Training and Safety Tip: Don't let driving habits interfere with flying


VOL 22, ISSUE 51	December 23, 2022

Training and Safety Tips

Sponsored by Aircraft Spruce

A yoke is not a steering wheel

Drive when you are driving, fly when you are flying. Treating a yoke like a steering wheel can lead to trouble, and there are ways to break unwelcome habits. Read more >

Technique

Early Analysis

Mysterious North Pole mishap

Nobody was hurt in this holiday season "mishap," though carefully wrapped packages were scattered in the snow. The AOPA Air Safety Institute examines what all pilots can learn from a peculiar set of "facts." Watch the video >

Flight Training News

Weather

Fog facts

Fog is a low-lying air mass so saturated with water vapor that surface visibility is reduced to less than 5/8 statute miles. Read more >

What am I

The magnetic compass

Pilots like to bemoan that piston aircraft and carbureted engines are "old school," but that's another way of saying "tried and true." Read more >

Future flight

Jaunt Journey

Jaunt Air Mobility's Journey is unique in the eVTOL world because it's the only design of its kind with a strong similarity to conventional rotorcraft. Read more >

Fly with AOPA

Spreading cheer, supplies; Helo bill halted; North Pole mystery

Pilots celebrate the holidays by bringing gifts and supplies to the Navajo Nation in New Mexico. Also, New York's governor vetoes the "stop the chop" bill, and we detail a holiday "accident" near the North Pole. Watch Ep. 11 >

Career News

Online resource

Learn from 'CFI to CFI'

Insights on crew resource management and human factors, and checkride answers, await you in the latest AOPA Air Safety Institute CFI to CFI newsletter. Read more >

Aviation job board

Job of the week: IT program manager, Garmin International

Garmin International in Olathe, Kansas, is hiring a program manager to manage medium and large programs and projects across multiple teams and stakeholders. Read the full description and apply today >

AOPA career opportunities

Join the AOPA team

Ever dream of turning your passion for aviation into a career? AOPA is looking for a chief flight instructor, a digital media photo editor, a flight training initiative digital product support specialist, an aviation event specialist, an email marketing coordinator, an Aviation Finance loan assistant, a data entry/travel products representative, and a vice president of membership and event marketing. To learn more about these and other AOPA career opportunities visit AOPA Online >

Training Products and Resources

Know before you go

There are no sky signs alerting pilots to special-use airspace or temporary flight restrictions. So, you need the practical approach this AOPA Air Safety Institute course provides to prepare to navigate the national airspace system.

Note: Products listed have not been evaluated by Flight Training editors unless otherwise noted. AOPA assumes no responsibility for products or services listed or for claims or actions by manufacturers or vendors.

Member Benefits

Pilot protection services

The itch that distracts

There are many causes of itching from minor to life-threatening. Often it is something benign, but if it is irritating enough to cause a distraction to you as pilot in command, self-ground until resolved. Read more >

Instrument Tip

Pilot magazine

Dangerous droplets

You probably don't think much about such exotic processes as supercooling or changes in states of matter if you fly into a cloud or precipitation this winter. Unless maybe you were a chemistry major. Read more >

Photo of the Week

Christmas in the Nation

Trash bags are unusual gift wrapping, but the gifts delivered through the Navajo Christmas Airlift are cherished all the same. Read AOPA Senior Features Editor Julie Summers Walker's story to see more photos from AOPA Director of Photography Chris Rose and learn how you can get involved in this decadeslong mission. Be sure to follow @flywithaopa on Instagram to see photos from AOPA members and staff.

Final Exam

Question

What are FAA Wings credits?

Answer

The Wings program can be used as an alternative to the FAA-mandated flight review. Pilots take online courses, along with flight training, to satisfy the flight review requirement. There are many online course options offered as part of the program, and the AOPA Air Safety Institute offers courses that qualify as well. Just click on a course and look for the "FAA Wings: Eligible" notation. Credit is provided using the same email address used to sign in to the Wings portal on the FAA Safety Team website. Read the full answer and join the discussion >

This discussion is from our online Pilot Information Center, where you can ask questions, contribute answers, earn badges, and join our growing pilot community online. (Log in to the online Pilot Information Center using your AOPA website username and password to see this discussion.) Did you know that student pilots who join AOPA are three times more likely to complete their flight training? Membership includes unlimited access to aviation information by phone (800-USA-AOPA, weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern time) or from AOPA Online. Have a question for our technical services staff? Contact AOPA.

Education & Seminars

AOPA Rusty Pilots seminars

Jan 28	Orlando, Florida; and Carlsbad, California
Feb 18	Buckeye, Arizona
Feb 25	Puyallup, Washington
Mar 4	Queensbury, New York; Austinburg, Ohio; and Billings, Montana

For a complete schedule, visit our online Pilot Information Center. (Log in to our online Pilot Information Center using your AOPA website username and password to view these events.)

421 Aviation Way Frederick, MD 21701
800-872-2672
301-695-2375 Fax

Flight Training Editors:
Niki Britton
Alyssa Cobb
Lillian Geil
Jim Moore
Jill Tallman

Production Team:
Elizabeth Linares
Melissa Whitehouse

Contributors:
Sarah Deener
Alicia Herron
Dave Hirschman
Tom Horne
Cayla McLeod
Warren Morningstar
Kollin Stagnito
David Tulis
Ian Twombly
Julie Summers Walker

Advertise in Flight Training:
Initial advertising inquiries:
Donna Stoner, 301-695-2336

Eastern and Central United States, Canada, and International:
Jeff Rockwood, 301-695-2089

Western United States:
Jonathan Taylor, 301-695-2338

AOPA Advertising website