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Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association
421 Aviation Way
Frederick, MD 21701
Tel: 800/USA-AOPA or
301/695-2000
Copyright © 2003 AOPA. | Training Tips
| CROSSWINDS-AGAIN!
 A presolo student pilot writes, "The most difficult part about flying for me has been the transition between a crab and a sideslip during a crosswind on landing." Much has been written on crosswind landing techniques (see "Practicing Crosswind Landings" in the December 28, 2001, edition of this newsletter, available online). But skill is only acquired through practice. See the February 2000 AOPA Flight Training feature "The Examiner's Lament."
Insight into what it takes to humble a crosswind is found in Budd Davisson's insightful July 2000 AOPA Flight Training feature article, "The 10-Hour Graduate Course": "The changeable characteristics of a gusty crosswind are what drive all pilots nuts, and it is usually because they haven't drawn a firm visual line that they want to fly. Once that line is drawn, they have to resolve to instantly correct for any deviations from it. In a gusty wind, flying something like a Cessna 172, that means thrashing away with the ailerons and rudder, doing whatever you have to do to keep the airplane from drifting while absolutely nailing the nose at a given attitude."
In the crab/slip approach, the pilot flies final approach with the aircraft's nose crabbed into the wind to counteract drift until just before touchdown, when the nose must be aligned with the runway centerline for a straight-ahead touchdown. Simply using rudder to eliminate the crab would result in drifting downwind. This is avoided by simultaneously banking into the wind. The airplane lands banked slightly. The upwind main wheel touches first, and the nose (longitudinal axis) points straight ahead. See "Defeating the Crosswind" by Alton K. Marsh in the August 1996 AOPA Pilot.
If you are having trouble timing the transition, tell your instructor that you would like to fly a crabbed approach to the runway, but instead of touching down after entering the sideslip, add a touch of power and continue flying above the centerline while sideslipping. (Sideslipping all the way down final approach through touchdown is another acceptable technique; choose the method that you like best.) Knowing that you can fly along this way indefinitely removes the stress of feeling that you must time the transition to occur just before touchdown. Make as many passes as it takes for you to feel comfortable.
Know your airplane's demonstrated crosswind capability-technically this is not an operating limitation, but it does exist for a reason. You should calculate the crosswind component at the time of your flight to make sure that you have adequate rudder authority (see Section 3 of AOPA's Handbook for Pilots). Then go out and become proficient in one of aviation's most challenging skills!
| Your Partner in Training
| "I've hit a bird, lost engine power, and need to make an emergency landing." A midair collision with a bird is something that every pilot wants to avoid. For a better understanding of our feathered friends and some commonsense advice and avoidance tips, see AOPA Online. In addition, the AOPA Air Safety Foundation has compiled a selection of articles, photos, and links to FAA publications on bird hazards. For more information, call our aviation experts at 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
| {SPEC2}
ANOTHER APPROACH TO UPSET TRAINING
Each year, in-flight loss of control-frequently the result of upsets-continues to cause aircraft accidents. While upsets can occur for many reasons, a trained pilot has a much better chance of successfully recovering from one. "Realistic training for this very dynamic and disorienting event is difficult because current simulators do not reproduce the angular and G accelerations or the disorientations of the actual event," said Donald W. Baggett, president of the Upset Domain Training Institute (UDTI). "Training in transport or normal category aircraft cannot be safely done because the upset environment will take the aircraft and crew close to their limits. Training done in aerobatic aircraft, while helpful, does not duplicate the skill set needed to recover a large aircraft and, in some cases, may transfer the wrong impression of the skills needed." UDTI, a subsidiary of simulator manufacturer Environmental Tectonics Corporation, offers a six-class upset course that utilizes ETC's GAT II single-seat trainer and, for advanced upset training, the GL-1500 dual-seat, full-motion simulator capable of sustained 2.5-G forces. For more information, see the UDTI Web site.
SUMMER AVIATION CAMPS AVAILABLE FOR YOUTH, FAMILIES
Youth ages 12 to 18 and families are invited to explore the world of flight this summer through aviation camps offered by the Experimental Aircraft Association Aviation Foundation. Five programs are available from June through August in the foundation's EAA Air Academy, whose mission is to provide a fun aviation learning experience and help campers to develop bonds with other young aviation enthusiasts, the foundation said. Youths may enroll in one of four programs: Primary Aviation Fun Camp (for 12- and 13-year-olds); Intermediate Aviation Experience Camp (for 14- and 15-year-olds); Advanced Aviation Leadership Camp (ages 16 to 18), and First Flights Camp (ages 15 to 18 and adult). Families can participate in a Family Fun Flight Camp that offers a hands-on approach to the basics of flight and aerodynamics. All camps are held at EAA Aviation Center and Air Academy Lodge in Oshkosh, Wisconsin; for more information, see the Web site or call 920/426-6815.
AVIATION, A&P SCHOLARSHIPS OFFERED
College students in aviation programs and students enrolled in aircraft and powerplant programs are invited to apply for one of three scholarships to be awarded this year by the Aviation Distributors and Manufacturers Association. ADMA is offering a $2,000 scholarship to a bachelor of science candidate who is majoring in aviation management with an emphasis in general aviation, airway science management, aviation maintenance, or airway science maintenance management. Another $2,000 scholarship is available for a bachelor of science candidate with a professional pilot major and emphasis in GA, flight engineer, or airway science aircraft systems management. The third $2,000 scholarship is for a second-year student in an accredited A&P program. Winners will be selected based on their scholastic standing and content of applications. The deadline to apply is March 15. For more information or to download an application, visit the ADMA Web site.
| Inside AOPA
| AOPA UNVEILS AIRPORT WATCH TO NATIONAL AUDIENCE
 AOPA formally unveiled its Airport Watch program on Tuesday during a Washington, D.C., media conference attended by the major national news outlets. The joint conference featured AOPA President Phil Boyer and James M. Loy, administrator of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). Also speaking was Rep. James Oberstar (D-Minn.), the ranking minority member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. Oberstar also introduced a resolution in Congress recognizing the program and commending AOPA for its "proactive commitment to the security of general aviation." Click here to download the resolution. Designed to enhance security at general aviation airports, AOPA's Airport Watch is patterned after the highly successful neighborhood watch anticrime programs, that call on community members to note and report suspicious activities. Some 700,000 pilots and airport workers are being asked to participate in Airport Watch programs at 5,000 GA airports. The TSA and AOPA have partnered to deploy this national security-enhancement program. See AOPA Online.
THE AOPA INSURANCE AGENCY OFFERS DISCOUNT ON RENTER'S INSURANCE
When AOPA was formed in 1939, a large part of its mandate was to keep general aviation affordable. Thanks to the AOPA Insurance Agency and AIG Aviation, qualified AOPA members can receive a 10-percent renewal discount on renter's insurance. AOPA members who have a renter's policy through AIG Aviation and have been loss- and violation-free for the current policy year will be eligible for the discount upon renewal. Visit the AOPA Insurance Agency Web site or call the AOPA Insurance Agency at 800/622-2672.
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| Training Products
| SHED SOME LIGHT ON THE SUBJECT
Pilots who fly at night are always looking for the most convenient, easiest-to-use flashlight to provide auxiliary cockpit lighting or as an easily accessible backup should electrical power fail. A new contender is the Zipka LED Head Light, which employs three light-emitting diodes and attaches to the user's forehead with a retractable headband. The light directs a broad beam of light in the direction its wearer is looking. Powered by three AAA cells, it weighs only 2.2 ounces including batteries. The Zipka light sells for $26.95 and is available online from AvShop.
| Final Exam
| Question: Why don't I see runway headings marked on the runway for specific magnetic headings such as 043 degrees?
Answer: According to Section 2-3-3 (b) of the Aeronautical Information Manual , runway numbers are the whole number nearest one-tenth the magnetic azimuth of the centerline of the runway, measured clockwise from the magnetic north. To put it in simpler language, the runway numbers represent the first two digits of the runway's magnetic direction, rounded to the nearest 10 degrees with the last zero left off. For example, a runway with a heading of 137 degrees is rounded to 140 degrees and becomes Runway 14. A runway heading of 043 degrees would be rounded to 040 degrees, the first and last zeros would be dropped, and the runway marked as 4. For more information on runway markings, see "Lines and Signs" in the April 1993 Flight Training magazine.
Got a technical question for AOPA specialists? E-mail to [email protected] or call 800/872-2672. Don't forget the archive of questions and answers from AOPA's ePilot and ePilot Flight Training. FAQs are searchable by keyword or topic.
| Picture Perfect
| | The AOPA Online Gallery allows you to download your favorite images to use for wallpaper, send a personalized e-card, and order high-quality prints to be shipped directly to your doorstep. Search the hundreds of fabulous images in our archives and select your favorites today! For more details, see AOPA Online.
| What's New At AOPA Online
| You're tired of using the flight school's beat-up loaner headset, and you'd like to buy one of your own. But the selection is huge, the technology is unfamiliar (what does "ANR" mean anyway?), and prices are all over the map. Check out AOPA's Aviation Subject Report on headsets. You'll find a buyer's guide, product reviews, and FAA advisory circulars on noise and hearing damage.
| Weekend Weather
| See the current weather on AOPA Online, provided by Meteorlogix.
| ePilot Calendar
| WEEKEND FLYING DESTINATIONS
Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina. Women Fly! will take place March 13 through 16 at the Wright Brothers National Memorial. This tribute to female aviation pioneers will include Patty Wagstaff, members of the military, women graduates of the Wright Flight program, women aircraft mechanics, members of the Women's Airforce Service Pilot (WASP) organization, and pilots from a variety of fields. For more information, contact the First Flight Centennial Planning Office at 252/441-6291, ext. 224.
To submit an event to the calendar, or search all events, visit AOPA Online. For airport details, see AOPA's Airport Directory Online . For comments on calendar items, contact [email protected].
ASF FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR REFRESHER CLINICS
(All clinics start at 7:30 a.m.)
The next AOPA Air Safety Foundation Flight Instructor Refresher Clinic is scheduled in Norfolk, Virginia, March 22 and 23. Clinics are also scheduled in Baltimore; Orlando, Florida; and Ontario, California, March 29 and 30. For a complete schedule, see AOPA Online. Can't make it in person? Sign up for the CFI Renewal 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 Ontario, California, March 30. For more Pinch-Hitter courses, see AOPA Online.
ASF SAFETY SEMINARS
AOPA Air Safety Foundation Safety Seminars are scheduled in Rockford, Illinois, March 17; Batavia, Illinois, March 18; Peoria, Illinois, March 19; and Northbook, Illinois, March 20. The topic is "The Ups and Downs of Takeoffs and Landings." For the complete schedule, see AOPA Online.
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