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Tel: 800/USA-AOPA or
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Copyright � 2002 AOPA. | Training Tips
| MAKING THE MOST OF YOUR SOLO FLIGHTS
What should you be doing during your local-area solo flights? The Federal Aviation Regulation s prescribe how much local and cross-country solo time you must log to be eligible for the private pilot flight test, as follows:
 10 hours of solo flight time in a single-engine airplane, consisting of at least:
• 5 hours of solo cross-country time;
• One solo cross-country flight of at least 150 nautical miles total distance, with full-stop landings at a minimum of three points; and one segment of the flight consisting of a straight-line distance of at least 50 nautical miles between the takeoff and landing locations; and
• Three takeoffs and three landings to a full stop (with each landing involving a flight in the traffic pattern) at an airport with an operating control tower.
Beyond that, how you spend your local solo time is determined by you and your flight instructor. Your instructor will provide structure until your supervised solos are complete. But after that, a good idea is to have prepared in advance a "solo syllabus" or two that you can put into use, depending on the conditions on the day you fly or the maneuvers you want to practice. For instance, if there is no wind, don't waste time practicing maneuvers requiring wind-correction technique. But that may be a good time to go up high and perform steep turns, or remain in the pattern and practice short- or soft-field takeoffs and landings. See ways student pilots and veterans alike can make better use of practice time in the September 1996 AOPA Pilot
As with any flight, be sure that your logbook and student-pilot certificate are in your possession and contain proper–and current–endorsements (review the requirements at AOPA�Online). On the subject of logbooks, are your logbook records properly maintained as described in the December 1998 Flight Training article?
A day or two before you fly, check the weather outlook using AOPA Online's weather service from Meteorlogix, and obtain a comprehensive weather briefing immediately before you make your final go/no-go decision–even for a local flight. Since this is a true solo flight, perform a thorough preflight inspection as explained in the 1997 AOPA Pilot article "Measure of Skill: Perfecting Preflights". Be sure to use your checklists, and have a great flight!
| Your Partner in Training
| Did you begin your training last summer, and spend some time on the ground because of the winter weather? By now you've probably accumulated enough hours and experience to take your private pilot checkride. Or perhaps you're just beginning your training, but you already have those "checkride jitters." The FAA's Private Pilot Practical Test Standards tell you everything you must be able to do on your checkride. Learn more online and if you have any questions after visiting our Web site, call 800/USA-AOPA weekdays between 8:30 a.m. and 6 p.m. Eastern time.
As an AOPA Flight Training Member, you have access to all of the features within AOPA Online. For login information click here.
| Flight Training News
| 1,000 MILES OF SPINS
Do you like spins? Have you ever done one? Rich Stowell of Santa Paula, California, figures that he has done more than 21,100 spins. Stowell, a flight instructor specializing in spin and emergency maneuver training since 1987, estimates that it took him that many spins–with students, of course–to accumulate 1,000 miles of vertical descent. He did the spins in a variety of aircraft approved for intentional spins, including Citabrias, Decathlons, the Grob 115C, Zlin 242, and Cessna 150, 152, and 172. Stowell is also an author and speaker who presents safety seminars across the country. For more information, visit his Web site.
AVIATION CAREERS STILL POPULAR IN HIGH SCHOOLS
Although airline pilot hiring is still recovering from the terrorist attacks of last September 11, those events apparently haven't dampened the enthusiasm of young people interested in pursuing aviation careers. "The events of September 11 didn't impact us much at all," said David A NewMyer, chairman of the Department of Aviation Management and Flight at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale. "We don't have enough room to accept all the students who've applied to our program." A few students have dropped out because of the economy, he said. "Flying can be expensive and some of our students and their families got caught in the downturn." A recent aviation career day at the campus, which focused on corporate and general aviation, drew high-school students from around Illinois. For more information visit the Web site.
RENT A HOT-ROD AIRPLANE?
How would you like to rent a Lancair Columbia 300, the slick new 190-knot, fixed-gear, four-seat composite airplane? If you live near Long Island, New York, you can. Mid Island Air Service at Mac Arthur Airport offers a new Columbia 300 for both flight instruction and rental. "The Lancair Columbia 300's combination of high-speed capabilities, simplicity, and ultramodern avionics has previously been available only in expensive, complex, multiengine aircraft," said Louis Mancuso, president of the flight school. For rental rates or more information, visit the Web site.
| Inside AOPA
| AOPA FLY-IN AND OPEN HOUSE SET FOR JUNE
AOPA's twelfth annual Fly-In and Open House is set to prove that the general aviation industry is back on its feet after massive flight restrictions following September 11. The Saturday-only event at the Frederick (Maryland) Municipal Airport (FDK) will take place from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on June 1. This year participants will have an opportunity to see more than 100 exhibits and aircraft on display, plus attend a wide variety of free safety and informational seminars offered throughout the day. The AOPA Fly-In has become the largest one-day fly-in on the East Coast. A temporary FAA control tower will operate from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., and arriving aircraft will be required to follow special procedures. Pilots are cautioned to check notams and avoid expanded prohibited area P-40 over Camp David, 15 nm north of FDK. See AOPA�Online.
Changing your mailing or e-mail addresses? Click here to update.
| Training Products
| WORKBOOK INCLUDES COUNTLESS QUESTIONS
Well, they're not actually countless in a new book by Rod Machado, a flight instructor, author, aviation educator, and humorist. The 264 pages of Rod Machado's Private Pilot Workbook include 1,811 FAA knowledge exam and general aviation questions. Each question references the related page, column, and paragraph in Rod Machado's Private Pilot Handbook, Machado's popular guide to learning how to fly. Combined the handbook and workbook provide a comprehensive self-study program for student pilots. Machado's books are available at many pilot shops, online, or by calling BookMasters at 800/437-7080.
| Final Exam
| Question: On a sectional aeronautical chart, why are airports with hard-surfaced runways longer than 8,069 feet depicted differently than airports with runways shorter than that length? What's so special about 8,069 feet?
Answer: Believe it or not, it all has to do with the scale of the chart. Sectional charts have a scale of 1:500,000, which means every inch on a sectional chart represents 500,000 inches on the Earth. The blue or magenta circles used to depict airports are of a fixed size, and runways are depicted to proper scale. The longest length of runway that will fit properly (to scale) within those circles is 8,069 feet. Any runway greater than that length cannot be depicted within the confines of the circle and is therefore indicated by a different symbol. For more information on sectional charts and their symbols, you may be interested in the Flight Training article "How to Read a Sectional Chart."
Got a technical question for AOPA specialists? E-mail to [email protected] or call 800/872-2672.
| Picture Perfect
| Jump to the AOPA Online Gallery to see the featured airplane of the day. Click on the link for details on how to capture wallpaper for your work area. See AOPA Online.
| What's New At AOPA Online
| Are you resuming your flight training after a prolonged absence? It happens–circumstances can force even the most enthusiastic student pilot to put their training on hold, sometimes for years. Check out AOPA's updated Pilots' Guide to Getting Back into Flying. It covers everything you need to know for getting back in the pilot's seat. See AOPA�Online.
| Weekend Weather
| See the current weather on AOPA�Online, provided by Meteorlogix.
| ePilot Calendar
| WEEKEND FLYING DESTINATIONS
Chino, California. The Planes of Fame Museum Airshow 2002 takes place May 18 and 19 at the Chino Airport (CHO). For more information, visit the Web site.
Chattanooga, Tennessee. Airshow 2002 takes place May 18 and 19 at Lovell Field (CHA). The show features USAF Thunderbirds, B-2 and F-117 fly-bys, Patty Wagstaff, Starfighters Jet Team, and more. Visit the Web site.
For more airport details, see AOPA's Airport Directory Online . For more events, see Aviation Calendar of Events
ASF FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR REFRESHER CLINICS
(All clinics start at 7:30 a.m.)
The next AOPA Air Safety Foundation Flight Instructor Refresher Clinics are scheduled in Sacramento, California; Baltimore; and Houston, May 18 and 19. Clinics are scheduled in Phoenix, and San Jose, California, June 1 and 2. For the Flight Instructor Refresher Clinic schedule, see AOPA Online.
ASF PINCH-HITTER GROUND-SCHOOL COURSES
(Pinch-Hitter courses start at 9:30 a.m.)
The next Pinch-Hitter� Ground School will take place in Houston, on May 19. For more Pinch-Hitter courses, see AOPA Online.
ASF SAFETY SEMINARS
AOPA Air Safety Foundation Safety Seminars are scheduled in Fairfax, Virginia, and Hartford, Connecticut, May 18; Lincoln, Rhode Island, May 20; Portsmouth, New Hampshire, May 21; and Burlington, Massachusetts, May 22. Topics vary–for complete information, see AOPA�Online.
To make submissions to the calendar, visit AOPA Online. For comments on calendar items, e-mail [email protected].
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