy
In the wake of the 7.8-magnitude earthquake that struck Ecuador April 16, the nonprofit organization Aerobridge, which helps coordinate disaster relief flights, is seeking donations to purchase fuel for the Piper Seneca it is using, along with funds to buy water purification materials. The group also is looking for pilots with their own aircraft who can fly missions in the country. Read more...
Survey
AOPA is asking pilots to complete a Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS) GPS questionnaire that the association can use to better understand WAAS users and advocate for improvements. The anonymous survey should take 10 to 15 minutes to complete, and final results will be shared with members. The deadline to participate in the survey is May 20. Take the survey...
Article
The International Council of Aircraft Owner and Pilot Associations is updating its logo as part of an effort to establish a unified global brand. Read more...
|
|
|
Health
|
|
Pilot Protection Services
After the initial publication of the first conditions AMEs can issue (CACIs) a couple of years ago, progress slowed on getting new conditions into the pipeline. However, the FAA is moving forward with the program to remove certain conditions, including some cardiac issues, from the special issuance category. Read more...
|
|
|
Technology
|
Article
Solar Impulse 2 pilot Bertrand Piccard strapped into the cockpit in the predawn darkness April 21, preparing for a long-awaited launch. Clouds and wind over Hawaii briefly delayed the start of a 62-hour leg to Mountain View, California, but the aircraft lifted off without a hitch. Read more...
|
|
|
Opinion
|
|
Blog
Technologies in the proof-of-concept Solar Impulse and Sun Flyer could revolutionize general aviation, writes Opinion Leaders blogger Amy Laboda. Read more...
|
Travel
|
|
Article
Reno/Stead Airport in Reno, Nevada, is the new destination that awaits competitors in the Hayward Air Rally June 24. Read more...
|
|
|
Financial
|
|
Article
Textron Aviation Inc., owner of the Cessna, Beechcraft, and Hawker brands, has launched new service and support programs for aircraft already in service. Pre-Buy Assurance, Extended Care, and King Air Direct offer extended warranties and comprehensive factory maintenance including inspections and warranties that cover used aircraft. Read more...
|
News and Notes
|
Article
An aviation museum at the heart of Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, is being studied in detail to reconstruct the Day of Infamy, bullet by bullet. The Pacific Aviation Museum on Ford Island is also raising money and planning preservation and upgrades to prepare for the seventy-fifth anniversary of the Dec. 7 surprise attack. The mission: Tell the story of the Greatest Generation to a new generation. Read more...
Article
The FAA held its first UAS Symposium April 19 and 20 in Daytona Beach, Florida, seeking feedback from the unmanned aircraft community on drone integration into the National Airspace System. FAA Administrator Michael Huerta and Deputy Administrator Michael Whitaker actively participated in the event, which was hosted by Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. Read more...
Article
A reported collision between a drone and a British Airways Airbus A320 over London prompted a flurry of media coverage and concern. Meanwhile, efforts involving U.S. government agencies, industry, and research institutions to model risk and prevent such collisions are well underway. Read more...
Webinar
Tips for registering your drone, integrating into the National Airspace System, applying for a Section 333 exemption, and more will be discussed April 27 at 8 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time during a webinar sponsored by AOPA Pilot Protection Services. Register now...
|
|
|
|
Article
The National Aviation Hall of Fame is looking for outstanding aerospace educators for the thirtieth annual A. Scott Crossfield Aerospace Education Teacher of the Year Award. Read more...
Webinar
Explore the new features and enhancements in the AOPA Flight Planner, version 2.3, during a webinar May 4 at 8 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time. New features include a predictive fuel warning system and the ability to email the navlog and open it in your electronic flight bag. Register today...
Photo contest
Look for that perfect opportunity to take a breathtaking photo on your next flight or dig up one of your old favorites to enter in the AOPA Photo Contest sponsored by Faro Aviation. More than 150 entries in three categories—aircraft, places, or people—have already been submitted. Enter yours before May 15. AOPA will choose the top three submissions in each category, and then you can vote between May 27 and June 6 to pick the winners. Learn more about the prizes and submit your photo...
|
|
|
Career Opportunities
|
|
AOPA career opportunities
Ever dream of turning your passion for aviation into a career? AOPA is looking for a marketing specialist, communications director, pilot community development coordinator, Great Lakes "You Can Fly" ambassador, donor relations director, AOPA Foundation communications director, marketing copywriter, and member services representative. To learn more about other AOPA career opportunities, visit AOPA Online.
|
Question of the Week
|
Question
You are concerned about the cost of getting your instrument rating. The local flight school is touting its new aviation training device as a way to reduce your training costs. What are the requirements for using such a device to log hours toward an instrument rating?
Answer
Effective May 12, instrument students will be able to count up to 20 hours of time in an aviation training device toward an instrument rating. This is when a final rule will go into effect that changes the regulations surrounding aviation training device use for an instrument rating. The loggable time was reduced to 10 hours in 2014; this rule change basically reverses that. There are some changes to Part 141 regarding the use of aviation training devices as a result of this rule as well. Read the final rule, and learn more in this AOPA Online article.
Got a question for our technical services staff? Contact AOPA. |
|
|
|
|
|
 |
Education and Seminars
|
Flight Instructor Refresher Courses
Apr 23-24 - Atlanta, Georgia
May 14-15 - Sacramento, California; Pensacola, Florida; and Kansas City, Missouri
May 21-22 - Hollywood, Florida; Albany, New York; and Conroe, Texas
Jun 4-5 - Tempe, Arizona; and Orlando, Florida
For a complete schedule, see AOPA Online. Can't make it in person? Sign up for the Air Safety Institute's Online eFIRC.
|
Air Safety Institute Safety Seminars
Apr 25 - East Hartford, Connecticut
Apr 26 - Waltham, Massachusetts
Apr 27 - Manchester, New Hampshire
Apr 28 - Moffett Field, California
Topics vary—for details and a complete schedule, see AOPA Online.
|
Rusty Pilots Seminars
Apr 23 - Fort Wayne, Indiana; and Fitchburg, Massachusetts
Apr 27 - Logan, Utah
Apr 29 - Blaine, Minnesota
Apr 30 - Addison, Texas
For a complete schedule, see AOPA Online.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
ePilot Editors:
Alyssa Miller
Jim Moore
David Tulis
Production Assistant:
Melissa Whitehouse
|
Contributors:
Mike Collins
Sarah Deener
Dave Hirschman
Tom Horne
Alton K. Marsh
Warren Morningstar
Dan Namowitz
Jill W. Tallman
Elizabeth Tennyson
Ian J. Twombly
Julie Summers Walker
|
|
|
|
|
|
