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Top Stories
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Pilot magazine article
Go behind the scenes of an annual inspection to see what's involved in inspecting and maintaining aircraft to ensure they are airworthy. AOPA Technical Editor Jill W. Tallman offers an inside look through an owner-assisted annual on her 1964 Piper Cherokee 140.
Read more and watch a video...
 
AOPA Live This Week
Walt and Debbie Kuemmerle fly a T-28 Trojan to airports and events around the South, and their vintage military trainer gets plenty of attention. Cirrus marked another milestone in the development of its single-engine jet, and Bob Showalter reflects on 70 years of serving aviation and the family's plan for the future.
Watch AOPA Live This Week®, Dec. 4...
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Technique and Safety
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Article
Finding the notams relevant to your planned flights just got easier. The FAA's new online search tool streamlines the burdensome and confusing process of wading through scores of safety notices filled with obscure acronyms.
Read more...
Accident analysis
When operating from remote or unusual airports, local expertise can save a world of grief. Los Alamos Airport in New Mexico is one challenging base where local knowledge is key to safe operations.
Read more in this special report from the Air Safety Institute.
Login required
Eager to share general aviation safety knowledge at your fly-in or community event? Use the Air Safety Institute's "Safety To Go" portal to download free presentations like the new "Weather Challenge" seminar straight to your computer or portable storage device along with videos, Accident Case Studies, and Real Pilot Stories. New products are added quarterly. Download now...
IFR Fix
The aircraft seems less responsive in pitch now—but what would that have to do with icing?
Read more...
Blog
Synthetic vision installed in more general aviation aircraft could help lower the number of accidents from controlled flight into terrain. But the equipment is no substitute for proper planning. AOPA Air Safety Institute Senior Safety Advisor Bruce Landsberg writes, "Pilots also need to understand that the good is not perfect so a terrain avoidance plan is still an excellent idea."
Read more...
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Advocacy
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Advocacy
The U.S. Air Force has released its final environmental impact statement for an enormous military airspace complex, but the statement appears to largely overlook concerns raised by the general aviation community.
Read more...
Advocacy
The FAA has doubled the number of training device hours pilots may count toward an instrument rating following a request from AOPA.
Read more...
Advocacy
While East Coast travelers faced challenging conditions in the air and on the ground leading up to the Thanksgiving holiday, AOPA and the FAA worked quickly to ease general aviation pilots’ travel concerns stemming from a vice presidential TFR.
Read more...
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Health
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Members only
The FAA has statutory authority to deny medical certificate applications, but there are two distinct options available to pilots who wish to question and/or dispute a medical denial: FAA reconsideration and NTSB review.
Read more...
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Technology
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Article
Innovative noise cancellation earned Lightspeed's Zulu PFX headset recognition from the Consumer Electronics Association, an award that recognizes innovation among all consumer products.
Read more...
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Gear
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Article
ForeFlight Mobile 6.5 includes two new capabilities that aim to close a situational awareness gap: automated display of notams and flight condition changes.
Read more...
Article
Seattle Avionics has announced updated versions of FlyQ Pocket and FlyQ EFB, and a new Web-based system called ATLAS.
Read more...
Article
Garmin, training its sights anew on "the connected cockpit," announced the availability of the Flight Stream 110/210 Bluetooth wireless gateway.
Read more...
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Travel
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Article
The 2015 Red Bull Air Race World Championship will race in eight locations, including first-time visits to Japan and Russia (pending confirmation). Tickets for some of the eight scheduled events are already on sale, and the 2015 schedule retains two U.S. stops.
Read more...
Pilot magazine
Winter escapes
Where do you go when you want to fly away from winter weather? Send a note to the editors of AOPA Pilot magazine.
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Financial
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Article
Showalter Flying Service, the family-run fixed-base operation at Florida's Orlando Executive Airport, has been sold to Texas-based Atlantic Aviation, the nation's largest FBO chain.
Read more...
AOPA Foundation focus
Pilots have a chance to double the impact of their donations to the AOPA Foundation as the nonprofit nears its goal for a matching gift challenge.
Read more...
Article
Start 2015 off right, and don't let "updating insurance" fall to the bottom of the to-do list. AOPA Insurance Services offers insurance for owners, renters, flying clubs, flight instructors, and others. It also offers life insurance services for pilots of all ages, an emergency assistance program, and auto and home insurance products.
Read more...
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News and Notes
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Article
Unfamiliarity with a newly purchased turboprop proved fatal for a Kansas family returning from a Bahamas vacation in 2012, the NTSB determined.
Read more...
Article
Cirrus Aircraft has completed and flown two of the three SF50 Vision jets needed for flight testing and certification in 2015.
Read more...
Blog
Bell's first flight of the 505 Jet Ranger X marked a significant event in the helicopter's life cycle, but more impressive is the speed with which Bell has racked up orders for the next generation Jet Ranger. Read more...
Video
The DC-3's reputation as a heavy hauler is unmatched. But for Georgia-based Lance Toland, the airplane is all about connecting to history and having fun.
Read more...
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Poll
As AOPA's seventy-fifth anniversary year draws to a close, the editors want to know which AOPA Pilot cover was the best of 2014. The winner will appear in an upcoming issue of the magazine.
Vote for your favorite...
Poll
Vote for your favorite 'Pilot' covers
As we continue to search for the best all-time cover of AOPA Pilot, take a look at the covers from 2000 and 2001. The Grumman Widgeon, Stinson Reliant, SIAI-Marchetti SF.260, and Gulfstream II graced the covers of AOPA Pilot magazine in 2000, while the Helio Courier, Cirrus SR22, Lincoln PT-K, and Fascination D4 were featured on the covers in 2001. Vote for your favorite from each year.
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Career Opportunities
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Aviation job board
Lockheed Martin seeks a director of aviation services and operations to develop strategies to grow the business and shape new opportunities. This position is responsible for overall leadership for one of three mission areas generating $200 million in sales annually, with a geographically dispersed team. Oversight comprises mission-critical aviation services including aircraft modifications/upgrade services; pilot/mechanic training services; and aircraft maintenance, reset, and logistics services.
Read more about this exciting opportunity!
AOPA career opportunities
Ever dream of turning your passion for aviation into a career? We're looking for an associate editor— Web/ePilot, coordinator for pilot community development, program manager for flight training initiatives, senior advertising sales/account executive, senior financial analyst, digital marketing manager, major gift officer, senior ambassador, .Net applications developer, social media evangelist, legal services plan program manager, and account manager II. To learn more about other AOPA career opportunities,
visit AOPA Online.
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Question of the Week
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Question
In the early morning you walk to your airplane's tiedown spot and discover a sparkling coat of frost on the wings and other surfaces. How much frost is acceptable on a wing surface prior to takeoff?
Answer
No amount of frost can be considered a safe amount. Move the airplane to a heated hangar or let the sun go to work long enough for the frost to melt. Consider using wing covers when parking outdoors in cold weather. Learn more about cold-weather operations with the Air Safety Institute's Ice Week features.
Got a question for our aviation services staff? The AOPA Pilot Information Center is a service available to all members as part of the annual dues. Contact AOPA. |
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Education and Seminars
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Flight Instructor Refresher Courses
Dec 6-7 - Orlando, Florida; Northbrook, Illinois; and Denver, Colorado
Jan 3-4 - Charlotte, North Carolina; Portland, Oregon; and Ypsilanti, Michigan
Jan 10-11 - San Antonio, Texas; Long Beach, California; Knoxville, Tennessee; and Bellevue, Washington
Jan 17-18 - Santa Clara, California; Ridgeland, Mississippi; and Baltimore, Maryland
For a complete schedule, see AOPA Online. Can't make it in person? Sign up for the Air Safety Institute's Online eFIRC.
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Air Safety Institute Safety Seminars
Jan 5 - Mesa, Arizona; and Reno, Nevada
Jan 6 - Sacramento, California; and Tucson, Arizona
Jan 7 - El Paso, Texas; and Milpitas, California
Jan 8 - Santa Rosa, California; and Albuquerque, New Mexico
Topics vary—for details and a complete schedule, see AOPA Online.
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Rusty Pilot Seminars
Jan 8 - Carlsbad, California
Jan 10 - Farmingdale, New York
Jan 15 - Murrieta, California
Jan 17 - Keene, New Hampshire
For a complete schedule, see AOPA Online.
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Aviation Calendar
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Check out user-submitted events from your region. To include an event or to search all events in the calendar, visit AOPA Online. AOPA does not endorse the events listed below, nor have ePilot editors edited the submissions. AOPA assumes no responsibility for events listed.
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ePilot Editors:
Sarah Deener
Alyssa Miller
Jim Moore
Production Assistant:
Melissa Whitehouse
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Contributors:
Jill W. Tallman
Elizabeth Tennyson
Warren Morningstar
Alton K. Marsh
Dave Hirschman
Tom Horne
Ian J. Twombly
Dan Namowitz
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